Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve


Five miles west of Guadalupe at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, enormous Egyptian-esque film sets from Cecil B DeMille's 1923 Hollywood epic The Ten Commandments still lie buried in the sand.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Dunes Center

4.48 MILES

In Guadalupe, learn more about the 'Lost City of DeMille,' the ecology of North America's largest coastal dunes, and the mystical Dunites who lived here…

2. Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove

11.36 MILES

Numbers have been dwindling but, for now, thousands of black-and-orange monarch butterflies still make their winter home in this eucalyptus grove just…

3. Avila Valley Barn

15.36 MILES

At this rural farm stand and pick-your-own berry farm, you can park alongside the sheep and goat pens, lick an ice-cream cone, then grab a basket and walk…

4. Kynsi Winery

16.01 MILES

Small, family-run vineyard pours cult-worthy Pinot Noir inside a cozy brick tasting room.

5. Talley Vineyards

16.44 MILES

Unpretentious, value-priced wines set among rolling hillsides, with vineyard tours ($10, including wine-tasting flight $20 to $40) by appointment.

6. Sextant Wines

16.53 MILES

Boisterous tasting room pours different varietals from Edna Valley and Paso Robles, with a tiny gourmet deli.

7. Chamisal Vineyards

16.82 MILES

In a rust-colored barn tasting room, tipple hand-crafted, small-lot wines grown mostly organically.

8. Presqu'ile

17.43 MILES

Come for the wine, stay for the architecture, the views and the (occasional) live music. The sweeping panorama across this relative newcomer's vineyard to…