In the little coastal town of Guadalupe along scenic Highway 1, you will find the Dunes Center, a non-profit educational center dedicated to the nearby Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Complex.

The dunes are one of California’s best-kept natural secrets, but word is starting to get out. For example, the Los Angeles Times recently published a feature on the dunes experience, as well as the dunes’ starring role in Cecil B. DeMille’s silet epic The Ten Commandments.

Also, KSBY Television’s Jeanette Trompeter just featured the dunes in her “No Place Like Home” series, which focuses on the Central Coast’s signature experiences and destinations. Click here to view KSBY’s dunes segment and corresponding news story.

In the words of Trompeter, “The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes encompass one of the largest intact coastal dune eco-systems in the United States…The Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes are an oasis of outdoor serenity right in our own backyard…If you don’t know where to start your exploration, the Dunes Center in Guadalupe is a good option.”

So the next time you need to walk off a big Santa Maria Style Barbecue meal, you know where to go!