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Asilomar, meaning “refuge by the sea,” offers park visitors the chance to explore the natural beauty of this coastal park and to learn of its colorful history as the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) conference grounds and summer camp designed by the renowned architect Julia Morgan. From the beginning, Asilomar has served as a retreat for those who wished to escape the pressures of an increasingly fast-paced world. Enhanced by the natural beauty surrounding the facility, Asilomar offers a peaceful oasis for educational and spiritual retreats, and a place for individuals and families to spend a quiet and relaxing time together.
Located on the Monterey Peninsula in the city of Pacific Grove, Asilomar offers beach and coast trail walks, a short boardwalk loop through the natural dune preserve and overnight room lodging and conference facilities. From its historic architecture to the forest, the dunes and coastline, State Park staff takes the lead in protecting and educating park visitors to Asilomar and monitors the delicate balance between preservation and public access.
Asilomar State Beach is a narrow one-mile strip of sandy beach and rocky coves. A one-mile walking trail is open to pedestrians. The trail is accessible and a beach wheelchair is available upon request.
Across from Asilomar State Beach is the Asilomar Natural Dune Preserve. One of Asilomar's landmark stiles stands at the gateway to this preserve. A one-mile boardwalk meanders through the 25 acres of restored sand dune ecosystem. Discover the native plant greenhouse where more than 450,000 plants, representing 25 species have been grown and planted in the dunes and coastal bluffs.
The boardwalk also leads park visitors to the Asilomar Conference Grounds. Asilomar originated as a woman's summer camp and conference facility out of the inspired vision of a handful of resourceful, socially-concerned and committed women of the YWCA in 1913. Its historic buildings were designed by California architect Julia Morgan. It has been owned and operated by State Parks since 1956.
Getting There
Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds is adjacent to Sunset Drive and Asilomar Avenue in the city of Pacific Grove.
Directions to Asilomar from the North (Santa Cruz):
Take State Highway 1 south towards Monterey. Exit at Highway 68 West to Pacific Grove. Turn left on Sunset Drive in Pacific Grove. Follow Sunset Drive to Asilomar Avenue.
Directions to Asilomar from the East (Salinas/Highway 101):
Take Monterey/Highway 68 West from Salinas. Turn south on Highway 1 (approximately 15 miles). From Highway 1 take 68 West to Pacific Grove. Turn left on Sunset Drive in Pacific Grove. Follow Sunset Drive to Asilomar Avenue.
Vehicle parking and a bicycle lane is adjacent to the state beach on Sunset Drive.
Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds is adjacent to Sunset Drive and Asilomar Avenue in the city of Pacific Grove.
Directions to Asilomar from the North (Santa Cruz):
Take State Highway 1 south towards Monterey. Exit at Highway 68 West to Pacific Grove. Turn left on Sunset Drive in Pacific Grove. Follow Sunset Drive to Asilomar Avenue.
Directions to Asilomar from the East (Salinas/Highway 101):
Take Monterey/Highway 68 West from Salinas. Turn south on Highway 1 (approximately 15 miles). From Highway 1 take 68 West to Pacific Grove. Turn left on Sunset Drive in Pacific Grove. Follow Sunset Drive to Asilomar Avenue.
Vehicle parking and a bicycle lane is adjacent to the state beach on Sunset Drive.
Operating Hours & Contact
Asilomar State Park Office
Office Tel: 831-646-6440 / Park Ranger:831-646-6442
Asilomar Conference Grounds
831-372-8016
Please visit their website for more information.
Asilomar State Park Office
Office Tel: 831-646-6440 / Park Ranger:831-646-6442
Asilomar Conference Grounds
831-372-8016
Please visit their website for more information.
Tips & Rules
Asilomar State Beach is within the boundary of Asilomar Marine Reserve. All marine resources, animals and features are protected. Do not collect or disturb animals or plants on the beach or in the tide pools. Feeding, harassing or injuring animals is prohibited.
Dogs are permitted on the state beach but must be leashed at all times and in the immediate control of the handler.
There are no restrooms or picnicking facilities on the state beach.
Stay on paved areas, boardwalks and trails.
Use only wood from wood boxes; do not collect wood in the forest.
The maximum speed limit on the conference grounds is 15 mph.
No campfires are allowed on the beach.
Asilomar State Beach is within the boundary of Asilomar Marine Reserve. All marine resources, animals and features are protected. Do not collect or disturb animals or plants on the beach or in the tide pools. Feeding, harassing or injuring animals is prohibited.
Dogs are permitted on the state beach but must be leashed at all times and in the immediate control of the handler.
There are no restrooms or picnicking facilities on the state beach.
Stay on paved areas, boardwalks and trails.
Use only wood from wood boxes; do not collect wood in the forest.
The maximum speed limit on the conference grounds is 15 mph.
No campfires are allowed on the beach.
Activities
Park rangers provide a variety of cultural and natural history walks. Self-guided walking tours and audio tours are also available at the park store.
Visitors can spend their leisure time bird watching, strolling along the beach, bicycling, swimming in the heated pool, or playing a game of billiards, ping pong or volleyball.
Park rangers provide a variety of cultural and natural history walks. Self-guided walking tours and audio tours are also available at the park store.
Visitors can spend their leisure time bird watching, strolling along the beach, bicycling, swimming in the heated pool, or playing a game of billiards, ping pong or volleyball.
Natural Resources
The Dunes
Adjacent to the conference grounds, 26 acres of restored sand dunes provide a significant ecological boundary between the shoreline and the coniferous forest. Park resource staff began to restore Asilomar’s dunes in 1984, after the dunes and the plants had been severely trampled and nearly destroyed by more than a century of livestock grazing, recreational activities, and uncontrolled public access. Restoration began with the eradication of the non-native ice plant. Bulldozers reconstructed the dunes into a series of parallel ridges, and the seeds of over 20 species of native dune plants were planted in stabilizing mulch that held the dunes in place while the plants were becoming established. The half-mile, meandering Dune Boardwalk now guides visitors through the dunes without damaging the fragile ecosystem. Today life in the dunes is once again flourishing.
The Beach
A one-mile coast trail provides easy walking and allows park visitors the opportunity to explore the treasures of Asilomar State Beach. At the head of the trail a strip of unbroken white beach sand provides easy access to the ocean. Distinct from other Monterey Bay beaches, where beach sand is derived primarily from sediment in freshwater drainage, the sand for Asilomar comes from wave abrasion and weathering of local granodiorite rocks found along the shoreline. You may see harbor seals, California sea lions and sea otters swimming in the cold waters, feeding on crabs and fish, or resting on “haul out” rocks at low tide. The coastline at Asilomar State Beach is part of the Pacific Grove Marine Garden Fish Refuge and the National Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.
The Forest
When architect Julia Morgan designed the layout of buildings for Asilomar, she was acutely aware that the wealth of the forest was as important as the buildings that would define Asilomar’s character. Asilomar’s native Monterey pine forest is an ancient, complex ecosystem that is found in only three local areas—the Monterey peninsula, Año Nuevo and Cambria.
Forest management strategies at Asilomar emphasize long-term forest ecosystem health that includes not just the trees but also the animals, the air, the soil, the plants, even the micro-organisms that together form a delicately balanced web of life.
Deer, raccoons and foxes are frequently sighted. Acorn woodpeckers flash about displaying their bright black, white and red feathers, while crows and hawks soar from limb to limb in the canopies of the tallest trees. White-crowned sparrows sing in the sand dunes, and robins in the forest provide melodious songs from the air.
The Dunes
Adjacent to the conference grounds, 26 acres of restored sand dunes provide a significant ecological boundary between the shoreline and the coniferous forest. Park resource staff began to restore Asilomar’s dunes in 1984, after the dunes and the plants had been severely trampled and nearly destroyed by more than a century of livestock grazing, recreational activities, and uncontrolled public access. Restoration began with the eradication of the non-native ice plant. Bulldozers reconstructed the dunes into a series of parallel ridges, and the seeds of over 20 species of native dune plants were planted in stabilizing mulch that held the dunes in place while the plants were becoming established. The half-mile, meandering Dune Boardwalk now guides visitors through the dunes without damaging the fragile ecosystem. Today life in the dunes is once again flourishing.
The Beach
A one-mile coast trail provides easy walking and allows park visitors the opportunity to explore the treasures of Asilomar State Beach. At the head of the trail a strip of unbroken white beach sand provides easy access to the ocean. Distinct from other Monterey Bay beaches, where beach sand is derived primarily from sediment in freshwater drainage, the sand for Asilomar comes from wave abrasion and weathering of local granodiorite rocks found along the shoreline. You may see harbor seals, California sea lions and sea otters swimming in the cold waters, feeding on crabs and fish, or resting on “haul out” rocks at low tide. The coastline at Asilomar State Beach is part of the Pacific Grove Marine Garden Fish Refuge and the National Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.
The Forest
When architect Julia Morgan designed the layout of buildings for Asilomar, she was acutely aware that the wealth of the forest was as important as the buildings that would define Asilomar’s character. Asilomar’s native Monterey pine forest is an ancient, complex ecosystem that is found in only three local areas—the Monterey peninsula, Año Nuevo and Cambria.
Forest management strategies at Asilomar emphasize long-term forest ecosystem health that includes not just the trees but also the animals, the air, the soil, the plants, even the micro-organisms that together form a delicately balanced web of life.
Deer, raccoons and foxes are frequently sighted. Acorn woodpeckers flash about displaying their bright black, white and red feathers, while crows and hawks soar from limb to limb in the canopies of the tallest trees. White-crowned sparrows sing in the sand dunes, and robins in the forest provide melodious songs from the air.
Park History
The earliest residents of this area were the Rumsien people, groups of extended families who lived on Monterey’s abundant sea life, various seeds and acorns, and large and small game. Their homes and sailing rafts were constructed from the ever-present tules and other grasses.
Their way of life changed dramatically with the arrival in the late 1700s of Spanish settlers who claimed the land for their home country. The missions forced native people into the church, and many went to work as ranch laborers. The 1848 gold discovery later brought scores of thousands to California. Chinese settlers established fishing villages, and Portuguese settlers arrived to ply their whaleboats off the coast.
In 1897 at the first western conference of the YWCA—the world’s oldest multicultural women’s group—the organization decided to open a center for educational and vocational training in California. Asilomar became their permanent west coast conference grounds and summer camp in 1913. William Crocker, owner of what is now known as the Pebble Beach Company, donated the original 30 acres of land to the YWCA. Renowned San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, hired to design and build a facility that matched the spirit of the project and the beauty of the land, designed 16 structures in the classic Arts and Crafts style. When Asilomar opened its doors for the first time, young women came from around the world. Student Leadership Conferences drew YWCA college-age women, while the ten-day summer camps were designed for YWCA Girl Reserves, aged 14 to 16.
However, by 1935 harsh economic times caused the National Board to close the conference grounds. A succession of operators leased the grounds from the YWCA in the late 1930s and early 1940s for their own businesses. When the property was placed on the market in 1951, public spirited citizens fought to preserve this unique natural and cultural site for future generations. Asilomar became a unit of the California State Park System on July 1, 1956. Today Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds totals 107 acres and includes the William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center, the hub of State Parks’ employee training. Guest services throughout the conference grounds are provided by a hospitality concessionaire.
The earliest residents of this area were the Rumsien people, groups of extended families who lived on Monterey’s abundant sea life, various seeds and acorns, and large and small game. Their homes and sailing rafts were constructed from the ever-present tules and other grasses.
Their way of life changed dramatically with the arrival in the late 1700s of Spanish settlers who claimed the land for their home country. The missions forced native people into the church, and many went to work as ranch laborers. The 1848 gold discovery later brought scores of thousands to California. Chinese settlers established fishing villages, and Portuguese settlers arrived to ply their whaleboats off the coast.
In 1897 at the first western conference of the YWCA—the world’s oldest multicultural women’s group—the organization decided to open a center for educational and vocational training in California. Asilomar became their permanent west coast conference grounds and summer camp in 1913. William Crocker, owner of what is now known as the Pebble Beach Company, donated the original 30 acres of land to the YWCA. Renowned San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, hired to design and build a facility that matched the spirit of the project and the beauty of the land, designed 16 structures in the classic Arts and Crafts style. When Asilomar opened its doors for the first time, young women came from around the world. Student Leadership Conferences drew YWCA college-age women, while the ten-day summer camps were designed for YWCA Girl Reserves, aged 14 to 16.
However, by 1935 harsh economic times caused the National Board to close the conference grounds. A succession of operators leased the grounds from the YWCA in the late 1930s and early 1940s for their own businesses. When the property was placed on the market in 1951, public spirited citizens fought to preserve this unique natural and cultural site for future generations. Asilomar became a unit of the California State Park System on July 1, 1956. Today Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds totals 107 acres and includes the William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center, the hub of State Parks’ employee training. Guest services throughout the conference grounds are provided by a hospitality concessionaire.
Accessible Features
Trails
Access Trail #1: 0.04 mile boardwalk trail to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking are on west side of Sunset Drive near main beach.
Access Trail #11: 0.07 mile along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking are on west side of Sunset Drive near Pico Avenue.
Access Trail #19: 0.06 mile along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking on west side of Sunset drive near Arena Avenue.
Access Trail #24 (Rocky Shores Trail): 0.08-mile boardwalk along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible parking are at Sunset Avenue near Jewell Avenue.
Asilomar Dunes Boardwalk: 0.25 mile through sand dunes along the ocean shore. Trailhead and accessible parking are at west side of Sunset Avenue.
Coast Trail: 0.75 mile along coastal bluffs is accessible. Many points of access, including the four accessible ones given above.
Beach/Shore Access
A beach wheelchair is available. Phone 831-372-8016 for information.
Other Information
Lodging and Conference Facilities: The hilly setting can pose challenges, but most buildings are usable, and a courtesy van may be available. Recent improvements in the chapel have created wheelchair accessible seating areas with companion seating. More improvements are underway or planned. Please call the Asilomar Grounds concessionaire staff at 831-372-8016 for the most current information about accessible lodging and conference facilities.
Trails
Access Trail #1: 0.04 mile boardwalk trail to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking are on west side of Sunset Drive near main beach.
Access Trail #11: 0.07 mile along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking are on west side of Sunset Drive near Pico Avenue.
Access Trail #19: 0.06 mile along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible roadside parking on west side of Sunset drive near Arena Avenue.
Access Trail #24 (Rocky Shores Trail): 0.08-mile boardwalk along coastal bluffs to ocean overlook. Trailhead and accessible parking are at Sunset Avenue near Jewell Avenue.
Asilomar Dunes Boardwalk: 0.25 mile through sand dunes along the ocean shore. Trailhead and accessible parking are at west side of Sunset Avenue.
Coast Trail: 0.75 mile along coastal bluffs is accessible. Many points of access, including the four accessible ones given above.
Beach/Shore Access
A beach wheelchair is available. Phone 831-372-8016 for information.
Other Information
Lodging and Conference Facilities: The hilly setting can pose challenges, but most buildings are usable, and a courtesy van may be available. Recent improvements in the chapel have created wheelchair accessible seating areas with companion seating. More improvements are underway or planned. Please call the Asilomar Grounds concessionaire staff at 831-372-8016 for the most current information about accessible lodging and conference facilities.
Community Trips
