Asilomar Park
Rate this placeNearby: Almar Plaza Temescal Canyon Parks
Last Updated: December 4, 2025
Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds is a stunning coastal park located on the Monterey Peninsula in California.
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Summary
The park is a popular destination for its beautiful beaches, scenic trails, and idyllic setting. Visitors can enjoy a range of outdoor activities such as hiking, beachcombing, tidepooling, and birdwatching.
One of the main points of interest in Asilomar Park is the historic Asilomar Conference Grounds, which was built in the early 1900s as a retreat for the Young Women's Christian Association. Today, the grounds are owned and operated by the State of California and serve as a popular conference and retreat center.
Other notable attractions in the park include the Asilomar Beach, which is a wide, sandy beach that stretches for miles along the coast. The beach is ideal for swimming, surfing, and sunbathing. Visitors can also explore the tidepools located along the beach, which are home to a variety of marine life such as crabs, snails, and starfish.
Asilomar Park is also well-known for its hiking trails, which offer stunning views of the coastline and provide visitors with a chance to see a variety of plant and animal life. Some of the most popular trails in the park include the Asilomar Coast Trail and the Asilomar Dunes Trail.
The best time to visit Asilomar Park is during the spring and fall months when the weather is mild and the crowds are smaller. However, the park is open year-round and each season offers its own unique charm and beauty.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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