Asilomar State Beach

Our party-of-5 adult visitors to Central California (from U.S. Midwest & the UK) headed to Asilomar State Beach after a late dinner in Monterey, to see an awesome late June sunset under clear skies. We arrived approx. 20 minutes before sundown, and the roadside parking slots along Sunset Drive were filling up fast. But we luckily found a spot to tuck in, then took a short walk to a beach access point. We were all very pleased to see the beautiful sunset over the Pacific waves on a very clean beach with soft sand, and it's a sight we will all remember for a long time. I'd recommend arriving @ Asilomar SB about an hour prior to sunset and put a blanket down close to the surf line, as late comers seem prone to standing & blocking the sightlines of people who set up to watch the show from viewpoints closer to the road.

This is my favorite beach in Pacific grove and Monterey. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I love walking the little coast trail with my dog in the morning. You can sometimes see otters swimming around if you get lucky.

Went to watch the sunset. Parked on the side of the road near a trail opening. Popular spot for sunset viewing. Part sandy trail , part boardwalk leading up to some small dunes.

Terrific spot for sunsets -- get there 30+ minutes early as it gets parked-up. Beautiful surf and vibrant tide pools.

This beach walk was beautiful! The road is busy but once you’re on the trail it’s very safe. There are several social trails and beach access points so it never felt overcrowded even when there were lots of people out enjoying the trails. Great for dog walks, people walks, running and photos.

My favorite central California beach. In the early morning, when the tide is low, there are tide pools in the rocks. The sand is soft, and the water is clearer than other beaches in the area

Beautiful wide and ample white-sand beach surrounded by a boardwalk, with amazing views of the ocean and nature. Parking is a bit limited. Best times to get in the water is June-August, otherwise bring a wetsuit

Beautiful beach, super soft sand, not too hard to find parking along the side of the road

Absolutely gorgeous day! Easy parking. Wide open views. Pet friendly, lots of seashells

Always a must stop when we are in the Monterey, Pacific Grove area. There is parking along the side of the street. Several places with steps to get down to the beach. Such a pretty area of Monterey Bay. Got a few pics and a nice lady even walked over to us and offered to take a pic of us and our doggie. The beach always has super nice people nearby. How can you not be happy near the ocean?!

This is of my favorite spots to visit! It's just a peaceful and serene place to view amazing sea life!! This last visit we saw sea lions napping at a distance on rocks, water hermits, starfish and so many sea anemones in between the rocks!

I would call this pebble beach- the views of the ocean crashing against the Rocks is spectacular! It's easy to get down to the beach area, it's not really sandy like most beaches, it's basically little tiny rocks. Would definitely recommend as it was not very crowded

On 5/10/2025, the trail was closed due to storm damage. Some people didn't care and would jump the fence but given we have an active toddler, we didn't want to take our chances. We walked down the stairs to the beach and the water was very cold. Dogs are allowed on leash but people didn't follow it. Despite this, the beach was clean. There are trash and recycling bins everywhere. On this sunny morning, there were blue mussels everywhere on the shore. I also witnessed some crazy seagulls attacking some families unattended bags and they took out a large ziplock bag of what appeared to be popcorn. They attacked it and ate it out of the bag. I was beyond myself that I didn't record it. I tried to shoo them away but then more showed up. It was something out of a movie and the lesson learned here is that seagulls are like bears. There are no restrooms or showers but it is a nice place to relax or play or walk with free parking. Even if you see a lot of cars parked along Sunset, it doesn't feel packed because it is a long stretch.

I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Monterey, and my hubby and I spent some time walking at Asilomar State Beach. Tranquil, peaceful, and heart-soaringly beautiful, life slowed down by the ocean.

Solid! This beach does a lot. Tide pools, soaking up them rays and of course plenty of people watching. Doing some touristy things with family from up north and cruised by a few beaches in the area. Always loved this one area. The parking situation has changed over the years but the coast remains. As a kid my brothers and I would run the rocks for as long as our mom would let us. As an adult we would drive our older parents here just to watch the waves and watch a few beautiful sunsets. And now as I'm getting older it's just a wonderful place to relax. Last words...God is very good.

A beautiful beach connected to Asilomar Conference Grounds - slightly tucked away from the rest of Monterey and with plenty of soft ocean sand to walk along and peaceful crashing waves to relax next to. Parking can be a bit tricky along the drive, as well as next to the conference center. The beach is well maintained, beautiful, and in a pristine location. Absolutely loved our walks through this area and will be returning again soon.

5/5 Stars! Enjoy pristine shores, scenic hikes, and playful sea otters. Bring binoculars and respect wildlife. Tips: Arrive early, bring layers, and enjoy serenity!

Love this beach and this entire area. It's one of my most favorite places in the world because it's so peaceful and beautiful. I have come here regularly for years

We love visiting Asilomar Beach as there is lots to do in the area. Our dogs love the walk, the views are fantastic, you can visit the light house (dogs not allowed), go whale watching-you can see the a bit from the coast but it is best to get a boat tour when they are there. The John Denver memorial is there as well. It is right next to the road but it is best to park and see it. Not far from there is Lovers Beach and also many Bed and Breakfast spots such as Seven Gabbles (featured in a commercial in the 90s). There are also some good places to picnic!

Beautiful park that seems well manicured. I've lived here for years and haven't seen anyone actively "work" on the vegetation here given how manicured it looks. No one knows how to drive along the beach and will actively drive 15+ under speed limit along with active stopping in an active lane of traffic. For whole minutes at a time as if people behind them were in the same car as them. You also get people who drive 40+ mph in a 25 zone. I'll never understand this, but it looses a star because of it. Needs more trash bins along the walkway and the benches are uncozy. There has to be better benches if you want to memorialize a name on it. Which would be another star.

It's a beautiful beach with tidepools. Not as popular as the big ones but it's amazing! Definitely a nice chill spot to hang around, snack, take in the views, and look at animals!

more amazing video of monterey bay ocean enjoy! these photos were taken majority of "2024" me and my puppy's would visit or also with husband i always love the smell of the fresh salt air and the peaceful breeze and where we can just relax and enjoy the waves ... monterey bay over years i've visited and witnessed weddings and such amazing views i recommend this for anyone wanting a place of serenity and peace . enjoy the videos regards, corina

What an amazing spot! We stayed in Carmel valley and came for a local outing. Way better than going to point lobos.

The most beautiful beach in the world! White sand, amazing surf, and the perfect place for a stroll or a day on the beach! I always visit when I'm on the Peninsula!

I love how the beaches and tidepools sit right off the road in Monterey/Pacific Grove/Asilomar areas, especially with young kids. Parents already have to bring SO MUCH to take care of these kiddos when we leave the house, so it's super nice when things are more accessible so you don't have to work so hard at having fun! There are multiple places you can pull off and explore in Asilomar, and we found some really nice tide pools at low tide with lots to see. My younger son and wife stayed up by the beach looking in the pools closest to shore. He walks but isn't sure enough to scramble of the rocks, so having access to hermit crabs, small fish, and more right there made this a magical moment for them. I took my older son out farther to the water's edge to see what we can discover. Turns out we both really enjoy the act of getting out into the middle of these areas and looking into these pools to find neat creatures, many of which he's seeing for the first time. I love the natural world and can identify a lot, so it's super cool to teach him about these critters and then see him learn to identify them too. We saw hermit crabs, chitons, limpets, fish, urchins, anemones and more. We made it all the way out to where the waves were crashing on the rocks. We saw a Canada goose that had built its nest just out of the way of the water and watched her sitting calmly there as wind whipped and water exploded on, around and through the rocks. Truly a mesmerizing place and one I hope to return to again soon.

This is our favorite beach. We spent 4.5 hours relaxing here on Saturday and came home restored and rejuvenated. Clean with sparkly white sand, tide pools filled with hermit crabs and other sea cuties, friendly, happy people with their adorable dogs, lots of surfers, and plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Just good vibes all around. No restrooms, so we purposely didn't bring our coffee and water this time.

PEOPLE PLEASE PICK UP YOUR DOG POOP!!!! It's everywhere on this beach and it's disgusting because there are children and people who can get sick or step in it. You shouldn't own a dog if you can't clean up after it. It can harm the environment and you are a hazard. You should be ashamed. The beach view is beautiful and the tide pools are great if there weren't any dog walkers, it would be the best.

This was one of my favorite Beach stops last time we went to Monterey/Pacific Grove area. Easy parking to be found. Beautiful landscape. Dogs allowed. Everyone seemed friendly and well kept. I didn't see trash all around the sand. I love the walking path! We had a nice picnic in the afternoon October of 2021 last visit. My wife was born in Monterey, so it was especially a nice stop to just relax and spend quality time together. We will definitely visit again when the CA weather warms up!

Favorite spot to take the dogs and watch the sunset! You can have bonfires here too, but have to cross the river to start your fire or take your dog off leash (off the state side)

Such a beautiful place to walk and to enjoy the nice view! It wasn't too hard to find parking. Unfortunately, parts of the trails were closed in early April.

Beautiful and large, you get a bit of everything here: coastal forests, ocean boulders, white sands, soothing waves, and twisting walking trails. We came for the tidepools toward the west, on google maps its called "great tide pool". There are large boulders you climb on to get a bit closer to the action and at low-tide there are easy to spot hermit crabs and snails in almost every small body of water. For the more rare crab and fish sightings stay still for awhile and see if they'll slowly come out. The vibrations from walking and jumping on the rocks make them hide. Our family enjoyed just sitting and watching to see what would come out from cracks and from underneath rocks. Early morning is cold and gray so bring warm clothes, we prefer this time because very few people are around and its also low tide without the burning sun. No bathrooms on this beach so expect to have to leave if you need to use a bathroom.

Awesome tide pools! This beach is huge, there's plenty of parking, and lots of sand to play or lounge, plus tide pools at low tide. We went on a day with a very low tide and saw mostly hermit crabs and snails. There were some anemones, but no urchins or sea stars.

Just one of my all time favorite places in California to explore. Also, it's fabulous for catching a sunset

This is so overrated. There an unpleasant odor on the beach. Lots of seaweed everywhere. Not a beach I can relax and spend my time.

I've been on a tide pool kick lately and bingeing on Brave Wilderness on YouTube. Shout out to Coyote Peterson! *Ow, ow, owwww!* That's my mock-up coyote call mixed with one of his screams from being bit/pinched/stung by whatever he comes into contact with. I think I watched about twenty episodes before I realized it's a kids' channel. Anyhoo, I found Asilomar when I googled "best tide pools in CA" and had to see for myself. And...It is absolutely beautiful here! A great place to chill on the beach, beach comb, and/or hunt for sea critters in the coves during low tide. You'll find sea snails crawling everywhere, mussels, barnacles and anemones galore! I was even lucky enough to see a sheep crab hiding under a rock and then trying to sneak back into the deeper water. We were about to call it a day when the bf spotted a funny looking burnt orange thing as big as my foot! After googling for two hours, we finally learned it was a gumboot chiton. Never heard of that one before! Props for the nicely done accessible boardwalk that seems to stretch the entire beach. Street parking available only, which can be challenging on a gorgeous weekend. No bathrooms and no picnic benches.

A big beach for everyone. As vast as the eye can see. A bit chilly on a March day but still nice for a walk or run. No parking lots that I saw but plenty of parking along the side.

Great beach for a nice short walk. There's is a direct path from the Asilomar camp grounds that makes the beach accessible by foot from the local area. The beach tends to be too narrow for big runs or long dog walks. In the many tide pools here you will find mussels, small crabs, snails, and much more. Worth the visit if you are in the area.

What a gem this beach is! We happened upon it as we were looking for hikes in the area and saw that there was a boardwalk that went along the beach. There's only street parking, which is limited and fills up fast -- so come early! Even though there was limited parking there was a ton of room on the beach to spread out and enjoy the sand! Will definitely be back!

All time favorite beach in Cali. Ran into this beach by luck and so glad I did. Spent about 2 hours here on a Saturday and we still had our private little area even though there were a decent amount of people. This is my forever go to beach in Monterey. Very close to restaurants, Safeway, etc.

Happy Dogs Very little trash, if any. Grew up on this beach. Friendly folks.

Definitely a great beach, it has whatever you're looking for: sand to relax or play on, rocky areas to explore, and dunes to walk along. Since it's so large, parking isn't too big of an issue. And no fees for anything.

Absolutely Beautiful! A must stop by and see if your here in town! Clean lots of parking and great weather the sand is a pretty white color and the ocean a turquoise blue crystal clear.

What can I say? An incredible stretch of beach that is amazingly beautiful drive! Currently we are having a high surf advisory in the area, so I had to take a drive after work. How amazing that I can drive down and watch such an amazing view. I am constantly impressed with the beauty of the ocean and surf. Most of the pull out sections are roped off as closed. But you can stop off next to the road. Be careful driving through this area as everyone is going slow to watch the waves, birds, and look for a place to stop. This afternoon the tide was really low and the rocks were all exposed. I stayed in my car or close to it but plenty of people were exploring the tide pools. There is a trail along this portion of the coast and social distancing is encouraged. Everyone I saw was wearing a mask and staying apart. The area is big enough to social distance. On sunnier days I have come here with my son and his girlfriend. There are beaches to sit and have a picnic. I absolutely adore this drive and go out of my way to drive this way just for the views. It is free too! I have yet to do the 17 mile drive. If you like free then this is for you! Happy YELPing!

Me and my family went on a little vacation we just live in San Jose. We stayed at the Embassy suites in Monterey, the plan was to go to the aquarium but as you probably know they were turning people away......... As usual even if you have a reservation so disappointing. But if it wasn't for that I would've never stumbled across this beach. It was so beautiful it was unbelievable I am from Southern California and we have a tide pools form there I believe in Huntington Beach and it is nothing like this. I won hundred percent recommend visiting this beach Don't bother with seal Cove or Moss cove, they don't compare see my review on that Overall staying at the Embassy in Monterey was amazing and they experience I had with my children that day was amazing!!!!!!

One of the coolest beaches in the area. We really wanted to visit despite the current River Fire that is causing so much smoke in the area and sky discoloration. Many people just do the street parking to avoid paying the fee. There is an excellent beach trail here if you want to do an easy hike with the family. If you're coming here for the beach, note the water is cold all year round but people still chill here or go surfing. Highly recommended on a good day.

A lovely beach for jogging, walking, eating, sitting, taking pictures, and simply enjoying the view! It stretches for over a mile, and it's nice to go for a morning walk or jog - there are neat dirt trails with some benches and trash cans along the way too. Near the south end, there are some tidepools (probably also depends on the tide level that day). I saw an area with over a hundred tiny hermit crabs! Street parking is convenient and plentiful - stop wherever you want and enjoy the view.

One of the most beautiful parts of the California coast. I used to go running here when I lived in the area. It's a nice place to go for a drive and pull over to see the coastline and take a stroll. There's also a beach at the other side. It's a must see for people visiting the Monterey bay.

Beautiful! I've heard they have the best tide pools, but for that you have to check the tides...which we clearly did not. But even at high tide, it's amazing to walk through the silky sand, and the ocean is beautiful even when it's cloudy. If you don't want to linger, don't, but it's worth stopping by, even if it's just a short stroll.

She sells seashells by the seashore. This beach is a wonderland with endless tide pools, white sand and clear water. The sand is magical in itself. It's jagged and made up of beautiful shells, sea glass and other treasures of the sea. Adventure out into the tide pools and you'll find tons of hermit crabs, mussels, sea anemone, sea snail, star fish and the list goes on. Dog friendly beach. Beautiful beach to explore and laze around. A gem. Please do your part to help preserve our planet for our sea friends.

Parking was easy, beaches were pristine, and tide pools were incredible The beaches are white sand so you leave feeling clean?! With a 2 year old we really appreciated this Just check the tide times before you go to ensure great access to the tide pools

A really beautiful beach. Going down during low tide is great. When we were there a dead seal was on the beach which caused a lot of smell, but it was interesting to see. It was a good walk from the conference center and we'll maintained.

We were staying nearby so I walked over to the beach several times and usually continued past on the coastal trail. The beach is very popular for sunbathing and surfing. Past the beach, the trail hugs the rocky coastline continuing on for miles and miles. We learned the area is a designated marine reserve so fishing and collecting seashells is prohibited. Though the beach and coastal trail are popular, we found ample off street parking on the beach side.

WOW. This is definitely one of the top beaches I've visited in CA. It's the perfect place to walk hand in hand with your SO along the shore. The perfect place to unravel that dusty kite and watch it float in the air. The perfect place for dogs to run around and play with other dogs or humans. The perfect place for families to picnic and splash water at one another. The perfect place for one to soak in the sun while reading a book about what else, food. The beach was somewhat empty but it was nice to enjoy the scenery, the peace, and solitude.

Beautiful, peaceful, breathtaking you'll love visiting these beaches and enjoy walking the trails.

if you are looking for beach with lots of rocks, i will recommend this place. it is so nice and you can spend day to listen the sound of waves...

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky -- Rabindranath Tagore A wonderful place to catch the sunset near Monterey and Pacific Grove. The rocks and the waves and the wide beach make photo creation a snap even for beginners. See my photos for proof! Free parking adds to the attraction :-) This is review night! Stay tuned for a few more ;-)

Beautiful, breathtaking, incredible view!!! We stayed less than a mile from this beach and it was the perfect place to watch the sunset. There are benches and logs to sit on if you're not the standing type. And it's oh so peaceful! Just pull off to the side of the road to park and depending on which side of the street you park on be careful when crossing it, but drivers are pretty watchful for pedestrians so it's safe. If you're more of the adventurous type there are plenty of rocks to climb on (something I love to do).