You Won’t Be Bored on Asilomar Boardwalk

Asilomar State Beach, located on the southwest shores of Pacific Grove, packs a lot of interesting features into a mile of coastline: a restored dune ecosystem, rocky coves and a broad sand beach. Add a visit to the historic Asilomar Conference Center and you have a walk to remember.

Bordering the west side of the conference center are white sand dunes. A boardwalk provides close-ups of a living example of plant succession: Just inland from the water, pioneer species of sand verbena and beach sage have taken hold. These colonizers create soil conditions acceptable for larger plants, such as coffee berry and coyote brush, to thrive. Ultimately, Monterey pine and coast live oak will succeed.

The conference center at Asilomar (pronounced Ah-SEELO-mar), derived from the Spanish to suggest “refuge by the sea,” was originally founded by the YWCA in 1913 as a summer retreat. Architect Julia Morgan, who would later gain worldwide fame as the designer of Hearst Castle, was commissioned to plan the original buildings.

Asilomar Conference Center now belongs to the state and is managed by a concessionaire. Trail advocates take note: Asilomar is the spring gathering place for the annual meeting of the California Recreational Trails Committee, a group that promotes trails statewide.

Asilomar Coast Trail extends a mile along the length of the state beach. From the trail, several side paths fork to tide pools and pocket beaches. Sea otters, sea lions and seals sometimes are seen from vantage points along the trail. In winter, scan the horizon for migrating California gray whales.

From the coast, walkers can follow the boardwalk across dunes to the Asilomar Conference Center, a national historic landmark set in pine woods.

Directions to trail head: From California Highway 1 between Carmel and Monterey, turn west on California 68 (which becomes Sunset Drive) and follow it to the beach. If you’re in the Cannery Row area, follow Ocean View Boulevard west and south along the coast.

You can begin this walk opposite Asilomar Conference Center or at the north end of Asilomar State Beach just south of the Sunset Drive-Jewell Avenue intersection.

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Asilomar Coast Trail

WHERE: Asilomar State Beach

DISTANCE: 1/2 to 2 miles round trip.

TERRAIN: Dunes, rich tide pools, broad beach.

HIGHLIGHTS: Restored dune ecosystem, historic Asilomar Conference Center.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Monterey District, California State Parks; tel. (408) 649-2836; Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce; tel. (800) 656-6650.