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    Asilomar State Beach

    4.8 (258 reviews)

    Asilomar State Beach Photos

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    Bernadette Y.

    I love this area. The wildlife spotting is amazing, and the views are spectacular. The beach is nice, but really, it is all about the wildlife here. On one side, you've got sea otters playing in the water, on the other side, you've got deer wandering through the neighbors front yard. It's currently warm, and it's just such a cool spot. Definitely one of my favorite spots of all time. I love coming back here.

    Victoria S.

    Beautiful place to walk or watch the sunset, it's dog-friendly & there's tide pools at low tide. We even saw deers nearby.

    Gorgeous!
    Kathryn Y.

    The drive along the coast here is stunning. Between Pacific Grove and Carmel By the Sea. Plenary of places to stop and park and put your feet in the sand. The two times I visited recently with family and friends it was a stunning sunshiny day. And the water felt so warm. No waves and views all the way across the bay to Santa Cruz. No restrooms anywhere along this beach. Just so you know. Be sure to drive slowly and enjoy the views. Drive slow also because deer also live in the area. See the photos I took of a large buck with the small herd of deer. And they can be skittish. When I lived in the area I frequently came here for car picnics too. It's a must see for the area!! Enjoy your life. SYOY!

    Look up the tide schedules and go out accordingly (one hour before low tide is recommended to my understanding). The tides can come in fast

    Went on an afternoon in late June after visiting Point Pinos Lighthouse. We were happy to find street parking all along this large beach area. Not too crowded on the beach and lots of different areas to explore tide pools. Keep in mind when visiting that no one is supposed to remove anything (including empty shells or rocks) from this protected area.

    J Lo LOVES the beach!
    Mary Lou S.

    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?!

    The sign of Asilomar
    Elsie F.

    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!

    Ocean waves
    Becky E.

    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

    Low tide.
    Dave S.

    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.

    Thanksgiving day walk with my best guy
    Dena G.

    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.

    Sunset 10.24.24
    Kim H.

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

    Catherine C.

    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!

    Appears to be blue mussels or the slimy stuff inside clams
    Nohemy C.

    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.

    Mike V.

    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

    John Denver Memorial.

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    8 months ago

    Asilomar Beach is quite beautiful and a great place to enjoy the Pacific Ocean it has clean sand and no alligators

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    11 months ago

    I love their camp grounds and the walkways along the water. Not sure how they operate their business but it is worth a try.

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    Asilomar State Beach Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Asilomar State Beach

    Are bonfires allowed?

    No. It's clearly posted at all trailheads.

    Is this open during covid?

    Open! It a huge beach with lots of parking that is always accessible

    Where would you find the best tidepools? North or south end of the beach?

    North end of beach and many more north along the highway curve of the peninsula but not as far as the lighthouse. Free parking all along the road and steps down to the tide pools.

    Do they allow fires on the beach?

    No bon fires 🔥 allowed.

    Can you car camp?

    No. But people sleep in their RVs/ vehicles in the surrounding areas and around Asilomar and Sinex Area ... 🙄

    Where are the tide pools at the beach?

    We live close and we like the cove at the end of Arena Ave and Ocean Blvd ♥️

    Are dogs allowed on and/or off leash?

    Per the Asilomar website: "Dogs are allowed ON leash at Asilomar State Beach. Please consider families with infants and young children who frequent the beach when walking dogs by keeping them under control and picking up after your pet."

    Does anyone know if your allowed to fish there , near the rocks? I'm not from the area but I wanna give it a try

    No this is a marine reserve. No fishing allowed.

    Can you have bonfires?

    No

    Where are the restrooms?

    There are no restrooms or picnicking facilities on the State Beach. Restrooms open to the public are located at the Phoebe Hearst Social Hall inside the Conference Grounds

    Does anyone know if theirs a bathroom near the beach ? Is this Beach normally crowded?

    There a public bathroom adjacent to the golf course/ driving range on Ocean Ave.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Asilomar State Beach

    Water is crystal clear and when the tide is lower there a tons of little places to explore the rocks and sea life.

    Mentioned in 59 reviews

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    Lynn Rip Van Winkle Open Space

    Lynn Rip Van Winkle Open Space

    4.3(21 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    So Pacific Grove is a very cool little town. I happened upon this space on a costal road trip with…read moremy dog, and fell in love. This open space has trails for miles and off leash hours! The one thing I would be careful of, is that during the off leash hours, people still come (without dogs) to run the trails. If you have a protective dog like I do, just be aware that a random man could pop out of no where running towards you. He might just be using the space as it's intended, but your off leash dog may get scared and bark at him to not run at his mommy. Just something I encountered. I notice that a lot of men like to use off leash dog trails as their personal running trails. Not sure if they like testing the restraint of dogs, or they don't care that certain hours and spaces aren't really meant for them, and while they have the luxury of running free anywhere, our dogs only have the option to run free in certain places...but it's really becoming a thing everywhere we go, and unfortunately this space is no exception.

    There is limited parking spots for this open space and no bathrooms. There is a garbage can, which…read morewas appreciated. This is a beautiful area to walk your dog, and we met many dogs along the way. We found out that it's not a great place to bring a stroller because of all the tree roots. You cannot walk very far in any one direction because you will come upon a road on all sides of the area. And yet, it is still possible to lose your way because there are many paths, and they are all unnamed. Also, there are no signs to direct you. (I saw another review mention trail markers, but I did not notice them.) I am embarressed to say that I got turned around and thought our car was one way when it was actually the opposite way; this was a rare occasion in which my husband was right. LOL.

    Photos
    Lynn Rip Van Winkle Open Space
    Lynn Rip Van Winkle Open Space - Off leash dog hours on the early morning!

    Off leash dog hours on the early morning!

    Lynn Rip Van Winkle Open Space

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    Via Paraiso Park - Toddler playground

    Via Paraiso Park

    4.6(12 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    Awesome park! We were looking for a place for our kids to get their energy out and this place was…read moreso wonderful! They have two playgrounds for different age groups which always helps. I love that they have so much nature areas that the kids can run and climb on besides the playground. They also have a basketball court, tennis court and basebAll! Downside: bathroom is not clean but I know I shouldn't expect much from a park. Best part: little library right next to the tennis court. It also has a lot of trails! We saw 2 deers too!!! This is what happens when you come from LA! Nature is a wonderful thing!

    Awesome little park! It's super clean, manicured, quiet, and well layed out. I grew up going to…read morethis park since I lived in the neighborhood and now I take my toddler there. There is a playground for 2-5 year olds right next to a playground for 5-12 year olds. Across the grass from the playgrounds, there is a baseball field, with a basketball court next to it. On the other side from the playground are some very quiet tennis courts. Plus there are bathrooms, benches, and a fairly large picnic area up above. Also, there's walking paths around it and a canyon behind it. We took my dog today and did not see any No Dog signs, except understandably, on the baseball field and in the tennis courts. You should definitely keep them on a leash though because there are squirrels and other wildlife (deer, birds) in the park. Plus the park is surrounded by streets.

    Photos
    Via Paraiso Park - Playground

    Playground

    Via Paraiso Park
    Via Paraiso Park - Playground

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    Playground

    Asilomar State Beach - parks - Updated September 2026

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