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The open beach givesway to a rocky

shoreline that sheltersseveral small sandy

covesperfect

for picnicking or

watching wildlife.

AsilomarState Beach &

Conerence Grounds

Asilomar State Beach &

Conerence GroundsP.O. Box 537

Pacifc Grove, Caliornia 93950

(831) 646-6440

2005 California State Parks (rev. 3/2007) Printed on Recycled Paper

www.parks.ca.gov

Caliornia State Parks does not discriminateagainst individuals with disabilities. Prior to

arrival, visitors with disabilities who need

assistance should contact the park at the

phone number below. To receive this publica-

tion in an alternate ormat, write to the Com-

munications Oce at the ollowing address.

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

P. O. Box 942896

Sacramento, CA 94296-0001For inormation call: (800) 777-0369

(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.

711, TTY relay service

Our MissionThe mission o the Caliornia Department oParks and Recreation is to provide or the

health, inspiration and education o the

people o Caliornia by helping to preserve

the states extraordinary biological diversity,

protecting its most valued natural andcultural resources, and creating opportunities

or high-quality outdoor recreation.

Discover the many states of California.

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A silomar, meaning refuge bythe sea, oers park visitors

the chance to explore the natural

beauty o this coastal park and to

learn o its colorul history as the

Young Womens Christian Associa-

tion (YWCA) conerence grounds

and summer camp designed by the

renowned architect Julia Morgan.

From the beginning, Asilomar has

served as a retreat or those who

wished to escape the pressures o

an increasingly ast-paced world.

Enhanced by the natural beauty

surrounding the acility, Asilomar

oers a peaceul oasis or educational andspiritual retreats, and a place or individuals

and amilies to spend a quiet and relaxing

time together.

PARK HISTORY

The earliest residents o this area were

the Rumsien people, groups o extended

amilies who lived on Montereys abundant

sea lie, various seeds and acorns, and large

and small game. Their homes and sailing

rats were constructed rom the ever-present

tules and other grasses.

Their way o lie changed dramatically

with the arrival in the late 1700s o Spanish

settlers who claimed the land or their home

country. The missions orced native people

into the church, and many went to work as

ranch laborers. The 1848 gold discovery laterbrought scores o thousands to Caliornia.

Chinese settlers established shing villages,

and Portuguese settlers arrived to ply their

whaleboats o the coast.

However, by 1935 harsh economic

times caused the National Board to close

the conerence grounds. A succession o

operators leased the grounds rom the

YWCA in the late 1930s and early 1940s or

their own businesses. When the property

was placed on the market in 1951, public-

spirited citizens ought to preserve this

unique natural and cultural site or uture

generations. Asilomar became a unit o the

Caliornia State Park System on July 1, 1956.

Today Asilomar State Beach and

Conerence Grounds totals 107 acres and

includes the William Penn Mott Jr. Training

Center, the hub o State Parks employee

training. Guest services throughout theconerence grounds are provided by a

hospitality concessionaire.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The Dunes

Adjacent to the conerence grounds, 26 acres

o restored sand dunes provide a signicant

ecological boundary between the shoreline

and the conierous orest.

Park resource sta began to restore

Asilomars dunes in 1984, ater the dunes

and the plants had been severely

trampled and nearly destroyed by

more than a century o livestock

grazing, recreational activities, and

uncontrolled public access.

Restoration began with the

eradication o the non-native iceplant. Bulldozers reconstructed the

dunes into a series o parallel

ridges, and the seeds o over

20 species o native

The Grace H. Dodge Chapel, designed by architect Julia Morgan

Photo of Julia Morgan taken in 1926Courtesy of University Archives, California

Polytechnic State University

In 1897 at the rst western conerence o

the YWCAthe worlds oldest multicultural

womens groupthe organization decided to

open a center or educational and vocational

training in Caliornia. Asilomar became their

permanent west coast conerence grounds

and summer camp in 1913. William Crocker,

owner o what is now known as the Pebble

Beach Company, donated the original 30 acres

o land to the YWCA. Renowned San Francisco

architect Julia Morgan, hired to design and

build a acility that matched the spirit

o the project and the beauty o the

land, designed 16 structures in the

classic Arts and Crats style.

When Asilomar opened its doors

or the rst time, young women

came rom around the world.

Student Leadership Conerencesdrew YWCA college-age women, while

the ten-day summer camps

were designed or YWCA Girl

Reserves, aged 14 to 16.

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dune plants were planted in

stabilizing mulch that held

the dunes in place while

the plants were becoming

established. The hal-mile,

meandering Dune Boardwalk

now guides visitors through

the dunes without damagingthe ragile ecosystem. Today

lie in the dunes is once again

fourishing.

The Beach

A one-mile coast trail provides

easy walking and allows park visitors the

opportunity to explore the treasures o

Asilomar State Beach. At the head o the

trail a strip o unbroken white beach sand

provides easy access to the ocean. Distinct

rom other Monterey Bay beaches, where

beach sand is derived primarily rom

sediment in reshwater drainage, the sand

or Asilomar comes rom wave abrasion and

weathering o local granodiorite rocks ound

along the shoreline. You may see harbor

seals, Caliornia sea lions and sea otters

swimming in the cold waters, eeding on crabs

and sh, or resting on haul out rocks at low

tide. The coastline at Asilomar State Beach

is part o the Pacic Grove Marine Garden

Fish Reuge and the National Monterey Bay

Marine Sanctuary.

The Forest

When architect Julia Morgan designed the

layout o buildings or Asilomar, she wasacutely aware that the wealth o the orest

was as important as the buildings that would

dene Asilomars character. Asilomars native

Monterey pine orest is an ancient, complex

ecosystem that is ound in only three

local areasthe Monterey penin-

sula, Ao Nuevo and Cambria.

Forest management strategies at

Asilomar emphasize long-term or-

est ecosystem health that includes

not just the trees but also the

animals, the air, the soil, the plants,even the micro-organisms that

together orm a delicately balanced

web o lie.

Deer, raccoons and oxes are re-

quently sighted. Acorn woodpeckers

fash about displaying their bright black, white

and red eathers, while crows and hawks soar

rom limb to limb in the canopies o the tallest

trees. White-crowned sparrows sing in thesand dunes, and robins in the orest provide

melodious songs rom the air.

RECREATION

Park rangers provide a variety o cultural and

natural history walks. Sel-guided walking tours

and audio tours are also available at the park

store.

Visitors can spend their leisure time birdwatching, strolling along the beach, bicycling,

swimming in the heated pool, or playing a

game o billiards, ping pong or volleyball.

PLEASE REMEMBER

Stay on paved areas, boardwalks and trails.

Do not collect or disturb animals or plants

on the beach or in the tide pools. Feeding,

harassing or injuring animals is prohibited.

Use only wood rom wood boxes; do not

collect wood in the orest.

The maximum speed limit on the coner-

ence grounds is 15 mph.

No campres are allowed on the beach.

Dogs must be on a six-oot leash at all

times. Do not leave pets unattended.

Park only in designated parking spaces.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Dune Boardwalk and Coast Trail are

accessible.

A ree beach wheelchair is available by

reservation only. (831) 646-6440 TTY or guest use is available at the ront

desk on the conerence grounds. Dial 711

or TTY relay service.

A temporary parking permit is oered to

guests with mobility limitations.

Free shuttle service is available to all guests.

Accessibility is continually improving. For

current accessibility details, call the park, or

visit http://access.parks.ca.gov.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Asilomars concessionaire oers a ull service

acility o year-round meeting rooms, over-

night lodging, dining and catering or special

events, including weddings.

There are 18 private conerence and meet-

ing rooms ranging rom a 650-seat lecture hall

to an intimate gathering space or up to 10individuals. Fireplaces add a unique charm to

several o the meeting rooms.

Lodging includes 312 guestrooms with private

baths. Many rooms eature replaces, balconies

or private decks. Some rooms are equipped

with special accessibility eatures. There are no

televisions or telephones in the rooms.

Three meals a day, ches choice, ull course

xed menu, are included in a conerence pack-age. For leisure guests staying overnight, break-

ast is included in the room rates, and lunches

and dinners are available by reservation.

For reservations call (831) 642-4222.

Deer are abundant in the forest.

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