The sandy beach, encompassed at the south end of Asilomar State Beach, is popular with beach-goers, dog walkers, surfers, tourists, and can be good for birders. On sunny days or popular weekends, parking can be challenging — sometimes one can park near the Asilomar Conference Grounds and walk to the beach. There is a nice boardwalk on the bluff just south of the beach, and along the north edge of the Spanish Bay golf course, that extends all the way public parking lot for Spanish Bay beach. See the map for the border between this Hot Spot and the adjacent Spanish Bay hot spot in Pebble Beach.

In non-drought years, Majella Creek flows towards the ocean and forms a pool at the north end of the sandy beach, attracting a wide variety of shorebirds, including migrant phalaropes in spring and fall. Vagrants in this vicinity have included Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Nelson's Sparrow, and Snow Bunting in Oct-Nov.

Birding tends to be best at this location when the conditions are too cold or windy, or too early or late, for beach-goers. At those times search the wader flocks, look for scoters or even alcids beyond the breakers.

Waders of the sandy shore include (in season) Snowy Plover, Sanderling, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew (scarce), plovers, and phalaropes in the small freshwater puddle. Raptors include White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, and falcons.

Asilomar State Beach is a narrow mile-long beach that is divided between the sandy beach portion (the southern quarter-mile where it runs west to Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach) and the rocky shore portion (the northern ¾ mile walking trail west of Sunset Boulevard, that goes north to Pt. Pinos). This Hotspot is the sandy beach portion. Please separate your eBird checklists into the appropriate Hotspots. Access to the sandy beach is either across the street from the Asilomar Conference Grounds, or via entrances (some with steps) on the west side of Sunset Boulevard. There are 27 entrances to the entire Asilomar State Beach, but this Hotspot is accessed via gates 1 through 5, which are essentially those opposite the Conference Grounds. Most entrance gates are marked with a gate number. If you enter at gate 6 to gate 27, you are in the rocky shore Hotspot, so please end one eBird list, and start another, when to are birding north of gate 6 (see the second map adjacent for Hotspot boundaries).

Parking and Restrooms:

Vehicle parking, as well as a bicycle lane, is adjacent to the beach and coast trail along Sunset Drive. Please park off pavement to avoid parking in the bike lane. This will keep our bicyclist from having to ride into traffic and will keep you from getting a parking ticket.

Although there are no restrooms on the beach, there is a public restroom located at the Phoebe Hearst Social Hall located on the Asilomar Conference Grounds across the street from the main sandy beach.