The Asilomar Coast Trail begins just north of Asilomar's main sandy beach and consists of a ¾ mile walking trail that goes north to connect with a public hikging trail around Pt. Pinos. The trail is hard-packed gravel or sand, and multiple boadwalks, giving visitors access to Asilomar State Beach's rocky coastline and pocket beaches. At leas portions of this coast trail is accessible by wheelchair.

Birding is from the edge of the trail or from a multitude of side trails to coves and beaches. This coast is very tidal, and what you may see often depends on the state of the tides. This is a prime area for rocky shorebirds most of the year (the migratory species are absent from mid-May through June, except for a few lingering 'summering' plovers or Willets). At low tide, all the rocky shorebirds will be foraging near the edge of the sea, and can be difficult to see. At high tide, there are shorebird roosts where they congregate. High tide roost occur throughout the ¾ mile rocky shoreline, but well-known roosts include one at the north end of the trail, near gates 24-25 and the covered "gazebo" that is reached via a boardwalk, and at the southern end of the Hotspot near gates 6-9.

On weekends or in sunny weather, a wide assortment of hikers, joggers, dog-walkers, and tourists will be using the Coast Trail, but there are many fewer when the weather is cold, foggy, or turbulent. Both this Trail and nearby Pt. Pinos are favorite spots for locals and tourists to watch sunsets when not fogged in.

In winter, shorebird roosts at this location may contain Black Turnstone, Surfboard, Whimbrel, Willet, Sanderling, and Black-bellied Plover, with one or two Ruddy Turnstone or Wandering Tattler. Black Oystercatcher is present year-round.

Throughout the year, flocks of Brandt's Cormorants will be flying by offshore, with gulls (mostly Western and California Gulls) and, in summer and fall, Brown Pelican and Heermann's Gull. Flock of Western Grebe in winter may have a few Clark's Grebe; Eared Grebe is common in winter (sometimes in dense flocks). A few Horned Grebe and Red-necked Grebe are often just offshore in winter. Flocks of Surf Scoter appear in late fall through spring, and often a few will summer locally. In some years, uncommon ducks (Long-tailed Duck, Black and White-winged Scoters) may appear in the Surf Scoter flocks. In Feb-March 2023, two King Eiders spent two months with a scoter/grebe flock.

Sea-watching with a scope can be good in the mornings; sunsets can dazzle in the evenings. Flocks of Brandt's Cormorant are usually flying offshore, with gulls and Brown Pelicans in varying numbers, depending on the season. Common Murre are often seen year-round, and Pigeon Guillemot in summer. Be alert for rarer alcids sometimes seen inshore in winter or spring, including rarities like Marbled Murrelet or Ancient Murrelet.

The resident landbirds include "Nuttall's" White-crowned Sparrow (a rather darkish, yellow-billed subspecies), and Song Sparrow, but spring and fall brings many more migrants. Black Phoebe and Say's Phoebe are usually predictably present in winter. 

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 rocky shore portion. Please separate your eBird checklists into the appropriate Hotspots. Access to the rocky shore is through entrances on the west side of Sunset Boulevard. There are 27 entrances to the entire Asilomar State Beach, but this Hotspot is accessed via gates 6 through 27. Gate 27 is where the hiking trail around Pt. Pinos connects to the coast trail across the driveway of the only private residence west of Sunset Boulevard. Gare 26 is opposite Jewell Avenue. Most entrance gates are marked with a gate number.

If you enter at gate 1 to gate 5, you are in the sandy shore Hotspot, so please end one eBird list, and start another, when to are birding south 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. 

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.