Asilomar State Beach is a 107-acre park in Pacific Grove on Monterey Peninsula that preserves a rocky shoreline, dunes, and a narrow mile-long beach within the homeland of the Rumsen Ohlone people. Its name combines Spanish words meaning a refuge by the sea. Offshore waters are protected within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, supporting thousands of species and limiting disturbance of marine life. The park’s historical importance centers on the Asilomar Conference Grounds, built in 1913 for the YWCA and designed in the Arts and Crafts style by Julia Morgan, with 13 of her 16 buildings surviving. The coast is also known for cold water, rip tides, and dramatic surf.