Natural Bridges Beach State Park
Natural Bridges Beach State Park is a scenic coastal park located in California. It is known for its natural arches and rock formations, picturesque beaches, and diverse wildlife. The famed natural bridge at this beach makes it a great place to watch seals, otters, and whales in their natural habitat. You may see marine life up close in the tidepools further down the beach. Sea stars, crabs, and anemones are visible during low tide.
Springtime wildflowers fill coastal scrub meadows throughout the park. Moore Creek creates a desert wetland by cutting across these grasslands to the seashore. Springtime wildflowers fill coastal scrub meadows throughout the park. Moore Creek creates a desert wetland by cutting across these grasslands to the seashore.
Picnic At Natural Bridges Beach State Park
Picnics can be enjoyed in a beautiful natural setting at Natural Bridges Beach State Park. Visitors can find a designated picnic place near the main parking lot in a grove of eucalyptus and pine trees. Relax in peace here with the help of the available picnic tables, barbecues, drinking fountains, and restrooms.
Visitors can relax over a leisurely meal with loved ones in the park’s scenic setting. It helps pay for the maintenance and upkeep of this beautiful coastal park. Parking in the state beach area requires a day-use fee per vehicle.
Natural Habitat of the Monarch Butterfly
The Natural Bridges Beach State Park is one of many sights to see at Natural Bridges Beach State Park. Over a hundred thousand monarch butterflies spend the winter in the park’s Monarch Grove, turning it into a fascinating “city in the trees.” The eucalyptus trees in the grove are both a safe place for the butterflies to rest and a source of nectar.
The Monarchs and their habitat are safeguarded by limiting entry to the preserve area to a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and observation deck. The park has a milkweed patch where visitors can see eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides, all stages of the Monarch butterfly’s life cycle. It’s a rare chance to see nature’s treasures up close and personal.
Address: 2531 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Opens–Closes: 8 am-8 pm
Phone: +1 831-423-4609
Email: NaturalBridge@dcr.virginia.gov.
Established: 1933
Number of visitors: 925,000
