Natural Bridges State Beach

Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz is popular for its intimate, serene setting and picture-perfect geological formations. The state beach is best known for its arch rock, which is especially beautiful at sunset. Explore the beach's Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve during low tide, where eucalyptus trees and milkweed plants provide a haven for migrating monarch butterflies from mid-October to mid-February.

This waterfront parkland is a lively and beautiful destination, with its signature natural bridge standing just offshore, capped by dozens of flapping and squawking pelicans and cormorants. Add nearby grasslands with trails winding through tall milkweed plants that attract more than 100,000 monarch butterflies each year (usually from October to February), and you've got a junior naturalist's dream.