Description. The Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve is home to up to 150,000 monarch butterflies from October through early February. Photo by Eugene Zelenko. Because of this it might not be the best beach for sunbathing, but if you have a pooch this is the Santa Cruz beach for you. The beach is located along Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. With a range of fascinating and interactive exhibitions, both adults and children can immerse themselves in the underwater world here. The park features a natural bridge across a section of the beach. Natural Bridges State Beach. Inside, you can explore interactive exhibits, get up close with colorful sea creatures in the touch pool, and browse marine-inspired souvenirs at the gift shop. Lighthouse Field State Beach manages the […] See details . Natural Bridges State Beach is named for the natural arch in the huge rock located in the shore break here. Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz: See 832 reviews, articles, and 488 photos of Natural Bridges State Beach, ranked No.6 on Tripadvisor among 77 attractions in Santa Cruz. Natural Bridges State Beach. Natural Bridges State Beach. The sea waves were high and strong. It is also well known as a hotspot to see monarch butterfly migrations. Natural Bridges State Beach: Nice views - See 832 traveler reviews, 488 candid photos, and great deals for Santa Cruz, CA, at Tripadvisor. Natural Bridges is also known for its tide pools - little pockets in the rocky formation just north of the main beach that are exposed at low tide and house all sorts of small marine creatures. "Hiked in Nisene Mark park, took a long walk to National Bridges, ate at downtown restaurants and had a fantastic Bday dinner @ Sardines Factory in Monterey." This is a very pretty area to walk through on the way to Natural Bridges State Beach. Natural Bridges State Beach. The park also offers a monarch butterfly migration preserve and exhibit, picnic areas, hiking trails, an accessible boardwalk, and a great sandy beach. Along this route travelers can find the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which overlooks the internationally famous surfing spot Steamer Lane. The beach is small. Looking for a dog friendly beach in Santa Cruz, CA? Named as one of the top 40 beaches in the world by German magazine Bild, Sveti Ivan is a family-orientated virgin beach, meaning it can be found just as nature intended, if with no amenities of any sort. "You can access it from the back of Aldos restaurant and walk along the Harbor, walk down the stairs at 3rd Avenue or park by the Natural History Museum and walk in." If you visit in late fall or early winter and hike the nearby trails, you could see the 100,000 monarch butterflies that rest in the park’s eucalyptus trees during their annual migration. Natural Bridges State Beach. Natural Bridges State Beach. This is one of the most photographed beach icons in the state of California. This is a significant decrease from last season, when we had 2,000 monarchs, and a dramatic decrease from 3 years ago when we had 9,000 butterflies overwintering in the grove. On the beach’s western flank, you’ll find a series of tide pools carved into a rocky slab overlooking the beach. Natural Bridges State Beach and West Cliff Drive offer an alternative outdoor experience. Its Beach is the name of the south-facing beach below the bluff on the west side of Point Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA. Depending on the season (usually end of the year, beginning of the year, one will see monarch butterflies in this area. Many people … Just south of Natural Bridges is the tiny clothing-optional 2222 Beach. We spent about 10 minutes there. Only one of the three "bridges" is left. The rock’s bridge-like structure was carved over centuries of harsh wind and waves. Natural Bridges State Beach is just one of many attractions on California's Central Coast. It was very windy at the parking lot. "During the last week of November, park staff, volunteers and scientists counted 550 overwintering monarchs at the Natural Bridges State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. The name is misleading: one of the two stone bridges collapsed a few years ago. Twin Lakes State Beach, Santa Cruz: Dogs are allowed on the East side of Santa Cruz Harbor. Natural Bridges State Beach is one of the most beloved Santa Cruz sights. Santa Cruz has marched to its own beat since long before the Beat Generation of the 1950s and '60s. See all Natural Bridges State Beach reviews Seacliff State Beach. Sitting between Natural Bridges State Beach and the Santa Cruz Wharf, the three-mile walking and biking path delivers gorgeous views of Monterey Bay. Natural Bridges State Beach, whose famous monarch butterflies are discussed above, is a popular windsurfing beach. 1.5 blks to Natural Bridges Beach! Jason Henry / Special To The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 5. Four-footed friends will enjoy Its beach, a dog friendly play spot for canines and owners, across from Lighthouse Field. Natural Bridges State Beach is a 65-acre (26 ha) California state park in Santa Cruz, California in the United States. West Cliff Drive ends at Natural Bridges State Beach and Park, one of the most picturesque spots on the coast. By Lily Stoicheff • August 14, 2012 Share. The varied attractions of Natural Bridges State Beach make it a great place to spend the day. Seacliff and Rio Del Mar State Beaches, Aptos: Take the State Park Drive exit off of Highway 1. Besides admiring the rocky bridge, visitors come to Natural Bridges State Beach for wildlife viewing. Time has taken its toll, and today only a single smaller bridge remains. With a butterfly migration preserve and exhibit, picnic areas and tide pools at low tide, there's no wonder this is one of Santa Cruz's most popular beaches. You can wander trails among monarch-butterfly habitat and walk to the beach to view natural bridge formations carved by the Pacific. You’ve come to the right place! AU$ 185 avg/night (16) Save. There must be something special in the soil on Delaware Avenue, the junction of local treasures such as Natural Bridges State Beach, Seymour Center, the Homeless Garden Project and, unbeknownst to many, a hidden gem known as Antonelli Pond. Its Beach is where happy dogs can run leash free in the California sun. 1 of 5 The bluff above Natural Bridges State Beach is a popular spot to catch the sunset for animals and humans alike. Located in a lovely state park just outside of Santa Cruz, the beach has loads of wildlife on show. There is a very untouched and wild look about the place. This little treasure of a museum houses photographs, surfboards, and other artifacts tracing back more … Encircled by a short 0.75 miles of trail, this manmade pond fed by Moore Creek is a haven for humans and dogs alike. Seabright State Beach, Santa Cruz: Dogs are allowed on the north side of the Santa Cruz Harbor at 7th Avenue. Mitchell's Cove, just north, also allows dogs. Once several natural bridges carved out of a point of sandstone by waves stood proudly just beyond the beach. The numbers are low across the state, with the greatest number of monarchs — 550 butterflies, as of Nov. 30 — counted at Natural Bridges State Beach in … During low tide, tide pools brim with sea stars, tiny crabs and sea anemones. We parked our car at the free parking at the entrance of the Natural Bridges State Beach. Bring your camera, binoculars, and whole family including your dog (leash required on path). You’ll find information on all of the dog beaches in Santa Cruz, CA here. Sea stars, hermit crabs and sea anemones fill the tidepools here. The Land Trust owns and is responsible for the management and restoration of Antonelli Pond and the lower Moore Creek Corridor. During these months you can see thousands of butterflies fluttering through … It is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and has parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, as well as manned lifeguard stations, the Muscle Beach, bike rentals, concessions, a few hotels, a bike path, and wooden pathways for warm days and beachgoers with disabilities. Within walking distance of one end is the Boardwalk and municipal pier, the other end has Natural Bridges state park. This Westside gem isn’t short on visual spectacles including thousands of migrating monarch butterflies and the beach’s namesake, monumental rock “bridge” (which is now an arch following the collapse of land that once extended to shore). This is counterculture central, a touchy-feely, new-agey city famous for its leftie-liberal politics and easygoing ideology – except when it comes to dogs (rarely allowed off-leash), parking (meters run seven days a week) and Republicans (allegedly shot on sight). Natural Bridges was once a series of connected arches, but today only one remains. One of the best beaches in the whole of the Golden State, Natural Bridges State Beach is so named because of its beautiful rock arch that is so impressive to gaze upon. A sandstone arch shaped by wind and waves rises from the sea. Named for its beautiful natural bridge (the last of three once visible), Natural Bridges is secluded, sheltered and ideal for observing sea life. Adjacent to the park, Seymour Marine Discovery Center welcomes you with a full-sized skeleton of a blue whale. Natural Bridges State Beach: Named for the natural rock bridge formed in the shore line, Natural Bridges is a great family spot with an abundance of things to explore. dreamstime/© Luciavega. Natural Bridges State Beach, whose famous monarch butterflies are discussed above, is a popular windsurfing beach. 2 Bathrooms. The spectacular rock formation, after which the park was named, stands in the ocean near the coast. Natural Bridges State Beach is a 65-acre California state park in Santa Cruz, California in the United States. If you’re looking for the best dog beach in Santa Cruz, this is it. Mitchell's Cove, just north, also allows dogs. The sandy stretch at Natural Bridges State Beach makes a great wide-open space for kite flying. The views were beautiful. At the other end of the beach, not far from the Natural Bridges State Beach, is the family-friendly Seymour Marine Discovery Center. 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