Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Natural Bridges State Beach adventure.
Coastal tide pools, freshwater wetlands, and a butterfly grove make for a wildlife oasis.
Set at the edge of Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges State Beach draws a variety of day visitors who come to marvel at its natural wonders. Best known for the picturesque sea arches (only one of three still stand), the 65-acre park and beach offer excellent lookout spots for viewing marine mammals, including migrating whales. Come at low tide for easy access to the tide pools, or peer through binoculars to observe herons and egrets stalking the salt marsh. Natural Bridges is a day-use park only, but a beachfront campground is available nearby at New Brighton State Beach.
Natural Bridges State Beach is open daily from 8am to sunset, and the Visitor Center is open Friday to Monday, 11am to 4pm. Docents offer a close-up look at colorful sea anemones and sea stars during low tides. Time your visit for late fall into winter to see thousands of monarchs, which overwinter here in the eucalyptus grove. While the butterflies may safely roost in the trees until spring, they typically begin arriving in mid-October and leave by mid-February, or even as early as January. The Migration Festival takes place on the second Saturday in February.