Natural Bridges State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
A refuge for wintering Monarch Butterflies, this park boasts a sandy cove, tidepools, a nature trail through the Butterfly Preserve, and several hiking trails. There is also a bicycle path around the perimeter of the park.
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- wireless_in_CAUnited States4,829 contributionsFamily BeachWe’ve visited this beach a couple times and come back for its natural arch but also the tide pools. Parking was available for a fee and city decided to close all the street parking nearby (an annoyance). It you are short on time or don’t want to pay for parking then stop by the overlook. The parking lot is free for 20 minutes. This was also a good starting point for the West Cliff scenic drive or walk.Visited April 2021Travelled with friendsWritten 5 April 2021
- B vSan Jose, California284 contributionsAwesome Natural BeautyNatural Bridges is a gem at the North end of Santa Cruz. Large beach with views of the namesake natural bridge rock structures, access to extensive tide pools to explore the local ocean life from urchins to star fish, anemones, and other coastal creatures. Check dates for the migrating Monarch Butterflies. At the right time of year and temps they are swarming all around with huge clusters hanging from the eucalyptus trees...it's magicalVisited February 2020Travelled with familyWritten 18 February 2020
- Fred LSan Jose, California1,515 contributionsThe bridge is the star - Small but nice beachThis was our first trip to Natural Bridges State Beach. It was a Saturday and we arrived ~1pm. The parking lot was full so we ended up parking on the street a couple of blocks away. We walked along the trail that runs along the cliff. It was crowded with pedestrians and bikes but the view was beautiful. The beach itself was small compared to other nearby beaches (like Seabright or Seacliff) and it was hard to find a spot with some space relatively close to the water. The natural bridge is the star of the show and It's definitely worth the trip to see it. I suspect that most weekends the beach will get crowded like we experienced. Our girls (6 & 8) enjoyed themselves but my preference is for a larger beach. I can see this as a great spot on less crowded days.Visited May 2021Written 19 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
855 reviews
Excellent
470
Very good
282
Average
93
Poor
9
Terrible
1
glennmartinwc
San Francisco, CA33 contributions
Jul 2023
We just strolled here from our hotel to check out the arch, but found this to be a hidden gem! A short walk through the lushly forested area brings you to a small beach strewn with driftwood. This is certainly the place to come if you want a day at the beach and don't need the boardwalk. There is a Visitors' Center, and several trails that delve deeper into the wooded areas. Don't miss this if you're in the area!
Written 29 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LegoAthos
Nevada City, CA113 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We missed butterfly season, but there were still 2-3 fluttering around. The trail through the preserve was still nice and a fairly easy walk. It was nice to walk through the forest and come at the beach from the other side. OK tidepools, even with the tide being high (we didn't time this trip right at all). The bridge/arch was pretty cool and the beach was clean and wasn't super crowded.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RSM123123
Plano, TX807 contributions
Dec 2022
First time here, fun place to walk. $10 parking (senior discount reduces it to $9). Many small wading pools and tide pools with sea life in them. Good for children. Rocks are slippery, watch out.
Written 30 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jet151427
12 contributions
Dec 2022
Natural Bridges State Beach has a Monarch Sanctuary. We visited when the Monarch butterflies were there. We parked in the 20 min. free lot. Walked to the sanctuary and were out in half an hour. All along the path to the butterfly sanctuary there are signs to be quiet, so as not to disturb the butterflies. If being quiet is a problem, you shouldn't go.
Written 29 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LucyBrownlee
Las Vegas, NV91 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
We saw whales at the beach! And the small tide pools have urchins, crabs and trillobites.
The butterflies were migrating so we took the nature walk. Lots of sea birds.
The butterflies were migrating so we took the nature walk. Lots of sea birds.
Written 29 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Balasubramanian R
Chennai (Madras), India732 contributions
Sep 2022
Natural bridge is situated in the beach in Santa Cruz and it is the tourist attraction spot. It is a state park and the park features section of the natural bridge. It is a good vantage point for viewing shore birds and other sea creatures.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TAllen1326
Seattle, WA36 contributions
Aug 2022
We parked near Natural Bridges, then walked towards the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk area along the waterfront. This is a review of that walk as much as Natural Bridges - because in the waters - close to shore - we admired 6-10 dolphins in the waters - I think they were likely feeding. There appeared to be adults and much kids. It was amazing and we enjoyed watching them on the walk out and back.
Written 21 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason_Tinley_Park
Tinley Park, IL146 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This is nice secluded beach, and there are some rocks you can climb on to see some small tide pools. There’s a boardwalk that goes for about 1/8th of a mile down into a valley. There’s the main attraction - the large natural bridge rock formation. But that’s really it. We were there on a Wednesday at about 10am and the visitor center was closed. There’s nothing wrong with the place - just not as much to do as we thought and probably not worth the admission price.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SMA1126
Nashville, TN306 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We are in San Jose and looked online for things to do in the regional area. We saw what are evidently edited pictures of this beach and natural bridge. We went and were surprised at how much it did not look like the pictures. Very underwhelming.
Written 9 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJ S
1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Solo
Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve
What an amazing place! One of my childhood favorites. I remember coming here for field trips and thinking how amazing it is to have this so close at our finger tips. Being a local Realtor in the area, I wanted to start posting some helpful insights and photos of the local places to explore. The best of all is that they are free, unless you want to pay to use the park for the day. However, as a local I park outside and walk in to enjoy all the goodies this place has to offer.
If you love the beach and the outdoors, you’ll most likely end up in Santa Cruz. Natural bridges is located on the west side of Santa Cruz, at the end of the beautiful west cliff drive and Swanton Blvd.
They are a park and a beach with public access to tide pools. It is best to go during low tide to really see what this place has to offer: star fish, shore crabs, sea anemones, and other colorful ocean life. Moore Creek flows through the park.
This lovely place is also the home to the Monarch Butterflies. They have a store and a museum in the park with some history on the animals and these butterflies. It is a great place to take your kids and family to get some fresh air and beautiful views.
Have a great weekend!
What an amazing place! One of my childhood favorites. I remember coming here for field trips and thinking how amazing it is to have this so close at our finger tips. Being a local Realtor in the area, I wanted to start posting some helpful insights and photos of the local places to explore. The best of all is that they are free, unless you want to pay to use the park for the day. However, as a local I park outside and walk in to enjoy all the goodies this place has to offer.
If you love the beach and the outdoors, you’ll most likely end up in Santa Cruz. Natural bridges is located on the west side of Santa Cruz, at the end of the beautiful west cliff drive and Swanton Blvd.
They are a park and a beach with public access to tide pools. It is best to go during low tide to really see what this place has to offer: star fish, shore crabs, sea anemones, and other colorful ocean life. Moore Creek flows through the park.
This lovely place is also the home to the Monarch Butterflies. They have a store and a museum in the park with some history on the animals and these butterflies. It is a great place to take your kids and family to get some fresh air and beautiful views.
Have a great weekend!
Written 8 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you need to have any sort of permit to get married with about 20 people on this beach? As I have read some of the beaches require a permit
Lhamlin
Columbus, OH1,013 contributions
I am not sure you should call the dept of parks & recreation. Also may be different with the Covid shutdown. Good luck!
twooding
Paris
How do you get to the beach? Is it stroller friendly (BOB jogging stroller)? We have a toddler with us.
Syn
Ojai, CA
Are dogs allowed on the beach?
Noelle C
233 contributions
Not on this beach. But there is a dog beach closer to the pier, right next to the lighthouse. I think it’s called Lighthouse Beach. It’s an even better beach because there’s no seaweed or drift wood, the sand is finer and the dogs have so much fun.
FlyingSolo916
Sacramento, CA43 contributions
My family is planning on visiting the Natural Bridges State Beach towards the end of this month...I really want to see the Monarch Butterflies but it sounds like this is not a good time to see them. Is this year not a good year for them?
607happytraveler
Oxnard, CA68 contributions
The time to see the butterflies is past. It is a seasonal time for the butterflies. It was a great butterfly season this year, too. Sorry you missed it.
Sharmila2016
San Jose, CA
when is the best time to visit the beach. I would like to go during the warmest season.
Monica_Riehl
El Paso, TX525 contributions
Temperatures change in Santa Cruz at the drop of a hat. Mornings are usually chilly and foggy but warm and clear by noon.
Check out last year's almanac for rain patterns but July had some very warm/hot days after 1p.m.
I hope that helps!
Warmly,
M
123blueeyes
Menlo Park, CA
Is the park open on Thanksgiving Thursday?
bil1026
Santa Cruz, CA56 contributions
I think so & if not, just park on Delaware Ave. & walk in the back entrance for free! No locked gate to the Monarch walkway or beach.
CaliforniaFrannie
California14 contributions
We will be in Santa Cruz this weekend (Oct. 9-12). Are there many monarch butterflies that have returned to park yet? Are there guided ranger butterfly tours this weekend? What about tidepool tours?
bil1026
Santa Cruz, CA56 contributions
Tides: just go...ogle tides [d o t] info Santa Cruz
Butterflies: A few, but not many until after Thanksgiving and the first cold snap. You might still see some humpbacks from the cliffs at the UCSC Marine Discovery Center at the end of Delaware Ave.
Does anyone know what time would be best to see the tide pools
CaliforniaGirl_212
Santa Cruz, CA50 contributions
The best low tides are in dec/jan, but any minus tide is good. Be sure there isn't a swell so the waves are calm. Wear shoes with grippy soles that can get wet
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Claim your listingNatural Bridges State Beach (Santa Cruz) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Bridges State Beach
- Natural Bridges State Beach is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Natural Bridges State Beach:
- (0.24 km) 3 BR + loft West Side Ocean View Natural Bridges
- (0.24 km) Westside 3 BR + loft Overlooks Natural Bridges Beach. Great for Families!
- (0.32 km) Serenity at Natural Bridges - Short Stroll to Beach
- (1.40 km) Mission Inn
- (0.62 km) West Cliff Getaway
- Restaurants near Natural Bridges State Beach:
- (1.11 km) West End Tap & Kitchen
- (0.67 km) Iveta Gourmet
- (3.13 km) Jack O'Neill Restaurant & Lounge
- (0.81 km) Marianne's Ice Cream Plant
- (4.53 km) Marianne's Ice Cream
- Attractions near Natural Bridges State Beach:
- (0.00 km) Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve
- (0.78 km) Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- (0.60 km) Moore Creek Wildlife Preserve
- (3.10 km) West Cliff Drive
- (2.61 km) Wilder Ranch State Park










































































