Nice trails and fresh mulch from preserve placed to help with recent rainfall. Not many butterflies today, but quite a few folks walking around asking, 'Have you seen any butterflies?' We were releasing an injured monarch we found before the rains came. Kept her safe and dry for 4 nights, then released her to perch on eucalyptus branches in the sun. She can't fly, but crawls around using 2 good legs and a soft flutter. She may not live long, but at least she'll be in a lovely preserve with other wintering monarchs. Good parking lot off Hollister, but it also seemed like parking on the perimeter streets was fine also. Cheers, "CC" read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

I have seen some lovely engagement photos taken here. Since all the rain, there have been some Eucalyptuses that have fallen so be aware of the signs. It offers a long and pleasant trail to the beach. And if you're feeling brave you can run and spin through the tall grass like a movie character. This trail is great for walking and getting all your steps in. I bring my dog and we both enjoy the sun, wind and vibes. read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Trail leads to the beach - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

Love The Preserve! I went with a friend the other day hoping to see Monarchs, but it was windy and a bit rainy still from the recent storm, so we only saw a few. It was still beautiful nonetheless and felt absolutely amazing to inhale the fresh air. I will be back soon to check for the butterflies before the season ends. There are a few different trails, but the main one is marked well. View of the coastline/beach is incredible too. I recommend adding this to your itinerary whether you are a local or visiting! read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

Beautiful butterfly grove with a thick Eucalyptus forest. I heard from a friend that the monarch butterflies were there in the millions a few weeks ago, but I was there a few days ago and they were all gone. Lots of trails that start in the forest and go to tall bluffs with beautiful views of the ocean. Popular area for bikers, runners, and dog walkers. However, it's a big park so never too busy - you can always find a quiet and private spot to enjoy the nature. read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

The hike is amazing, and there are views of the ocean and eucalyptus trees everywhere. Most of the time there are butterflies, and they are so beautiful. It's fun for the whole family. There are even trials that lead down to the beach! If you visit Goleta, you have to do this read more

See all

Butterflies aren't there right now but still a beautiful area with great hiking trails covering a lot of ground. Be sure to follow one of the trails to the amazing beach with cliffs dropping down to the Pacific. read more

Nice find on the way back to LA from Solvang Area. We came in November so didn't see any butterflies -- so I guess we were a bit early. I think they arrive in December through end of February. Still enjoyed a nice walk through the trees which do keep you quite cool in the shade. You can walk for awhile and while it's mostly flat, you can go all the way to the beach. Good for the whole family and saw lots of dogs -- many off leash which is fine by me as long as they are friendly. Even a few bikes on the trails which are pretty wide. Will be back for sure. read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

Nice easy scenic hike for the whole family to enjoy that goes all the way to the ocean cliffs at the end of the trails. Dogs are allowed but they need to be on leashes. Cyclists also come here too. We didn't see many monarch butterflies here; probably because it wasn't the season too but the hike was very enjoyable. read more

See all

I've lived in Ventura County for 2/3 of my life and never made it here until this past weekend. Shame on me. It's not migration season, but there's quite a few monarch butterflies roaming around. We started our stroll close to midday. Luckily, it was a little cloudy so we didn't have to suffer with the heat. It was a bit of a bummer because it was so beautiful in Santa Paula when we left and when we got to Goleta it was all gloomy. We parked in the lot facing the tall trees on the left and apartment buildings to the right. Basically just followed the trail and made random turns until we hit the beach. Then we trekked down to chill in the water for a bit. The views from the top can't be beat. It gets even better when you climb down to the beach. The only downside is the further down you walk, the more tar you'll be covered with. I didn't really pay attention to it until the smell got stronger. Then I noticed there were small black spots everywhere. At first I thought they were rocks or shells, but nope. It's a such a shame since the area is so nice. It specially sucks for your pet children who end up being covered in tar. With that aside, I highly recommend this area. We did get to see some butterflies at the very end. They were over by the tall trees towards the exit/entrance. There's quite a few areas where you can stop and chill so bring some snacks. I'll definitely be back. Probably next week. read more

See all

If you want to visit the Elwood Grove and see lots of beautiful monarch butterflies, this is the time to do it. They come to hibernate here from Canada in November and they stay till the end of February. Check their site before you visit, they have all the info you need. The grove is easy to find, off 101. The parking for the place it's right off Hollister Ave., to the left. Across from the elementary school. Free to park and free to visit. Once you park, you'll see a big sign and a big trail. Get going! Bring your walking shoes! It takes 10-15 minutes walk through the woods, to get to the sanctuary. Follow the signs with the cute butterfly design on them and sooner than you know you'll see the sign that will lead you to the grove. We ran into a couple who missed the grove, they haven't seen any butterflies. The place is easy to find as long as you follow those signs. When you get there, look up, and you'll see the eucalyptus branches full of butterflies hanging down. There are docents at the grove after 11 am - 2pm in the weekends. The docent we talked to was a nice lady, answered our questions, offered us her binoculars, gave us useful info. She said that it's great to visit between X-mas and New Year's. We were very luck when we got there, we saw thousands of butterflies, some flying,this grove is a special, unique place. It's worth making the trip to Goleta on a nice day. Skip if it's raining. If you like to hike and walk, keep following the main trail to the Bluffs to see some incredible beach views from high up. Very enjoyable excursion. I love this place, it's pure magic! read more

See all

I always love coming here to go walking. There's a little something for everyone. If you're staying cool, there's a ton of shade provided by the eucalyptus trees that the butterflies love. It's sad that there are so few monarchs these days, but that's all the more reason to come here to see if you can spot them. I came here a few times as a young kid (before I lived right here) and remember it being absolutely full of monarchs. I have to say that it is also easy to keep your distance from people here. I tend to come here during what I perceive to be low volume times during the weekdays in order to have the fewest chances of seeing people, and it's definitely a large enough place that you won't see very many other people. It's always nice to be able to enjoy outdoor spaces during a pandemic, and I'm glad that this place is within easy walking distance. read more

This place is so beautiful, I am from goleta but moved up to Oregon many years ago. Santa Barbara will always have my heart, so my husband and I chose to drive down and have our wedding at this majestic place. It was perfect. read more

Easily one of the most peaceful areas of Goleta. The Ellwood Butterfly Grove is an excellent place to escape the mundane trials and tribulations of everyday life. I see the space as a total oasis and while it's adjacent to a residential neighborhood, most definitely feels completely secluded. You'll find acres of wildlife, paths, and natural vegetation including a large number of eucalyptus trees. The trees are not native but were planted over 150 years ago; that said, I couldn't imagine Goleta without their presence. The aroma, the leaves, and the myriad butterflies they attract are nothing short of breathtaking. The walking/biking trail is lovely and goes straight out to a very secluded and clean beachfront. It's a total hidden gem of Goleta. I admire how carefully preserved it is, and how clean the trails are in general. If you are truly looking to unwind and become one with nature, check out this mild and beautiful preserve! read more

I've had this place bookmarked for quite some time! So when the Pump planned a birthday trip to Santa Barbara for me, I figured instead of seeing the seals we saw last time in Carpinteria, it would be great to see the butterflies this time! (And it was!) If you come here, thinking that you'll be surrounded by butterflies flying all around you - you'll be disappointed because it doesn't quite look like that! You'll see some butterflies flying about high above you but the majority of what there is to see is this - high up in the trees! Clusters of butterflies! This area is covered with butterfly clusters that are harder to see (and quite honestly look like leaves - but you can barely make out the pattern) but the trees and foliage are just storybook and breathtaking! I love it! And it's just so relaxing! And don't miss checking out the sea cliffs when walking out a little from the wooded butterfly grove! It's seriously breath taking! What a beautiful place to take in! read more

See all

This place was very impressive. I'm told that the only time to visit is November thru February, and the best time to go is in the morning or early afternoon when it's warm/sunny outdoors. It's a free park, and the "grove" is located just off the beach in the eucalyptus trees. If it's cold, the monarch butterflys aren't flying around and can be hard to find, but once you notice "those aren't dried leaves," you realize that there are thousands and thousands of butterlys resting on the trees. If it's warm/sunny, I'm told that many of the butterflys will also be flying around. If you're in the area, you should definitely take an hour out of your day to check this place out. TIP: BRING BINOCULARS or a camera with a good zoom. read more

I had always wanted to see Monarch butterflies and for the past few months I have had my eyes on this place. Finally we were in Santa Barbara! We set out in the morning on a brisk walk towards the grove and sat down their for the first 10 minutes without being able to spot any butterflies. Then slowly you see one, two, three fluttering overhead. You start following their movements to see where they are going and then all of a sudden BAM, you find a cluster. Look to the left BAM, another cluster. Before we knew it we noticed the entire tree was made out of butterflies. It was unreal! We spent a good 45 minutes watching them and showing others before it became a bit too busy for my liking. The only thing that bugged me was the amount of dogs that are off-leash. Apparently it's allowed, but I feel that it should not be at the grove as they run in areas that people are also not allowed in. Plus I saw (and smelled) people not picking up after their dogs, or leaving the filled bags along the path. Such a shame to an otherwise fairytale location. read more

See all

I don't want to give a poor review, because when the Monarch butterflies are here, it is a spectacular sight. However, the 2023 season might be over already. Our visit on February 4th showed a slightly bedraggled eucalyptus grove, with only 3 - 4 live butterflies flitting about and a couple of dead ones on the path. read more

It's the little things! Having an injured butterfly feel safe enough to land on me just made my day! #monarchbutterfly #beingonewithnature On top of that - the area itself was welcoming for locals and guests alike. There was a group of four super friendly/ energetic dogs with their owners that were playing in the creek. read more

See all

Beautiful short walk. Didn't see many butterflies. But it leads you into the beach. Real easy. About 10 minutes. Nice view on top. And you can go down if you want. Great for biking. Be sure not to leave late like we did because not much like when coming back. Worth a short sunset trip :) read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Hammock with a view of sunset and miss sunshine. - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

It's about a half mile walk to the grove, and it's fairly flat most of the way. Not wheelchair or stroller accessible the whole way, but an easy hike. When you arrive at the grove, look very closely at the clumps of leaves... they might not be leaves at all. Plan to arrive around 9:30-10, the butterflies will just begin to become active when you hike to the main site. It looks like several other trails meet up with this trail, but we had two five year olds with us, and didn't want to risk having to carry them back. A very interesting and fun 90 minute excursion. Bring binoculars if you have them! read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Look really closely - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

We had visions of being ambushed by thousands of monarch butterflies and having them land on our outstretched arms! Well, that wasn't quite the reality when my family & I visited the butterfly grove. We hiked a fairly easy trail and discovered a few butterflies floating around, but upon closer examination, we noticed a couple of branches that were covered with monarch butterflies. We resisted the temptation to throw something at the butterfly branches to make them fly all over the place! The experience wasn't exactly what we had expected, but we were happy we got to see some butterflies. read more

Not what we expected at all especially since we drove over two and a half hours to see monarchs migrate and unfortunately there were hardly any butterflies to see :( It might have been too cold or too late in the day because we saw at most ten or so of them. The parking lot was tiny as well and we ended up parking in a nearby neighborhood instead--although, we did see other grove-goers park at the elementary school (Ellwood elementary) across the street. In spite of the lack of butterflies to see, there were redeeming qualities to the place. After we exited the grove we came upon a grassy slope that led to cliffs that provided a beautiful view of the ocean! I'd say we spent more time on those cliffs taking photos than in the grove looking for monarchs. So, while the experience wasn't worth the drive, it would make a nice stop for your next road trip or a casual afternoon walk. read more

See all

great access to the ocean. I didn't see any butterflies but I didn't mind because of the ocean and bluffs. read more

See all

Alert: Monarch Butterflies missing. Last seen near a trail with kids running with dogs, teenagers whizzing by on bicycles, and businessmen and women walking cats. Okay, I made up the last part. I searched high and low here (by "high and low" I probably mean walked .75 of a mile on a trail) and saw zero butterflies. The trail is very, very rough going. It's as if someone drenched the dirt with water (making it mud) and then allowed it to dry into nearly unusable walkways. This is one uncomfortable walk. It does seem perfect for a mountain bike, but given the plethora of folks I saw this late afternoon and the paucity of butterflies, I'm thinking that Happy D. is on to something. read more

Tranquil trail surrounded by eucalyptus trees! Visited in January and there were lots of flocks of butterflies hanging from trees. read more

Goleta Butterfly Grove - Flocks of butterflies - Parks Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Good easy flat hike through eucalyptus trees to the beach. Dogs welcome. Butterflies in spring. Be wary of tar on beach.

The park and some trails are still open, but don't expect to see any butterflies even during migration season. We drove over an hour and only saw about ten butterflies. We left very disappointed. read more

Really neat place. The docent, Mary Jane, was very informative and answered many questions. We even got to see a chrysalis. It's sad when she explained that only 4500 butterflies were counted this year when there used to be 300,000. She recommended that everyone plant milkweed in their yards.. I wish I could help but I don't live here though read more

See all

One of the best spots in Goleta to take a walk, a run, or let your dog off the leash. I come here all the time for meditative walks. The butterflies are beautiful for sure but the vast open space and multitude of walking trails makes this place really special. read more

Lovely lovely walk and hike. We didn't see too many butterflies. We just saw a couple white butterflies. but I would definitely come here again because the walk was so beautiful. It looked like one of those painted scenes where a victorian woman with a parasol would be sitting on one of the many logs in the field of flowers. read more

I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and this was a wonderful way to spend time outside. The walk is very easy and pretty much flat the entire way. We did not see any butterflies but the weather in mid-February was delightful. It would have been easy to send even more time outside if we had decided to head down to the beach. If you have a dog this is a nice walk for them. The trail markers do make it easy to stay on the path. read more

We had such a great time here today. Even if there had been no butterflies, it was easy to park in the parking lot (right across from Ellwood Elementary), and the walk was beautiful. But, in fact, there were butterflies! Tons of them! It was surreal to see thousands bunched up together on branches and hundreds flying around. We will definitely be back and will bring our extended family when they come to visit in a few weeks. read more

Nice place to take a walk. We took our dog for a walk along the trail. Dog loved the walking trail! We saw a few butterflies but not a lot so don't get your hopes up too high! Still a very nice place for a walk. read more