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    Goleta Butterfly Grove

    4.4 (33 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Goleta Butterfly Grove Photos

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    Harley M.

    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.

    Kaitlyn Y.

    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

    Trace V.

    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.

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    Julie D.

    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.

    Kimquyen L.

    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.

    sign at the parking lot
    Jo S.

    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!

    It's really hard to see but these are clusters of butterflies!
    Sam L.

    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!

    Cluster here
    Ilse V.

    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.

    I found this injured one near the path and got some close ups.
    Amber B.

    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.

    Hammock with a view of sunset and miss sunshine.
    Dilraj S.

    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 :)

    Look really closely
    Sabrina M.

    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!

    Adrienna Y.

    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.

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    10 years ago

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

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    Ask the Community - Goleta Butterfly Grove

    Is the grove open, please? Have the monarch's returned?

    It's always open. However current numbers are low, migration season and the best time to come is Oct-Feb.

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Goleta Butterfly Grove

    If you want to visit the Elwood Grove and see lots of beautiful monarch butterflies, this is the time to do it.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

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    Tequepis Trail - Parking

    Tequepis Trail

    4.7(3 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    Better than you'd expect…read more From the road, the Mtns across the way look more enticing, but this trail was well-maintained, yet rugged. We mostly saw bikers, but didn't see a whole lot of people overall. Once you pull off of the highway, stay to the dirt road to the left; it will eventually become pavement again shortly before you hit the trail head. When you get to the creek, look for the trail to the left that goes across a wooden branch bridge, before it gets too deep. Most of the elevation gain is on the upper half and you will pretty much know immediately when that is going to start. We started on the trail about 7am and got down at 12:15pm. Broadcast Peak was our destination and we ended up with 12 miles hiking and probably approx. 2800' elevation gain. You don't really need to do the peak to see the best views, as that is right at the end of the trail near the lone tree, where you can see the Pacific Ocean on one side and lake Cachuma on the other; The peak of Broadcast doesn't really have any better views.

    I embarked on this trail with a group of younglings on a cool day. I'd never been on this trail,…read morethe view was spectacular! It wasn't as difficult as I'd expected, though a couple of the youngsters grumbled halfway. We all pushed through and encouraged each other to keep going. When we reached the top it was not clear towards the ocean side, but the Lake Cachuma view looked like a painting! So beautiful, no words to describe the feeling. We also ran into some brave souls biking down the trail!

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    Tequepis Trail
    Tequepis Trail
    Tequepis Trail - Top!!

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    San Antonio Creek Trail - Along the trail, fall 2021

    San Antonio Creek Trail

    4.5(4 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    During golden hour this afternoon, I walked along the first third or so of the San Antonio Creek…read moreTrail (20 minutes out and 20 back). As Richie D. mentions, this is not a strenuous hike. It's a (leashed) dog- and bike-friendly trail with only a small elevation gain. The pathway is mostly smooth, though there are some areas with boulders and places that would be awash in wet seasons. Scenery is lovely, and I saw birds, lizards, and bugs aplenty. At between 3pm and 3:45pm on a Monday, I only ran into a few others: some solo walkers, a couple of small groups, one person with a dog, and one on a bike. With sun setting earlier in the afternoon after Daylight Savings and the park closing at sunset, I didn't want to aim to go all the way to the other end of the path where it ends at the 154, but this is something to look forward to!

    A nice easy near 3 mile out and back trail that starts around the back end of Tucker Grove park…read morenear area 5. The trail is fairly shaded and covered, the elevation gain is maybe around 300 feet total so their aren't any crazy high climbs. It's pretty much a natural trail type of hike along side the creek. Pets are allowed on leash, there is also an off leash dog park next to the trail near the entrance to area 5 by the paved road. Aside from hikers and runners the trail is also shared with mountain bikers, most of which ride will bells on to alert nearby people on the trail that they're approaching. Near the end of the trail by Hwy 154 you'll get some nice views of the mountains in the area and the coast out in the distance. Overall it's a nice relaxing local trail.

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    San Antonio Creek Trail - End of the trail around the 154 Hwy.

    End of the trail around the 154 Hwy.

    San Antonio Creek Trail - Signage at top trail entrance off San Marcos Road/Route 154

    Signage at top trail entrance off San Marcos Road/Route 154

    San Antonio Creek Trail

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    Decker's Cabrillo Park - Takeoff from runway 25 of KSBA as seen from one of the benches

    Decker's Cabrillo Park

    5.0(1 review)
    1.9 mi

    I happened upon this beautifully maintained park up on a hill overlooking the Santa Barbara Airport…read moreand behind Decker's Headquarters. For me, it's the perfect spot to take my dog for a walk. (Note that pets should be leashed.) There are multiple loop gravel trails all under 1 mile--check out the map here: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=GfzL-X1iVYKRzcnrrhRm5w). It's quite shocking how quiet it remains given its proximity to the airport and being directly in the flight path. For kids, it is fun to watch planes take off and land, just bring earplugs. There is a large, green grassy area with a basketball court, volleyball net and picnic tables. When you go down a small hill, you enter Decker's private property so be respectful. This trail is pleasant and among native plants with lizards, bunnies and other creatures running about. Shockingly there was quite a lot of history here since the area was originally a native Chumash settlement (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/deckers-cabrillo-park-goleta?select=iXs_k01LUwoGxavV9dQGfA). Many locals have no idea that the Pacific Ocean's tides use to reach where Hollister Avenue presides... Later, the area became more industrial with the technology and engineering companies moving in to the area. One being Delco which has a plaza here several signs about how it transformed the area and improved technology. Check out, enjoy and care for our local parks!

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    Decker's Cabrillo Park - Airplane landing/take-off direction light towers

    Airplane landing/take-off direction light towers

    Decker's Cabrillo Park - Available trails aim the park

    Available trails aim the park

    Decker's Cabrillo Park - Be respectful--it's technically private property

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    Be respectful--it's technically private property

    Enjoy The Mountain - Such a nice place to visit

    Enjoy The Mountain

    4.7(48 reviews)
    11.9 mi

    great place! we had a terrific experience and will definatly go back. maybe next year or the year…read moreafter

    My two brothers and I spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Solvang and decided to end our trip…read morewith an ATV tour in the Santa Barbara mountains before heading back to L.A. Best decision ever! Although getting to the meeting point was a bit scary as we drove 15 mph through winding roads next to steep cliffs, the views were nice and the ATV experience was totally worth it! We gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the checkpoint. Luckily Google Maps was on the entire time and we even had an hour to kill on top of the mountain before our 12:30pm appointment. (Also had screenshots of the directions in case we lost service). Upon arrival, we met with the two girls who were wearing face masks and face shields so we felt safe. They had all the sanitizing stuff. They checked us all in, gave us each a mesh covering for our head, pairs of gloves, goggles and helmets. They offered different insurance plans (just like a rental car company), each ranging in price. Then, they walked us over to the ATVs where Jorge was our tour guide. He asked us if we've ever rode before and taught us how to use the automatic ATVs and made us feel comfortable and safe. (Throttle was on the right handle bar and brakes on the left. Second brake was a foot pedal). We drove on wide and narrow trails, over some fun rocky areas, kicking up lots of dust, and he took photos of us the entire time. This was a great family bonding experience and we're all still talking about how fun it was and want to do it again. Know Before You Go: It gets dusty so wear clothes and closed toe shoes that you're ok getting dirty. Give yourself plenty of time to drive to the location because the last thing you want to do is rush through the scary mountain roads. 10/10 would definitely do this again!

    Photos
    Enjoy The Mountain - Christy, Sean and Steven

    Christy, Sean and Steven

    Enjoy The Mountain - Jorge told us to get off the ATVs and took this photo of us with the cool mountain background

    Jorge told us to get off the ATVs and took this photo of us with the cool mountain background

    Enjoy The Mountain

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    Goleta Butterfly Grove - parks - Updated May 2026

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