Not to much to hype up. Recent visit was Early October - way too early in season. Best time is during Thanksgiving weekend - super crowded with butterflies and people. LOL.... Nice trail and a cool place to check out when visiting the Monterey Pacific Grove area....also cool rocks and tide pools nearby...Will be back later on this season..... read more

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Purchased and maintained by the City of Pacific Grove in collaboration with the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Monarch Grove Sanctuary provides a sanctuary habit for Monarch Butterflies during the winter months of Oct through Feb. Be aware that the butterflies here are protected and there is a $1K fine for touching any butterflies. We unfortunately arrived a bit too early in the year so there were no butterflies to be found. We walked around the accessible areas that were not roped off, but ultimately there is not a lot to see when the butterflies have not flown in yet. Parking is available for free at street level on either entrance of the Sanctuary. read more

First time checking out the monarch butterfly sanctuary here in Pacific grove in mid October. In talking to a local shop owner she said we may be a bit early as we will probably only see a few scouts checking out the place before all the butterflies arrive and she was right. While we were excited to see a half dozen butterflies flying around I would have loved to see the 1000s of butterflies clustered amongst the trees. The best time to come and see them is November thru January. For those of you interested in seeing these beautiful butterflies, according to the local shop owner they start to leave around February. read more

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This is a little hidden gem in Pacific Grove, California. If you don't know it's there, I'm here to tell you about it. It's a little sanctuary located behind the butterfly Grove Inn. Monarch butterfly season is between November and February. I went 1 November, but hardly saw any butterflies. Today there were quite a few floating through the air. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see clusters of them. But it was quite an ethereal experience. read more

Monarch Grove Sanctuary - Parks Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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The counts were around 80 here. Very sad that humans are the cause of the decline. Donate at the entrance to support their work here.

Visited this monarch grove this past Sunday and got to view clusters of these beautiful butterflies as I walked along the trail of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus trees. They do look like pine cones hanging from tree branches, but you'll often see some flying around as well. Monarch docents from the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History speak about the butterflies to educate visitors eager to learn more about them. The monarch count can be viewed online on the museum's website, as they regularly count the numbers to track changes in population during the season as part of their preservation efforts. Pacific Grove is one of the few places that keeps count. Comparing this spot to Santa Cruz's monarch butterfly preserve, which I visited just a week prior, this one is definitely less crowded, more spacious, less signage (simpler and to the point), and here the butterflies are bunched together much lower in the trees, and easier to see and photograph. They fly much lower as well and sometimes come to the ground. read more

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We stayed about 3 blocks from the sanctuary, and even though it was out of season to see the butterflies, we came to check it out because there were still birds to see and the walk in the fog was a pretty way to start our day. The sanctuary really cares for the area the butterflies occupy, so they have a roped path that is for people only. Along the path there are educational boards and they provide a restroom on site and there's a pretty bench where you can be a butterfly too The city is huge on butterflies, it seems everywhere we went there were statues and paintings of butterflies which brings a busy city a pleasant charm. I will miss you Pacific Grove. read more

Pacific Grove is a small, cozy, beach community just outside Monterey California. Their claim to fame, if you ignore their totally cute, quaint lifestyle in general, is the Monarch Butterfly Grove, a Sanctuary of non-descript eucalyptus and evergreen trees dedicated to the preservation of and annual migration of these lovely butterflies. The migration occurs in late Fall (November?), and they remain until the Spring when they head south again. If you are in the area at the right time of the year, it is a special treat and a great opportunity to commune with Nature. The fairly short trail is covered with gravel. It is an easy walk to see their habitat. People with walkers or wheelchairs can enjoy this trail. You may not even realize what you are seeing at first glance. The butterflies gather in huge clumps on certain trees to stay warm and, with wings mostly closed, they look more like a cluster of dead leaves than the brilliant orange color you would associate with this species. There is simple, informative signage along the path intended to educate children and adults alike. It is reasonable to allow about 20-30 minutes to walk the entire Grove. Make sure you stay on the path and be watchful. Keep in mind that sometimes the butterflies poise or fall onto the path itself, so looking down as you walk is merciful to these fragile creatures. Thoughtfully, there are orange plastic cones that you can position along the walk if you see butterflies in danger of being stepped on. read more

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I've been wanting to visit this sanctuary for some time now. It was definitely worth the drive & wait! The trail is rather small, a lot smaller than I expected, you can walk through it in under 10 min but you are able to see large clusters of Monarchs throughout the trail which is really nice. The entry is free and parking is very limited so you may have to wait to find a spot or park far and walk. If you love nature and photographing nature, this should be on your list of places to visit; it's absolutely beautiful watching the Monarchs! Tip: bring binoculars for a closer view, you'll thank me later! read more

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Clouds and clouds of thousands of monarch butterflies. There is magic airborne at this place. Monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico stop here in the fall. It is one of the most beautiful things you will witness. The walk path is small, but the amount of butterflies is amazing. I highly recommend bringing binoculars. They will open up an entirely new world for you. It is awe inspiring to see thousands of butterflies resting on tree branches, fluttering in the air, sitting in clouds of orange and black, tiny, breathing sculptures of beauty. Coming here is a journey that is most worthwhile and will do your heart good. It is something you will remember. Photographs do not do it justice, but memory does. read more

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Stopped by in October so only saw a handful of butterflies but no worries - the site is easy to get to with easy parking, clean and easy walking path, and a unique experience that I'd definitely include on your trip to Monterey read more

I'd heard about this place forever and always wanted to visit, but with butterflies timing is everything, and we were never in sync. Thanksgiving time and the week or so after is the peak. But a few weeks ago we were in Pacific Grove the week before Thanksgiving and stopped by here on the last day of our trip. We were a week or so early but some early bird butterflies had already arrived so it was still cool. At first we didn't see much, but did notice a lot fluttering in the air over certain trees. They tend to bunch together in branches for warmth - fortunately I had brought binoculars so we could see some higher up. Farther along the path we saw more people all looking up at a particular tree. This was the good stuff! Tons of butterflies in various clumps scattered throughout the tree. We were just awestruck, having never seen anything like it. My wife and I just took turns sharing the binoculars and admiring these fragile, beautiful creatures temporally being winter tourists like the rest of us. The butterflies seem not to care about social media fame - their high-up-haunts frustrated my phone's camera. Some people were regulars: one couple had caome on Thanksgiving day last year and every tree in the Grove was packed with butterflies. That would be something to see! If you can time it right, the monarchs are a must see. read more

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The park itself is fairly quaint being comprised more or less of a short fenced trail, trees, and shrubs. However, the wondrous sight is in the trees. While we had heard that the number of monarchs over the years had appeared to be on the decline--a sad reality for sure--it was still a sight to see them clustered together in the trees. We also happened to visit at just the right time to see them disperse from their clusters to surrounding trees; it felt surreal, as if I were living in a butterfly desktop screensaver. It felt like a lightning-in-a-bottle sort of moment, so of course can't guarantee that others will experience the same, but my experience here was wondrous. read more

Monarch Grove Sanctuary - Cluster on one of the smaller trees at eye level - Parks Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

We stayed at the hotel in the pacific grove aka butterfly town. The buttery monach sanctuary was just 2 mins walk from where we stayed. We got to see the butterflies resting on the trees. read more

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My kid loves monarch butterflies so this seemed like a good place to visit on a December trip to the Monterey area. The sanctuary was smaller than I expected, tucked away next to a hotel. It was amazing to me that the butterflies know to come back to this particular spot every year! We came in the afternoon, there was pretty easy parking (and free!) and a good amount of people there, but not too packed. Some of the sanctuary area was closed/roped off so there was only about 200-300m of path we could walk on. Since the butterflies are wintering, it wasn't like they were fluttering around all over the place- most of the butterflies were clumped up in the trees though you could definitely see some flying around. We were thankful we brought our DSLR camera with zoom lens- that definitely helped us get some better pictures and we were able to see the butterflies closer. So if you have a zoom lens or even some binoculars, that could help, depending on where the butterflies are in the grove. Special shout out to the volunteers who come to share their knowledge and passion. When we got there, an older gentleman was sitting there in a chair, freely answering questions about the monarchs and spouting off interesting facts. He took a lot of time to engage my child to share his knowledge and encourage her to learn more and help be a good steward of our earth so things will be there for the next generation. I learned a lot from him as well, definitely a fun and educational experience! read more

I've never seen so many butterflies in my life...okay maybe once years ago, but still it was a spectacular sight! I've been going to Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz to see the monarchs since I was a child, the past few years have been disappointing as the population has been dwindling. While visiting there this year, one of the docents told us about this monarch sanctuary and how the population here was BOOMING. We happened to be in the area for the weekend, so we decided we had to come check it out! We were here toward the tail end of monarch season, but the place was still filled with butterflies. When we arrived we weren't sure if we were in the right location because we arrived at an inn. Sure enough, this was the place to be. There was parking along the red building across from the inn and the pathway to the sanctuary led down the side of the inn to the back. There was signage letting you know where to park and go. The trail through the sanctuary was rather short, but with so many butterflies to stop and look at we spent a good 30 minutes there. There happened to be a docent while we were there and she answered all of the monarch questions we had that weren't answered by the educational panels. This spot is free but they do take donations! read more

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Lovely place but be aware butterflies are seasonal. The migration population varies from year to year as well. We timed our visit and it was thick with butterflies. read more

OMG went on a trip on December and I didn't think I'd see so many monarchs but I went at a really good time. It was a beautiful experience, unfortunately some of the trail was closed at the time but that didn't stop me from seeing any. It was beautiful to see so many monarch clusters and flying around. Definitely a must see when visiting the area! read more

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Sad to say that the boyfriend and I were bummed to see that the monarch butterflies only migrate to this sanctuary around the winter months. We were here just this past weekend and we only saw two monarch butterflies flying around. It wasn't meant to be for this trip, so we're hoping to make another trip out in the following year. read more

Butterfly Effect They're back, baby! After 5yrs of Historic lows--with a staggering ±2,000 in 2020--the Monarchs have peaked at over 200,000 (±13k here in PG) this year! The Good: *Butterflies! *Free parking *Free admission *Now with actual toilets**! The Meh: *Still a pretty small area to navigate The Ugly: *Word is out and parking is a bit difficult but luckily since it's such a small area people are constantly leaving. Tldr: Hopefully this continues to be a norm and not an anomaly but enjoy it now while you can. **Used to be port-o-potties in past years read more

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This place is absolutely gorgeous!! I came here around the end of January and it was filled with butterflies! Would definitely come back here again! read more

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How do you give Mother Nature anything less than 5 stars? Come see monarch butterflies during their migration, in person. This is a small trail, but full of butterflies! There seems to be plenty of street parking and even lots of signs posted for parking, for "Monarch Viewing". Put in 250 Ridge Road, Pacific Grove in your GPS or phone and you will find it easily. I recommend stopping by Monterey for some clam chowder and calamari before heading over to the butterfly sanctuary. The butterflies don't fly around until the warmest times of the day, which is around noon -3pm. You'll want to come during November through February, 12:00pm ~ 3pm. Tip: they will be up pretty high when there are lots of people (and noise), bring binoculars if you have them. read more

Monarch Grove Sanctuary - Parks Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Quite a short walk, I mean like you can walk the entire "sanctuary" in 3 minutes. I thought it was would be larger, more protected, fenced in better, and more action. But it's really just a small and short hiking trail in Monterey that's open to the public and seasonally active with many monarch butterflies visiting. We didn't visit during the monarch butterfly season, so we just walked through the sanctuary. It was a quick walk. Pretty enough being in nature. But I guess come during the no catch butterfly season. read more

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The Monterey/Carmel region is one of my favorites, but it wasn't until today that I visited the Butterfly sanctuary in Pacific Grove. This 2-3 acre preserve is the over-wintering spot for thousands of Monarch butterflies. As a kid in NY we planted milkweed to provide habitat for the monarch caterpillars and even did the whole caterpillars to chrysalis to butterfly hatching project. But nothing, nothing compares to seeing this many monarchs in the wild. I am totally blown away by these serene and FREE experience. We arrived around 10:30 am and there wasn't much activity. We peered through the trees and Spanish moss... Suddenly we realized what looked like brown grape clusters or pinecones were actually the sleeping butterflies. We wandered down the path remarking about the Butterfly friendly plants in this area. Bottlebrush, Butterfly bush and more dot the landscape. As the day started to warm up and the sun pierced through the branches, the monarchs took flight, like hundreds of orange and black birds. Visitors old and young craned their necks skyward to catch the scene. It was an amazing way to start the day and one more "must see" to add to my list for each future visit. read more

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We came in early November and we happy to find many large groups of monarchs resting in the trees. It's Hard to spot them at first, but once you know what to look for it's easier. Since they look a lot like leaves, it was easier for me to find them on the pine trees. There was a lot of free parking near the entrance and helpful signage everywhere. Enjoy this free park and learn what you can do to support these beautiful creatures. read more

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Monarch butterflies gather and migrate to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove every year (there are other butterfly sanctuaries around in California that they also gather, including in Pismo Beach at the Monarch Butterfly Grove). Typically, they start arriving in October for the winter season and stay through February. They come over because our winters are typically warmer than where they come from (a lot of them do come from Canada). Then they return to their homes during spring. Monarch butterflies are most notable but their large size, and orange and black wings. They feed on milkweed, a plant that has a milky sap. Unfortunately, these butterflies seem to be dying out because of the lack of milkweed. Now that you know some general history of these creatures, my husband and I made a visit to this butterfly sanctuary on a Friday, towards the end of October, around 11 am. This sanctuary is located next door to the Butterfly Inn and is free to visit. There is some limited parking available. Unfortunately, when we came, there were no butterflies. According to a few locals, it is most likely there will be more around Thanksgiving time. However a friend of mine had recently visited the sanctuary last week and said there were no butterflies. It has been speculated in the news that with poor weather conditions (which affects the breeding habitat) this is a big factor as to why there are less butterflies migrating each year. So on your visit, you may not see butterflies or as many if you come during the migrating season. The sanctuary itself is a nice walk through that is mostly shaded with numerous of trees (where butterflies would typically nest in clusters during the season). Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the sanctuary (there are a few signs to remind you). There are some informative boards you can read as you walk the short, paved trail that you can learn more about the butterflies. This is a nice place for a visit and would be beautiful if you can see the butterflies during the season. read more

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Amazing to see during the winter butterfly season! I've heard about the huge site in Mexico, but I had no idea smaller places like this existed along the California coast. It's a small park, plan to spend maybe 20 minutes on a sunny day when they're active taking it all in. From April to October, I wouldn't bother. read more

Overall the grounds of this area are beautiful. Unfortunately we went during a time when they were closed due to no butterflies but it was still a beautiful path to walk around and take pictures. I was disappointed they don't allow dogs in the path which is the reason for four stars. read more

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Parking is easy to find because there's a lot of it. The walk to the sanctuary is only a couple of minutes from the parking. It was stroller friendly all the way through the trail as well. We came I'm on New Year's Day in the late morning, there were a lot of butterflies that were easy to see and admire. read more

When we went, there was a man sitting in a chair giving out information on the butterflies. As we watched them sleep, and walk around, and just sit, we were able to hear about how they grew, what they ate, and how they behaved. This was worth the stop! read more

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If you're in the area during the season to see Monarchs in California (approximately October - February), this is a great spot to check them out! This sanctuary is behind a hotel called Butterfly Grove Inn, and around the corner from an adult education center in Pacific Grove. Parking to access the sanctuary is free (parking lot or street parking) and it's free to enter the site. Just follow the signs! A word of caution is that the path is narrow, so be aware of other folks who are coming in and out (and normally they're groups of people). And another word of caution as you actually enter the sanctuary, is to make sure you are aware of your surroundings: there might be butterflies on the ground! When we went in December there wasn't a scene of butterflies everywhere and anywhere, but you could certainly spot them. There were some resting on plants, on the ground, and on the trees. I didn't realize until later, that they cluster in trees (upon first glance, they look like pinecones) and it was really neat to see them move! All in all, great fun place to check out these beautiful creatures! read more

Monarch Grove Sanctuary - Parks Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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In all the times we've been to the Monterey peninsula we've not come to see the Monarch butterflies. But on our most recent getaway, we had time. But you've got to come during the season which is mid-October to mid-February. We parked our car along side the building across the street that had signs posted - Sanctuary parking. Then took the clearly marked path to the sanctuary. At most five minutes stroll to the grove. We came 2/9/20 of this year. How many did we spot? - maybe a total of six fluttering around high up in the sky among the trees. We were early. Around 10am. Signs posted said better viewing hours starting at 12pm when it's warmer. We probably spent 15 minutes walking along the paved path. On a side note: there's a unisex restroom. Seems fairly new. read more

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Unfortunately when we went here, we didn't see a single butterfly. It was July. They said they come on October, thousands of them. The sanctuary is free. So maybe we will come back again, must be a sight to see. read more

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A quick summary is that you won't always find the Monarchs here, but if they are here, they will be up high on tall Nectar bushes, or way up high in eucalyptus trees or Pines. This is a wide dirt path, down a small hillside. Part of the path may work for wheelchairs, but that is your risk. The small kids might get bored quickly. Docents are on site, to inform, answer questions, and help. This site is on the general Pacific Coast flight path of the Annual Monarch Migration, like a layover spot. Around the Thanksgiving Holiday is the earliest that the Monarchs have arrived here, and before Christmas, most will be down in Mexico for the Winter. While most Monarchs hardly live 2 weeks, just to lay eggs on Milkweed plants, the Migration Monarch will live 5 months or more. The Monarch caterpillars only eat Milkweed as part of their defense, it makes them taste bitter. If you plant Milkweed, please be careful since certain milkweed varieties are very toxic, such as Tropical Milkweed. Check online for safest type of milkweed to plant for the Monarch Butterfly. The Sanctuary can fill up with "tourists" and true Monarch fans. Parking can be a challenge. Be prepared with good walking shoes, sunglasses, camera, binoculars, and a shade hat. The official entrance has a butterfly seat photo op. The end of the downhill trail is supposed to be an exit (or another entrance) onto a residential street. But, must people will lumber back uphill to the official entrance. At times, people are elbow-to-elbow, at times you are alone, or with your own group. If no Monarchs are here, there is Lover's Point nearby, walk the little beach, or the seaside bike path. Many great eateries around here: seafood, and other cuisines. I'm partial to the French Bakery & Bistro "Patisserie Bechler" at the top of Pacific Grove. It is casual, medium size, pretty butterfly decor. Alsace region plates, and tempting boulangerie. Coffee drinks, Teas, sodas. read more

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My favorite area for a drive is the Monterey/Carmel/pacific Grove area. If you are into nature and butterflies, this is a must stop. It's in a residential neighborhood nested between condos, apartments and hotels is this sanctuary. There are trees and butterflies. The butterflies are plenty and friendly. Stop and enjoy. read more

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If you are into monarchs and don't want to drive to Pismo, this is the next best place close to the Bay Area. I would say wait Nov to see droves. And they have Inns and hotels in the area like the Clarion. read more

Monarch Grove Sanctuary - A cluster - Parks Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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On a gorgeous day it's saddening to see the decline of the Monarch population in such vivid terms. The last time I was here (1999?) the population was quite a bit different. There has been a restroom added to its benefit, and I'm happy to see that children are still enchanted no matter what numbers are here. Parking can be tight so be patient! read more

Hidden gem. Short walk but worth a stop. Never seen that many butterflies in 1 spot. Fantastic! Free too. read more

Super pretty little park, and there were definitely lots of monarchs! The trail is tiny (takes less than a minute to get from one side to the other) but you'll see tons of butterflies high up in the trees. Parking is free and plentiful nearby. Really fun stop if you're around the area! read more

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It's a little hidden between residential and a hotel. There's parking by a warehouse that is empty and looks sus, but it's safe. Then you have to walk through a narrow trail that leads to this small opening of natural trees fenced off. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a lot but did catch one in one of the plants. It's more of a self-service type of trail and there's only one info board. Some plants didn't seem well maintained and dried out. It would've been cool to see more butterflies but maybe we didn't come in the right months. The hotel next door is really cute, though. read more