We just strolled here from our hotel to check out the arch, but found this to be a hidden gem! A... read more
We just strolled here from our hotel to check out the arch, but found this to be a hidden gem! A... read more
We missed butterfly season, but there were still 2-3 fluttering around. The trail through the... read more
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.

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.



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!





Beautiful beach quite a bit of parking in the area the big natural arch in a rock and tide pools. The water is cold in this area but the beach was really nice.



This is my favorite state park because of the Monarch butterflies that you can see there. The guide was at the place where the butterflies were and he explained their life cycle. It was amazing to see them. Then we drove to the beach lookout. A beautiful view! Many people were on the beach and in the water. A worthwhile place to visit!





Small but iconic and beautiful beach with a nature grove of butterflies near visitor center. Park in the lot and enjoy both, with just a short walk in each direction. $10 to park at state beaches.
