Preserve with pine, cypress & eucalyptus trees sheltering thousands of monarch butterflies Oct–Mar.
Arriving in October, monarch butterflies cluster together on pine, cypress and eucalyptus trees in the Sanctuary. Their migration to Pacific Grove is so unique that Pacific Grove is nicknamed "Butterfly Town, U.S.A." The community has always welcomed the butterflies and advocated for their protection. Citizens of Pacific Grove voted to create an additional tax to create the Monarch Grove Sanctuary which is cared for by dedicated volunteers. The Pacific Grove Police Department enforces strict regulations that prohibit the "molestation of butterflies."
There’s no better place to catch a glimpse of the migratory monarchs than in and around Pacific Grove — aptly nicknamed Butterfly Town USA. In fact the Monarch Grove Sanctuary is one of the top monarch habitats on the coast, as it attracts over 25,000 migrating butterflies during the winter.
The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is located off of Lighthouse Avenue, just south of the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course. Keep an eye out for the Butterfly Grove Inn, then turn south on Ridge Road. A white picket fence marks the path to the grove, but accessible parking is located further down Ridge Road on the left. From there; it’s a level roll up the street to the sanctuary entrance.
A .15-mile hard-packed dirt path leads through the grove and dead-ends in the adjacent neighborhood. There’s an accessible porta-potty near the end of the path; and although the trail has level spots every 20 feet, some manual wheelchair-users may require assistance up the slight grade on the return trip.
The best time to hit this site is in the afternoon, because as the temperatures warm up, the butterflies become more active and start to fly around the grove. They might not be apparent at first, so take some time to scan the tips of the pine and cypress branches, as those are their favorite landing places. Also keep an eye out for what appears to be clumps of dead leaves, as these could instead be clusters of the overwintering monarchs. Docents are on duty in the season to help point out the butterflies, but for the best experience bring a pair of binoculars to get a closer look at the migratory monarchs.
