It’s that time of year again! Starting in November, thousands of beautiful monarch butterflies make the amazing journey south for the winter. They stop at several sites along California’s Central Coast, but Pacific Grove’s Monarch Sanctuary is generally considered the best place to see these beauties firsthand. If you’re looking for a fun (and colorful) outing this winter, plan a trip to this butterfly sanctuary while they’re still here.
They're coming! Thousands of monarch butterflies begin to show up along the California coast starting in November. They stay for the winter, typically leaving around late February or early March, and seeing them is always a breathtaking experience.
You can find clusters of monarchs at several overwintering sites along the Central Coast. However, Pacific Grove is known to be the best place to see monarchs. In fact, it's considered one of the largest monarch overwintering sites in America.
Just minutes away from Monterey Bay Aquarium and Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Monarch Sanctuary can be found in the heart of Pacific Grove's historic downtown area. The sanctuary itself is ADA accessible and free parking is available on nearby Ridge Road. Please note that masks are required when walking through the sanctuary.
Monarchs begin arriving at the sanctuary in early November, with their population usually peaking in late November to early December. Timing your visit to align with peak monarch viewing can be tricky, but is definitely worth it to see these breathtaking butterfly clusters!
An afternoon visit when it's warm is best - around noon to 3:00 p.m. - since this is when you'll usually see the butterflies flying around and exhibiting clustering behavior. Be sure to keep your eyes towards the treetops - clusters of monarchs can look like dead leaves and are hard to spot if you don't know where to look.
The sanctuary is free to visit and is open every day from sunrise to sunset. However, there are some etiquette guidelines that all visitors should be aware of. Visitors are asked to please stay on the path, be quiet, and refrain from touching the butterflies (there is a $1,000 fine for those who touch/pick up the monarchs.)
There's truly nothing like witnessing thousands of these colorful insects right in front of your eyes. With only a few months to catch these beauties, you'll want to plan a visit to the butterfly sanctuary soon. Visit the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History website for more information about monarch viewing this season.
Have you visited this butterfly sanctuary while the monarchs are overwintering? Tell us about your experience and share your photos in the comments below!
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