Natural Bridges State Beach

Natural Bridges State Beach

Natural Bridges State Beach
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
A refuge for wintering Monarch Butterflies, this park boasts a sandy cove, tidepools, a nature trail through the Butterfly Preserve, and several hiking trails. There is also a bicycle path around the perimeter of the park.
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  • wireless_in_CA
    United States4,829 contributions
    Family Beach
    We’ve visited this beach a couple times and come back for its natural arch but also the tide pools. Parking was available for a fee and city decided to close all the street parking nearby (an annoyance). It you are short on time or don’t want to pay for parking then stop by the overlook. The parking lot is free for 20 minutes. This was also a good starting point for the West Cliff scenic drive or walk.
    Visited April 2021
    Travelled with friends
    Written 5 April 2021
  • B v
    San Jose, California284 contributions
    Awesome Natural Beauty
    Natural Bridges is a gem at the North end of Santa Cruz. Large beach with views of the namesake natural bridge rock structures, access to extensive tide pools to explore the local ocean life from urchins to star fish, anemones, and other coastal creatures. Check dates for the migrating Monarch Butterflies. At the right time of year and temps they are swarming all around with huge clusters hanging from the eucalyptus trees...it's magical
    Visited February 2020
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 February 2020
  • Fred L
    San Jose, California1,515 contributions
    The bridge is the star - Small but nice beach
    This was our first trip to Natural Bridges State Beach. It was a Saturday and we arrived ~1pm. The parking lot was full so we ended up parking on the street a couple of blocks away. We walked along the trail that runs along the cliff. It was crowded with pedestrians and bikes but the view was beautiful. The beach itself was small compared to other nearby beaches (like Seabright or Seacliff) and it was hard to find a spot with some space relatively close to the water. The natural bridge is the star of the show and It's definitely worth the trip to see it. I suspect that most weekends the beach will get crowded like we experienced. Our girls (6 & 8) enjoyed themselves but my preference is for a larger beach. I can see this as a great spot on less crowded days.
    Visited May 2021
    Written 19 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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glennmartinwc
San Francisco, CA33 contributions
Jul 2023
We just strolled here from our hotel to check out the arch, but found this to be a hidden gem! A short walk through the lushly forested area brings you to a small beach strewn with driftwood. This is certainly the place to come if you want a day at the beach and don't need the boardwalk. There is a Visitors' Center, and several trails that delve deeper into the wooded areas. Don't miss this if you're in the area!
Written 29 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LegoAthos
Nevada City, CA113 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We missed butterfly season, but there were still 2-3 fluttering around. The trail through the preserve was still nice and a fairly easy walk. It was nice to walk through the forest and come at the beach from the other side. OK tidepools, even with the tide being high (we didn't time this trip right at all). The bridge/arch was pretty cool and the beach was clean and wasn't super crowded.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RSM123123
Plano, TX807 contributions
Dec 2022
First time here, fun place to walk. $10 parking (senior discount reduces it to $9). Many small wading pools and tide pools with sea life in them. Good for children. Rocks are slippery, watch out.
Written 30 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jet151427
12 contributions
Dec 2022
Natural Bridges State Beach has a Monarch Sanctuary. We visited when the Monarch butterflies were there. We parked in the 20 min. free lot. Walked to the sanctuary and were out in half an hour. All along the path to the butterfly sanctuary there are signs to be quiet, so as not to disturb the butterflies. If being quiet is a problem, you shouldn't go.
Written 29 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LucyBrownlee
Las Vegas, NV91 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
We saw whales at the beach! And the small tide pools have urchins, crabs and trillobites.
The butterflies were migrating so we took the nature walk. Lots of sea birds.
Written 29 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Balasubramanian R
Chennai (Madras), India732 contributions
Sep 2022
Natural bridge is situated in the beach in Santa Cruz and it is the tourist attraction spot. It is a state park and the park features section of the natural bridge. It is a good vantage point for viewing shore birds and other sea creatures.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TAllen1326
Seattle, WA36 contributions
Aug 2022
We parked near Natural Bridges, then walked towards the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk area along the waterfront. This is a review of that walk as much as Natural Bridges - because in the waters - close to shore - we admired 6-10 dolphins in the waters - I think they were likely feeding. There appeared to be adults and much kids. It was amazing and we enjoyed watching them on the walk out and back.
Written 21 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason_Tinley_Park
Tinley Park, IL146 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
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.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SMA1126
Nashville, TN306 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
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.
Written 9 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MJ S
1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Solo
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!
Written 8 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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NATURAL BRIDGES STATE BEACH: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Bridges State Beach

Natural Bridges State Beach is open:
  • Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM