Monarch Magic at Pismo Grove 🦋🌿
Join us for wildlife stories, field notes, and plenty of coastal surprises - from sea lions at the marina to hidden tide pools and a shop full of nature-inspired art.
Wildlife Wednesday // July 9, 2025
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Equipment
Locations
📍 Monarch Butterfly Grove — 400 S Dolliver St, Pismo Beach, CA 93449
A quiet eucalyptus grove where thousands of monarch butterflies gather each winter, turning the canopy into a mosaic of orange and black.
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Blog
For this week's Wildlife Wednesday, I’m trading the coast for the canopy - highlighting a December morning among the monarchs at Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove.
This was my first time visiting the Grove, though not my first time in Pismo Beach (a spot I already love). The last time I was here, I missed the monarchs entirely, so this trip felt overdue. We visited in early December on a quiet weekday, with only a few others visiting alongside us. Morning sunlight poured through the eucalyptus, painting the grove gold and making it easy to forget the road was just steps away.
We wandered the dirt paths, necks craned, searching the high branches for clusters of monarchs. Most were perched high up, wings closed and camouflaged, but every so often a few would flutter out and catch the sun. If you go, my best advice is to bring binoculars or a long lens (and maybe stretch your neck beforehand). After this visit, I knew it was time to upgrade my kit - this was the moment the Sony 200-600mm joined my wishlist.
Before heading out, we stopped by the little gift shop at the edge of the grove. I picked up a shirt, a few souvenirs, and a butterfly ornament for my tree - a small reminder of a quiet morning spent watching monarchs. (Photo below!)
Field Notes & Practical Tips
When & Where: December 2024 at Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove, California.
Wildlife: Monarch butterflies clustering in eucalyptus trees.
Conditions: Clear, mild December morning with sunlight pouring through the grove.
Accessibility: Small grove with dirt paths, a few benches, port-a-potties, and free parking along the road.
Experience: Very quiet on a weekday - just a handful of other visitors, so it felt peaceful and unrushed.
Extras: Don’t miss the little gift shop for local souvenirs.
Monarchs in the Canopy
The grove itself is small, but it packs a lot of magic into a short walk. Monarchs gather here by the thousands each winter, clustering on the eucalyptus leaves for warmth and shelter. I’ll admit, I expected to see clouds of swirling butterflies, but the clusters were more subtle - still beautiful, but a real reminder of how fragile these populations are. Numbers are down from what they should be; here’s a great article explaining why. Seeing it in person really shines a light on just how important it is to protect groves like this.
We spent about an hour wandering and watching before heading back to the road for the drive home to Los Angeles. I’m hoping that by this coming winter, we’ll see even more monarchs returning to the grove.
Related Field Notes
If you enjoyed this, you might like last week’s Bird Rock’s Coastal Community or my Monterey day trip for more California wildlife stories.
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