Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove at Ellwood Mesa — Attraction in Goleta

I gave this place five stars even though we sae very few butterflies. According to the Goleta/Monarch website, there were 1500 or so butterflies present on the day I visited . . . . I saw one flying around. One!

After over an hour of searching with binoculars, we were actually able to find a very small clump of monarchs hanging from a tree branch. They really disguise themselves well. It takes patience and effort to find them. But for me, it was worth it. The drive to the Grove is spectacular. The Grove itself is absolutely beautiful. It's a short, easy stroll through a beautiful old Eucalyptus grove. On the day I went in early January, the fog crept in around us and just added to the beauty of the place.

The place is wonderful to visit, just in general. We met several other people on the stroll out. There are lots of dogs and families and kids running around. I wish I could go every weekend. I don't recommend this as a butterfly viewing destination if it requires any significant effort on your your part (ex: time off work, fuel cost, vacation planning, etc.) but for a casual day trip, it's definitely worth it.

Just a quick heads up: I did not see any restrooms in the parking lot area. Granted, I didn't really search for them, but I'm pretty sure there are no public restrooms available. There is a large shopping mall about a half-mile away though, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and restrooms available if...

Lived 3 blocks from here in the 80's there was no park no rules no crowds and there were more butterflies than ever. The place was so unreal during that time and you could walk up and touch view and let the butterflies land on you. This was a local secret that very few knew about or shared the location. I feel luck to have experienced it back in the day when me and a few friends were the only ones running around the woods covered by butterflies. No rules no trails just kids having fun and enjoying nature. We respected the migration and viewed it in all its glory. Just wish I had taken pictures to share as trees were covered by millions of butterflies not anything you...

We found this true hidden gem completely by accident. Not being from the area and looking for new places to explore, I googled and discovered the butterfly grove. The first time we went was in January 2012. It was so incredibly captivating. There were these giant trees with branches hanging down, only to find out that those branches were just gigantic clumps of butterflies. It was the most beautiful thing with we had ever seen. As you keep walking up the path you get to the edge of a cliff and can climb down the path to the Pacific ocean is just the most beautiful and breathtaking...