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Monarch Butterfly Grove
4.6 ★★★★★ 4,865 Google reviews · Running trail in Pismo Beach, California · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Monarch Butterfly Grove's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Eucalyptus tree–filled grove with thousands of monarch butterflies in late October through February.
What runners say about Monarch Butterfly Grove
“Best time to visit is December through January to see butterflies🦋cluster for warmth in the beautiful eucalyptus trees.”
“You can walk into Pismo Beach area from here, it's so peaceful.”
Arrived in time for the docent tour. There was no fee to enter. The staff was all very knowledgeable and excited to talk about the butterflies. The gift shop trailer had a variety of monarch related souvenirs. There were telescopes set up so visitors could see the butterflies up close.
So pretty with lots of different walking paths. Not the easiest to find and limited parking on the side of a busy road. Keep walking and you come to the dunes which are full of giant driftwood and so pretty. We did see butterflies and really enjoyed the area!
We went near the beginning of the season and it was foggy and cool, so we didn't get to see a lot. A ranger had some sighting scopes set up on a few monarch clusters, so we got to see some. Overall, it was a nice relaxing place to walk around.
Always fun to visit. I've stopped by in December and February and seen butterflys. They do seem to like the tree branches in the sun. I did see more butterflies in February than December. This is a must when visiting Pismo or Oceano. There are informational plaques as you walk the path and it's free admission.
Trail conditions & character
“Good amount of parking outside and across the road, picnic tables, clean paths, great information signage, friendly attendant at info/souvenir booth.”
“You can walk into Pismo Beach area from here, it's so peaceful.”
“It’s definitely wheelchair accessible.”
Plan your run at Monarch Butterfly Grove
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitemonarchbutterfly.org
- Phone(805) 773-7170
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
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