Compact sandy patch with rock bridges & tidepools, popular for spotting seabirds, whales & seals.
At a glance
#6 of 21 Parks in Santa CruzLocalGuideWorld score: 4.70
Rating breakdown
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5 ★78%
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4 ★17%
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3 ★4%
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2 ★1%
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1 ★0%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Natural Bridges State Beach?
- Natural Bridges State Beach is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 3,280 reviews.
- How does Natural Bridges State Beach rank in Santa Cruz?
- Natural Bridges State Beach is #6 of 21 Parks in Santa Cruz by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Natural Bridges State Beach located?
- 2531 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States — 3.8 km from the center of Santa Cruz.
- How can I contact Natural Bridges State Beach?
- Phone: +1 831-423-4609 · Website: parks.ca.gov
Wonderful beach with stream area for kids to play out of the waves. There are picnic tables and new bathrooms by the parking lot and is a good place to come during king tides. It does get crowded during busy times.
I've been going to this beach since I was a baby and still love it, it's my favorite beach, near my family's home. It has beautiful tide pools to look at and explore when the tide is low.
We had a wonderful experience here. We did the Monarch trail where we saw many many monarchs. My favorite is the tide pool, we went there a bit earlier so missed the guided tour. Got the list from the visitor center and went looking for them in the tide pools. Amazing experience
This legendary Monarch sanctuary has fewer winged visitors than the "old days," but 7000 were waiting for us on a December morning. The riparian corridor meets the Pacific sand in full view of the Natural Bridge! It's easy hiking along boardwalks in the marshy areas...just a splendid, quiet day. To see the butterflies, come after the sun hits the eucalyptus grove... after 10 am. No dogs!
Just went for butterfly monarch migration. So cool to have the one side with the flutter of the monarchs and the other side a beach to watch sunset. Both were spectacular and I loved the spot.
As a warning they close bathrooms and up pretty quickly after sunset.
As a warning they close bathrooms and up pretty quickly after sunset.
This has more a feel of a beach than a park. It’s great there is no entrance fee if you park at one of the many spaces along the road or the parking spot and don’t enter the gate. The beach is worth to spend a few hours, it doesn’t seem crowded and best is to bring a chair or towel along.
Natural Bridges State Beach is a beautiful spot to get some sun and cool off in Santa Cruz. Known for - that’s right, nothing gets past you - it’s natural bridge rock formation, there’s a nice little beach, a picnic area (complete with restrooms), and a scenic overlook. It’s super peaceful to watch the waves crash up against the rocks while the pelicans circle overhead, waiting for their opportunity to dive for fish.
Beautiful and clean beach for long walks, hikes leading to beach, fishing or just sun bathing. You never know what you'll see but luckily for us we saw a a beautiful sky with lots of stars and people performing at lighthouse nearby.
We reached before 9 am and parked in the 20 mins free parking area right before the entrance into the main parking. I don't think there was anyone collecting the entry fees on the gate. If you are just stopping by, no need to go to the main parking.
The beach is a walking distance away from free parking.
Pictures of the keyhole structure are better from the 20 mins parking area in the morning because of the direction of the sun. I would recommend sitting on other beaches in the area since this one gets too crowded and small during the later time of the day.
The beach is a walking distance away from free parking.
Pictures of the keyhole structure are better from the 20 mins parking area in the morning because of the direction of the sun. I would recommend sitting on other beaches in the area since this one gets too crowded and small during the later time of the day.
This beach is on the smaller side. But it has tide pools and when we went, there was a shallow area of water for the kids to play in similar to small lake. The tide pools were actually really cool. We found some anemones in the larger ones. We walked barefoot on the rocks, but I’d recommend wearing shoes to make it more comfortable. There’s a lot of driftwood on the beach which is fun to see. We didn’t find any sea shells, but we got there later in the day. We didn’t pay for parking because we parked 1/2 mile out and walked in to the park. There are a few restrooms available and picnic benches just before you reach the beach.
Beautiful small beach just couple of miles from Santa Cruz. Very nice parking lot from where you can have 180 degree view of the ocean. There are two rocks which is the nesting place of birds. Watch birds from a distance. Sea is calm. A nice beach side road takes you to Santa Cruz. The drive is very scenic. The beach is less crowded and you can have a peaceful day here. There are no shops or food joints here. Viewing point parking lot is for twenty minute parking. But street parking is allowed.
Nice beach, beautiful views. There are bathrooms on site. Parking is $10 for the day. There is a free smaller parking lot just before you get to the parking toll, but it's 20 minute parking only. It's a good spot if you just wanna enjoy the view and take some quick snapshots. We saw seagulls and their babies on the rocks, which was so cute! It is somewhat steep walking down to the beach, there aren't stairs. So that's something to be mindful of. There are also tide pools but you will need to do a little climbing to get to them. We saw lots of crabs and a starfish. Overall, I recommend this spot. I've been here twice and both times it wasn't crowded.
We spent our evening well by waking across the walkway here that gives you a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean all along. We had a tonne of fun with bright heavenly atmosphere.
Definitely recommended ✅
Visited on 29.05.2023
Reviewed on 01.06.2023
Definitely recommended ✅
Visited on 29.05.2023
Reviewed on 01.06.2023
If you have been to the beach boardwalk several times and want to have a different experience, then head straight to this place for a stunning view of milky white ocean waves crashing against the natural bridge shaped stone structure. It's a nice beach with plenty of parking and beautiful view to the shoreline. Is popular for the best sunset view. Would visit again during that time to capture the views :) Pro- t's pet friendly vs. the boardwalk which restricts entry of the pets, so can be a better option of pets are accompanying. Con- Doesn't have a playground or food outlets.
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