"Pacific Grove benefits by one of those happy accidents of nature
that gladden the heart, excite the imagination, and instruct the young."
--John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, Chapter 38.
 

 
 

How to find the Monarch Butterflies

In recent years, the Monarchs have gathered at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary.
In the past, they have also gone to Washington Park and private yards.

To get to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, take Highway 68 north into Pacific Grove. Highway 68 is also called the Holman Highway and further down, Forest Avenue. Be careful to stay over to the right after you pass David, and go straight down Forest Avenue into town. Don't follow 68 where it turns left past the high school; this will get you to the beach but not the butterflies. Make a left turn at the stop sign at Lighthouse Avenue. Follow Lighthouse Avenue through downtown, and turn left at Ridge Road.

There is an orange Monarch crossing sign at the corner.
Go past the Butterfly Grove Inn and park on the street.
There are a number of pull-in spaces adjacent to the PG Adult
School that are available for visitors to the Monarch Sanctuary.
Follow the easement marked "Monarch Grove Sanctuary Entrance" into the butterfly habitat.  

Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary
Visitors gather around a docent at Pacific Grove's Monarch Sanctuary on Ridge Road.
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2009 MONARCH GROVE SANCTUARY UPDATE

Following a very severe pruning of the Monarchs' favorite spot
-- an amphitheater of Eucalyptus trees near the south end of the Monarch Grove Sanctuary --
in late September/early October the Monarchs are in record-breaking low numbers.
Estimates in early to mid-November vary from 5 to 750,
at a time that typically sees tens of thousands clustering.
On December 5 2009, 989 Monarchs were counted in the Sanctuary.
On December 11, 2009, there were 635. By the end of December, there were about 300,
and in the first week of January, less than 10 were counted.

Fears that the Sanctuary may have been degraded from an overwintering site
to a temporary autumnal stopover may be playing out.

Read a detailed report about the causes for this failure of
Pacific Grove City stewardship of the Monarch Grove (in pdf format).
 

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When to visit the Monarch Butterflies
 

In October, Monarch Butterflies begin arriving in Pacific Grove--the end of a long trek from as far as the Canadian Rockies and southern Alaska. They migrate here to escape the rigors of the northern winters.

Local school children have a parade in early October to honor the returning insects.

By Thanksgiving, most of the Monarchs have arrived and settled in. The butterflies attach themselves to trees in huge clusters, and in chilly or damp weather they fold part of their wings and appear like clumps of dead leaves.

a clump of Monarchs hang from a tree
A clump of Monarchs in the trees at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary.

Optimal viewing for activity is between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a sunny day.
They overwinter until February or March, when the mating season takes place. Then they leave.

The number of overwintering Monarchs and the time of their arrival and departure each year varies. Contact the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce for more info.
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Page contents and design copyright 2000 - 2010 by Esther Trosow. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, photographs are by Esther Trosow.


Last updated January 4, 2010.