Located at: 7727 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117

I didn’t get the chance to visit any of the monarch butterfly overwintering sites along the California coast last year (Winter 2022-2023) so I made it a point to visit this year (Winter 2023-2024). The Goleta site is the most accessible public site from Los Angeles at about a 2.5 hour drive or 104 miles.

I have been visiting this site for the past 20 years whenever I happen to be in the area during the monarch butterfly overwintering months of October through February. The past few visits cannot be described as disappointing but as tragic. Due to our decade long drought, the grove of mostly eucalyptus trees looked dry and brittle. At my last visit, over five years ago, so many of the trees had fallen due to drought stress that the grove looked dangerous to walk through. The atmosphere felt eerie and not only were there no butterflies, but it was so quiet that I felt that there were no birds.

I have been an environmentalist for a long time but if there was ever an event that I could trace and point that Nature was in poor shape, it was seeing this butterfly site ailing and dying. Scientists are still trying to discern why there were fewer butterflies overwintering along the California coast, from wildfires, loss of monarch habitat, warmer temperatures, to climate change.  To have first hand experience over this loss was devastating for me and stayed often in my mind. It has actually driven me to participate in creating a healthy native habitat for pollinators.

The number count of butterflies in 2020 at Ellwood Mesa reached a high of 10. Other years barely two hundred. The past three years has seen an increase of over ten thousand butterflies, the increase being consistent (numbers taken from the City of Goleta website). It was time to visit the butterfly grove again.

The Ellwood Mesa Butterfly Grove is located within a park and within coastal access. If you conduct a web search of the grove, it falls under many names, from “Goleta Butterfly Grove” to “Coronado Butterfly Preserve” to “Ellwood Butterfly Grove in Goleta” or “Ellwood Mesa Butterfly Grove.” Entrance is free with adjacent ample parking. While the parking lot may be paved, the rest of the park is not. With that in mind, the path is compacted dirt and has some hills. It may not be handicapped accessible.

There is a map posted at the entrance and you may want to take a picture of it before entering but the path is fairly straightforward. You will want to walk straight and then turn left. There are many butterfly trail markers along the way which will lead you to the grove.

Just before the grove, there is a small low bridge/wooden walking path that you will take. The planks look wobbly but they are, in fact, very stable. Once you see the main sign, look up and see a cluster of butterflies. This is a very framed picturesque view and you’ll want to continue further on to see more butterflies.

The majority of butterflies tend to assemble at this one location but during a different and more abundant year, I have seen smaller clusters throughout the grove and many monarchs flying through the trees. 

For this trip, we arrived to view the butterflies during the evening and there was less activity as they sun was setting and it was getting colder so many of the butterflies just hung. The next day, we arrived around noon and the grove area had a stream of sunlight and the butterflies were more active.

Monarchs are fragile creatures. They are susceptible to rain and the weather. Their wings may be torn after their journey or they may simply lose energy and you may find them on the ground. Be careful where you step, the butterfly may still be alive and is just resting.

Seeing clusters of overwintering monarchs is impressive and while the increase in population is positive, these numbers are still urgently low. According to the Xerces Society, the decline is greater than 90%. Keep in mind that at one point, there were so many monarch butterflies that seeing them was not a rarity but something that happened when you opened your door.

While at the Ellwood Butterfly Grove, we were approached by a woman who lived near the area. She could not contain her enthusiasm and wanted to share her joy at the return of the butterflies. For this moment we can enjoy and rejoice. 

There is still so much work ahead of us with the persistent threat of monarch butterfly loss. For the people in the City of Goleta, there is a masterplan to rework the grove with the surrounding park and coastal access. The grove will be a mix of eucalyptus trees as well as native trees with more native and nectar plants.

For your home, should you feel inclined to get involved and help the monarchs, here are some ways you can help:https://xerces.org/blog/top-5-ways-californians-can-help-western-monarchs

Ellwood Butterfly Grove Website: City of Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove