A great park and hiking area with multiple trails. The Butterfly grove is easily accessible and has lush flora and trees. A great place to visit if in Goleta or near Santa Barbara and there were a few butterflies in the grove even in the early September heat.

Tons of different paths to take, breath-taking views in all directions. The beach is stunning and there are so many little places to explore. I imagine the Butterfly Grove is crazy busy during butterfly season but we only saw a few. Will be back to visit.

Great open space for anyone to run, bike, hike or just walk the trails. Its amazing that the beach is right on the other side as well. I like that there are many entrances & exits and many different trails to explore for return visits. My 4yr old cant stay away.

This park is beautiful the trails lead you throughout all the groves you have to see it all! The bonus is finding the beautiful trees near the cliff its breathtaking! Find the trail down to the beach! Near the golf course.

A nice little hike. I was able to witness the most beautiful sunset over looking the ocean

Great for an easy day or evening stroll, very peaceful

This was a place I discovered by accident. Its a nice short hike to the beach.

Lived 3 blocks from here in the 80s 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 will see today

We went there to see the butterflies but sadly they were gone already. The place is beautiful so we ended up biking it with my wife and kids. Turns out to be one of the best trails for my wife and kids. We will definitely comeback again.

Ssd to see what the drought had done to the eucalyptus trees. Fewer and fewer butterflies each year. Climate change is Real.

Beautiful walking area and trails. We saw a couple butterflies for it to be considered in season it was a low turnout but still a pleasant area to hike. I suggest parking in the neighborhoods and then catching one of the trails from there.

The trees are beautiful, but we only saw one Monarch when we were there. 97% of the Monarch butterfly population is down since the 80s. The fact there is very little monarch in the Monarch Grove should be a wake up call. Perhaps the warmer it is the more Monarchs, but in Feb., we saw only one.

Only saw one active butterfly... the rest were sleeping... you can see bunches of them in one of the pics but you have to look real close. They look like leaves.

I love this place to much

They lied to me theres no butterflies till February but I got to see this yellow thing people called a mushroom

Gorgeous place with beautiful hikes

Nice place for exercise, with family. Walk the dog, bike or swing at the beach.

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 sight imaginable.

Nice park right next to SB shores county park. Not really a hike, more of a stroll

A beautiful walk and if you are visiting Cubs then it is a must see

This place is beautiful. I think I spent about an hour and a half on a hike. You are supposed to stay on the trails and keep out of the ravine but in some areas you can go off trail to explore. The main trail begins at the parking lot entrance on Hollister and then it breaks off in several directions. Ultimately you end up at the beach. If you really want to try to hike all the available trails it might take several hours. Totally worth it.

Peaceful nature. Other hikers to be expected

Great escape in Goleta. Lots of trails for hiking, running and biking. Great ocean views close by.

The eucalyptus Forest is dying so it is hard to walk through there without noticing the devastation. Not nearly as many butterflies as there used to be.

It was closed. Because all tree dry out and some tree died and fell down... I m so upset

Quaint eucalyptus forest (when monarchs are not present) with classic Santa Barbara trails. Very fun place in the rain. Although trails get quite flooded so be ready for creek crossings.

Dive in to the nature... that all i can say...

Dry trees are dying of the drought

A simple beautiful hike. easy one can do to relax out on a weekend

Beautiful place to take a nice walk. Gorgeous view. We love the beach.

A truly beautiful preserve. Dont see butterflies often, but I still come multiple times a month just to enjoy the beauty of the untouched coast

Not alot of butterflies this time of year but was fun to walk thru the forest.

Breath taking views of the Santa Barbara coast, great paths for walking, running, cycling, and even the dog!

Beautiful place to walk and relax. Great views and definitely a locals favorite place to visit.

Definitely go a little after November to see the butterflies in mating season. It’s incredible!

Very cool area, nice walk to the beach.

Fallen tress have destroyed the beautiful Grove.

I love coming here early in the morning to walk my dog! It is very peaceful and you often get to glimpse some local wildlife, like rabbits, and plenty of birds. During certain seasons, you can also come and see the masses of monarch butterflies that come to winter with us, although climate changes and severe weather has been taking a toll on them. Its great for a light trail hike for a family outing!

Great trail to watch the sunrise.

Very pretty even if there are no butterflys. Go there from December to February to catch the butterfly migration. Go there soon after it rains to see a fairy wonderland

Great place to go hiking along the cliffs or get to the beach (requires a hike). I wouldnt call this Butterfly Grove however as that is a long hike to get to from here. There is easier access down a neighborhood street if that is what you are going to see. Overall a great place to get out for an hour or so. If you hike straight to the cliffs and back it is a 1 mile round trip.

It’s a beautiful place, but is now closed indefinitely due to dead and dying trees.

This is my backyard for many years and I love it!!

Nice place. Beautiful scenery peaceful

The reserve is currently officially closed so visitors are not supposed to go there because the trails are dangerous. Eucalyptus trees have been dying & falling onto the trail. If you decide to go anyway the butterflies are still there in the winter although numbers are smaller. The problem is that since it is closed there are no docents, and some visitors with children and dogs are making a lot of noise, ignoring the signs that ask you to be silent.

Great place for a quick hike!

Cool place to grab a bite, watch a movie and get some shopping done. The parking and neighboring areas can have some traffic delays so plan accordingly. I recommend coming to see the Holiday Tree lighting .

Beautiful little nature walk! Definitely one of the prettiest areas out on the Ellwood bluffs. We saw quite a few Monarchs, although it seemed most of them were out enjoying the warm weather the day we visited.

Just you got to go on time to be amazed by monarch migration.This hike is grate experience in February when butterfly eggs are hatches and surrender area is full with yellow and purple flowers .Going toward ocean is a flat open area ideal for dog walkers and beach is just nice for walk and find the shells .

I hardly saw any butterflies and I went during the time period when butterflies were supposed to be most prevalent. It was a longer walk than I expected but we did end up with a great view of the ocean. I would go back for the ocean view rather than the butterflies.

Nice path to the beach. However, all paths through the forest are closed due to danger of falling trees; so no butterflies to be seen.

The monarchs are amazing creatures, they come January/February usually. Beautiful walk to the Eucalyptus Grove and beyond.

Beautiful place to visit and spend some time!However, portable toilet is neglected. Disgusting!

Great to walk through, paths end up @ the beach

No butterflies at the time of year I went but still a bike place to got to.

The butterflies fly all the way from Mexico, but they dont come anymore because President Trump put a travel ban on the immigrating beauties.

Beautiful. Forest, open fields, and beach.

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. Its 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 dont 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, its definitely worth it.Just a quick heads up: I did not see any restrooms in the parking lot area. Granted, I didnt really search for them, but Im 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 you need them.

Good for nice peaceful walk.

No butterflies but we did run into a cat but very pretty pretty place also not too far from the beach be a great hike and beach day

The views are worth the short walk!!!Don’t miss it!

Overrated fire hazzard

Beautiful walk, but no butterflies.

Beautiful..

Incredible nature. Butterflies everywhere.Trees so big for Southern California.

Very picturesque, but be careful there are danger signs saying it closed, cause the trees branches break and fall at random. It makes for a public hazard but I say just be Vigilant and observant of your surroundings and it shouldnt be a problem.

I did not see a single monarch butterfly yesterday.

Butterflies bluffs beaches wide open spaces

My family went during what was supposed to be peak butterfly season, but there were hardly any butterflies at all. A little disappointing, but the views and hike were pretty nice. The foot bridge is not very accessible for the handicapped or elderly. The only on-site facility is a porta-potty.

When you get to the center, focus your eyes on the horizon and youll see so much butterfly activity all over! The short hike down to the beach is also nice and worth doing.

Quiet and serene, with places to sit and enjoy your time with the monarchs.

A fantastic place to go and enjoy the pleasures of nature, especially during the monarch butterfly season.

We drove over an hour to see the butterflies. I think we only saw about ten in total, even though this is supposed to be peak season. I had an extremely disappointed three year old. What a bummer!

Might see one or two butterflies but thats it and watch out for the creepy tweakers that live down there

You have to walk a ways, South, and then East to get to the actual Grove. This is just the parking area. The people walking around are very friendly and you can ask anyone for directions and they will point you in the right direction. See Ellwood Butterfly Reserve for location

Beautiful trails. Loved walking around here.

Not too many butterflies today a storm came through and knocked most of the eucalyptus trees down and thats where they like to hang out

Absolutely beautiful...like stepping into a forest straight from a fairytale

Absolutely gorgeous

Nice easy walk to see butterflys, cant get better than that.

I was attacked and nearly torn to shreds by vicious monarch butterflies! Joking. Its a really nice park, great for walking.

Wonderful park for walking or stopping by the beach

An amazing place year after year! This year, I got engaged here :)

Nice nature walk, excellent when the butterflies are around!

Bruh there was literally only 5 butterflies

Easy short walk. I wish there were even more butterflies.

Nice hike, but easier access from neighborhood parking

Lots of dying eucalyptus, heavily traveled, poor monarchs. Maybe some TLC can save this grove. Hurry Goleta Hurry!

I love it!

Nice view

Serenity

Super gorgeous.

Beautiful

Wrong time of winter. The butterflies havent yet arrived. More importantly they have a tree illness that makes the trails (reportedly) unsafe. My previous visit was a seven, (out of five.)

Beautiful place for a walk

Its okay

No butterflies

There werent any butterflies but plenty of beautiful paths.

However it was closed when we went.

Needs more water.