- Town: Santa Cruz
- Best for: Tidepools, Families, Sunset
- Parking: State Park Lot, Small day-use fee, fills early on weekends. The small top lot is free, fills quickly.
- Dogs: Only allowed in parking areas on-leash. Not allowed on beach or trails.
- Tides: Tidepools are best within an hour of low tide. Please be careful and kind to wildlife. Check tidepool schedule before going.
- Water Temp (generally): Cold year-round, upper 50s F.
Natural Bridges at the west end of Santa Cruz is one of the few local beaches that still has an rock arch you can actually walk out to see. At low tide the rocky shelf on the north side turns into a working tidepool system — anemones, hermit crabs, the occasional sea star — and it’s one of the more reliable spots on this stretch of coast to actually find them rather than just hear that they exist. Come October through February, the eucalyptus grove just above the beach fills with overwintering monarch butterflies, which draws its own separate crowd. Go early if you want actual parking and an actual tidepool to yourself.