Written by Candy B Harrington, Emerging Horizons, February 23, 2022
Let’s face it, it’s been a long brutal winter. And there’s no better harbinger of spring than butterflies — more specially Monarch butterflies as they emerge from hibernation along the Northern California coast. After spending several months clumped together in clusters in eucalyptus trees, these migratory Monarchs become more active as they fly around, mate, and prepare for their flights inland to lay their eggs.
And although the overwintering Monarch population reached an all time low in 2021, recent counts indicate that it has increased significantly in 2022. So check out these three accessible Northern California Monarch sites this month, and enjoy a colorful taste of spring. But don’t tarry, as these winter visitors will be long gone by the end of March.
There’s no better place to catch a glimpse of the migratory Monarchs than at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary (https://www.pgmuseum.org/monarch-viewing/) in Pacific Grove. One of the latest counts tallied nearly 14,000 Monarchs at this site, which is a huge uptick from last year.
This popular Monarch stopover is located off of Lighthouse Avenue, just south of the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course. Keep an eye out for the Butterfly Grove Inn, then turn south on Ridge Road. A white picket fence marks the path to the grove, but accessible parking is located further down Ridge Road on the left. From there; it’s a level roll up the street to the sanctuary entrance.
A .15-mile hard-packed dirt path leads through the grove and dead-ends in the adjacent neighborhood. There is an accessible porta-potty near the end of the path; and although the trail has level spots every 20-30 feet, some manual wheelchair-users may require assistance up the slight grade on the return trip.
