Pacific Grove Monarch
Conservancy :: Finding the Monarchs
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.
When to visit
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.
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.
