Natural Bridges State Park

A state park at the western end of West Cliff Drive, notable for its remaining natural sandstone arch offshore, its tidepools, and its outstanding monarch butterfly overwintering colony. From October through February, thousands of monarch butterflies cluster in the eucalyptus grove behind the beach, hanging in dense orange and black masses from the branches. At peak season the grove can hold 100,000 butterflies.

The tidepool area at the park's western beach exposes large, accessible pools at low tide, with sea stars, anemones, hermit crabs, and nudibranchs visible without equipment. The ranger-led tidepool tours are excellent and free. The park beach itself is good for swimming on calm days, and the trail from the beach connects to West Cliff Drive's coastal path heading east toward the Boardwalk.

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A story
The park's name came from three natural sandstone arches that stood offshore; two collapsed in the 20th century and only one remains. The single surviving arch has become something of an accidental metaphor for the fragility of the coastal landscape — photographs from the 1880s show three arches; each decade brought one closer to collapse, until only one stands and that one is visibly eroding. The erosion timeline is posted in the park visitor centre.