We enjoyed a day away at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz. It’s about a 2 and a half hour drive from Elk Grove. Parking is $10 but you can park on the street and walk down. Parking is easier because it’s near the bathrooms and not as hard of a walk. If you park on the street you have to walk down a big sand hill.
The beach is beautiful but not that big of a beach. There are tide pools full of crabs, sea urchins and star fish. We had so much fun searching each tide pool for new creatures. You just have to keep an eye on the waves and tide because they can get high.
Monarch butterflies migrate here from Mexico every year. You can see them mid October to beginning of December. You walk down to a eucalyptus grove full of trees where the butterflies hang in bunches.
The beach boardwalk and pier with sea lions is not far from this beach. If you really want to make a day of it those are also fun to see.
Elk Grove Families 