Posted: Tuesday, Nov 7th, 2017
Thousands of monarch butterflies winter in Ventura. You can find them at Camino Real Park.
by Visit Ventura
I’d always appreciated the colors and elegance of monarch butterflies fluttering between trees but I’d never had the opportunity to witness a kaleidoscope of monarch butterflies clustered on groves of native trees until last week, when I visited one of their popular wintering spots for myself. Western monarchs are found from the California coast to the Rocky Mountains and as far north as Washington state throughout their unusual and amazing migration. Monarchs only weigh about as much as a paper clip and travel up to 3,000 miles each year, returning to small sites along the California coast where they spend the winter months. Ventura’s Camino Real Park is fortunate to be one of these sites. Monarch butterflies typically show up in October (though this is weather dependent) and can be seen skipping among the Eucalyptus trees at the park. I made my way over and frequent visitors pointed me in the direction of a fence along the edge of the park where there is a barranca lined with Eucalyptus trees and what my rookie eyes initially mistook for dead leaves. As I got closer, I realized they weren’t dead leaves at all but thousands of monarch butterflies covering branches and leaves and forming huge clusters!

Discover More
Get to know Ventura, and discover the best things to do around the city.
Articles
Family Fun Seeker Itinerary Builder: Places to Go, Things to Do, Events and City Parks
Articles
Ventura Surf Star Drops in on the Big Apple
Articles
10 Reasons Ventura is the Best Town in Southern California
Articles
Ventura’s Heroes, Kindness, and a Conversation with Skateboarder Curren Caples
Articles
Ventura is Southern California’s Most Underrated Beach Town
Articles
FARMERS MARKET BOUNTY
Ventura Partners With








