Natural Bridges State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach is a 65-acre (26 ha) California state park in Santa Cruz, California, in the United States.
A beach inside Santa Cruz
You can stay in Santa Cruz
Natural Bridges State Beach is inside Santa Cruz, which has 66 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Francisco
San Francisco is about 60 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 63–72°. When to go ↓
Established in 1933
Natural Bridges State Beach dates from 1933. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Santa Cruz. Green months are the mild ones.
Natural Bridges State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach is a 65-acre (26 ha) California state park in Santa Cruz, California, in the United States. The park features a natural bridge across a section of the beach and a eucalyptus grove provides habitat for monarch butterflies. During monarch butterfly migration, Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve has up to 150,000 monarch butterflies from October through early February.
- Type
- Beach
- Established
- 1933
- Wikipedia readers
- 7.3K a year
Where to stay near Natural Bridges State Beach
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Santa Cruz (66) and San Jose (133).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Natural Bridges State Beach | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | in town | — | 66 37 hotels · 9 motels · 15 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 61,797 | $1,209K | D |
| San Jose | 27 mi northeast | 40 min | 133 95 hotels · 19 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds · 4 RV parks | 989,814 | $1,233K | D |
| Twin Lakes | 4 mi east | 5 min | 8 4 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 5,073 | $959K | — |
| Capitola | 6 mi east | 10 min | 9 6 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 9,340 | $783K | C− |
| Scotts Valley | 8 mi north | 10 min | 9 6 hotels · 3 campgrounds | 11,652 | $1,106K | C+ |
| Monterey | 26 mi south | 40 min | 87 56 hotels · 14 motels · 11 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 28,953 | $1,076K | C− |
| Felton | 6 mi north | 10 min | 5 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 4,093 | $901K | — |
| Soquel | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 5 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds | 10,679 | $957K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Natural Bridges State Beach
Other well-known places within 64 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw64 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw31 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
12 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Big draw58 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw59 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
225 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
Big draw60 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkPhoto credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Visiting Natural Bridges State Beach
Is Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz?
Yes. It’s inside Santa Cruz, CA.
When is the best time to visit Natural Bridges State Beach?
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 63–72°.
How far is Natural Bridges State Beach from Oakland and San Francisco?
About 57 miles north of Oakland and about 60 miles north of San Francisco, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Natural Bridges State Beach?
Monterey Regional (MRY), about 28 miles away. The nearest big hub is Mineta San Jose (SJC), about 29 miles.
Where should I stay near Natural Bridges State Beach?
Santa Cruz (in town, 66 places to stay), San Jose (27 mi, 133 places to stay) and Twin Lakes (4 mi, 8 places to stay).
Tips from people in Santa Cruz
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Santa Cruz’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.