Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, CA on a November morning.
Good for weddings, proposals, families, engagements.
Variety of locations. Permit required.
Santa Cruz, CA. Natural Bridges is unique for two reasons. It boasts the very photogenic natural arch that sits just off the beach and is also famous for harboring monarch butterflies in the winter. If you time it right, you can propose to your loved one on the beach and then stroll through the monarch forest of eucalyptus trees. The best time of year to see them is October-November before they fly south to Mexico for the winter.
A monarch butterfly catching some sun.
Moncarchs resting in the eucalyptus forest.
Natural Bridges is located West of Santa Cruz easily accessed by Highway 1. It’s a very popular destination and there is signage directing you as you drive there. Expect to pay $10 to park. This is a very accessible beach and the boardwalks in the monarch forest are also well maintained. If anyone in your party has mobility needs they will not find it hard to navigate. State Parks also offers the use of beach wheelchairs. If anyone in your group has this need you can reserve one here.
There are two parking lots at Natural Bridges. There’s a smaller one just before you go through the gates and a much larger one down the road. Do not be deceived by the first parking lot as there is no beach access from there. If you’re going to spend time there make sure you pay the $10 fee to park. There are bathrooms, a visitor’s center, picnic tables, everything you want to make it a day at the beach. You’ll find the picnic and restroom area between the beach and the visitor’s center and butterfly boardwalk.
Picnic tables above the beach.
The path from the main parking lot to the beach.
For a proposal photo I would suggest doing it on the beach in front of the natural arch as that is the famous landmark. This can be difficult, however, because it’s a very popular beach and you might have to wait a while to have some space to yourself. I would also highly suggest walking the boardwalks in the monarch grove. Even without the butterflies present this is a very nice short walk through the eucalyptus.
Butterfly boardwalk.
The butterfly boardwalk is very easy to navigate and is perfect for families to explore the forest and discover the monarchs during their short winter stay. Overall, this is a fantastic spot on the coast to host your photography session with High Orbit Media as you can get beach photos and photos in the forest in the same session!
Once you are done at the beach you can go spend the day in Santa Cruz. As you leave Natural Bridges I would recommend taking West Cliff Drive for beautiful views of Monterey Bay as you drive into town.
Because Natural Bridges is a State Beach it does require a permit for us to shoot there and adds $75 on top of the cost of your session. Please make sure to give High Orbit Media at least 5 days notice to gain the proper permit.
If you’d like to visit the official website for Natural Bridges click here.
Thanks for reading!
John Ruddock is a professional photographer based in Salinas, CA. John grew up on the coast in Half Moon Bay and has spent over 30 years on the beautiful California Central Coast. He photographs weddings, engagements, families, sports, and landscapes from Half Moon Bay to Big Sur. Contact him today to book your session!
