Welcome to the City of Goleta's Monarch Butterfly website, where you can find all the info you need to make your visit to the grove.
Location
The Goleta Butterfly Grove (Ellwood Main) is in the Sperling Preserve on the Ellwood Mesa in Goleta, CA. Free parking is available. GPS: 34.429018, -119.897017. Get directions.
Status
Monarchs are usually found in Goleta from mid-November through mid-February and our docents are available on weekends from 11am-2pm during these months. Plan your trip.
The History
The area and the monarch site are named after Ellwood Cooper, who settled with his family here in 1870. Cooper grew olives, walnuts, grapes, almonds, oranges, lemons and Japanese persimmons on his large ranch. This created a very favorable setting for the yearly visitation of monarchs to our area. Find more information here.
Weather
During the cool early mornings, you can see the largest amount of butterflies. However they are most active on warm afternoon. Check our weather icon at the bottom of the page to see what today’s weather is.
