On a cool morning at the grove off Dolliver Street, the monarchs hang in tight clusters high in the eucalyptus. Until your eyes adjust, they look like clumps of dry leaves. Once the sun reaches the grove, usually by late morning, they open their wings and drift through the trees.
The clusters usually build through mid-to-late November, the same weeks Pismo Beach and Shell Beach hold their holiday events. The Xerces Society's mid-season count is scheduled for November 14 through December 6. That's the same Sunday that Art in the Park fills Dinosaur Caves Park. Every holiday date between now and then can double as a grove visit.
A stronger start than last fall, on a much smaller scale
Volunteers with the Xerces Society's Western Monarch Count counted 365 monarchs at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove on October 27, 2026. Last year's early-season survey found 235. Statewide, early counts found nearly 5,000 monarchs at more than 190 sites. Experience Pismo Beach says that puts this winter on track to match last season's statewide total of 6,113.
Pismo's long count history puts that 365 in perspective. The grove's historical count table, credited to Cal Poly professor Dennis Frey, begins with a peak of 230,000 in the 1990–91 season. The more recent peaks show how quickly the numbers fell:
| Season | Peak count at the Pismo grove |
|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 24,128 |
| 2023–24 | 16,347, on December 13, 2023 |
| 2024–25 | 556 |
| 2025–26 | 471, as of November 22, 2025 |
Last season's highest posted number came on November 22, and the 2023–24 peak came on December 13. The grove's own season update says clusters usually build through mid-to-late November as temperatures drop and the last migrants reach the coast. It puts the best viewing from late November through January. Results from the current mid-season count will be posted on the grove page, and final verified numbers come out in January.
The hour that matters at the grove
Time of day matters more than the date. Clusters are tightest and hardest to pick out in the cool morning. The best chance of seeing butterflies in flight is on a sunny day between late morning and early afternoon. Most of the holiday events below start or run during those same hours, so they're easy to pair with a grove stop.
A few details make a midday visit easier:
- Monarch Mercantile: The Central Coast State Parks Association runs this trailer. It's open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during peak season, and purchases support education and conservation work.
- Docent talks: Talks are held on weekends at noon during peak season, depending on docent availability and weather.
- Telescopes: These are usually set up for a closer look at clusters high in the trees. Binoculars help too.
- Parking: Park along Highway 1 at 400 S. Dolliver St. Parking inside the North Beach Campground is not allowed. Entry is free, and the main trail is flat.
Weekend noon talks line up with three of the four event dates below. The fourth event is Friday evening, so a grove stop that day happens hours before it starts.
Four dates, in order
Saturday, November 21: arrive on foot, then shop the lawn
California State Parks docents are leading the Grand Dune Trail to Butterfly Grove hike from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The group meets at 9 a.m. in the plaza and restroom area by Fin's Restaurant, 25 W. Grand Ave. in Grover Beach. It then walks the foredune habitat and shoreline down to the grove. The State Parks listing describes a moderate 3.8-mile walk of about 3.5 hours, partly in soft sand. All ages are welcome, and an RSVP is required at 805-474-2664.
The timing works in hikers' favor. A 9 a.m. start from Grover Beach reaches the grove around the time the sun begins to warm it.
That same afternoon, Shell Beach has the 4th Annual Dolphin Bay Holiday Cheer Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the oceanfront lawn at Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa. It's free and open to the public, with holiday shopping, Santa and festive drinks. It runs until 3 p.m., so hikers have time to make it after the walk.
Saturday, November 28: downtown by day, grove at noon
The Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce hosts Christmas by the Sea Downtown, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with decorated storefronts through downtown Pismo Beach. The grove sits at the southern edge of town along Highway 1, a short drive or walk from downtown. If it's sunny, a noon stop at the grove fits between morning downtown and an afternoon back on Pomeroy Avenue. It also lines up with a weekend docent talk if docents are on hand.
This is also the first Saturday after the November 22 date when the grove posted last season's high.
Friday, December 4: the tree lighting at Pier Plaza
Holiday Harmony runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Pier Plaza, 100 Pomeroy Ave. The free evening includes snow, crafts, music, cookie decorating and Santa, and it builds up to the annual downtown tree lighting. By that hour the monarchs are back in their clusters, so this is the one date where the grove belongs earlier in the day, around midday.
Bare Bones, the chef-and-sommelier-led restaurant at 361 Pomeroy Ave., is a few blocks up the same street from the plaza. In its October roundup, The San Luis Obispo Tribune listed it as open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 6: Shell Beach, and the last day of the count window
Art in the Park Shell Beach brings 50-plus local artisans, food, live music and family activities to Dinosaur Caves Park, 2701 Price St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's the last scheduled date of the Xerces mid-season count window, which runs from November 14. The Sunday noon docent talk at the grove falls during the art show's hours, so it works as a midday break from the park.
Price Street is the route between the grove side of town and Dinosaur Caves. It's also where the Five Cities Project is building a retaining wall about 1,200 feet long, so the U.S. 101 third lane can go in without disturbing a culturally sensitive rock formation in the median. SLOCOG's project updates said narrowed lanes and barriers would be in place along Price Street, with two travel lanes kept open. Caltrans lists the project's completion as fall 2028. Allow a little extra time on Price Street for the art show.
Being a good neighbor to the clusters
The monarchs overwintering in the grove are living on stored energy, and every disturbance uses some of it. Staying on the marked path protects the roots and low branches, and keeping voices low near the clusters helps too. Throughout the grove, signs with QR codes link to free educational videos from the Oceano Dunes District. They're a good option for kids who'd rather watch first and look up second.
After December 6, clusters often hold into January and sometimes February if the weather cooperates. The mid-season results posted on the grove page will show what the population looks like after the holiday weekends.
Concierge Realty is based in Nipomo and serves Pismo Beach and Shell Beach. If you'd like to talk about life in Pismo or Shell Beach, from the grove to the tree lighting at Pier Plaza, Concierge Realty is glad to share what we know. Start Your Concierge Consultation.
