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Natural Bridges State Beach

Santa Cruz County, California · United States

What have people found?

Pink volcano barnacle, opalescent nudibranch and pacific rock crab turn up here more than at our other tide pools. Ochre sea star, giant green anemone and sunburst anemone are the usual finds. ~15 distinct species have been recorded here. More has been recorded at Asilomar State Beach, 23.6 miles away.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

Predicted tide from Elkhorn Slough railroad bridge, 18 miles away.

See low tide times at Natural Bridges State Beach for the next three days
  1. Sun, Nov 157:54 AM3.4 ftin the dark9:16 PM0.4 ft
  2. Mon, Nov 169:11 AM3.3 ftin the dark10:04 PM0.6 ft
  3. Tue, Nov 1710:34 AM3.0 ftin the dark10:51 PM0.8 ft

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from March and June.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 350 feet away.
Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Tide pool safety
A tide pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The tidepooling code

What lives at Natural Bridges State Beach?

Species records from iNaturalist

Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus
Giant Green AnemoneAnthopleura xanthogrammica
Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura sola
Striped Shore CrabPachygrapsus crassipes
Pacific Purple Sea UrchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratus
Gooseneck BarnaclePollicipes polymerus
Aggregating AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima
Black TegulaTegula funebralis
Pink Volcano BarnacleTetraclita rubescens
Feather Boa KelpEgregia menziesii
California MusselMytilus californianus
Pacific Rock CrabRomaleon antennarium
Opalescent NudibranchHermissenda opalescens
Moonglow AnemoneAnthopleura artemisia
Northern Kelp CrabPugettia producta
Scan this tide pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.