This town on CA’s Central Coast is one of the best places to visit in 2025
Dreaming of the perfect weekend trip in California? A small town on the Central Coast is the ideal setting.
Smithsonian Magazine recently ranked Butterfly Town in Pacific Grove as one of the top 15 places to visit in 2025 in a June feature.
What makes the tiny coastal town so special?
Why Pacific Grove makes the perfect California weekend trip this fall?
While only about 14,757 people live there, the town hosts thousands of monarch butterflies each fall as they flee cooler climates across the country for the “southern edge of the picturesque Monterey Bay,” the magazine said.
“Pacific Grove is home to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, one of the largest overwintering sites of monarch butterflies in the region,” the magazine said. “Here, large masses of monarch butterflies cluster together on stands of pine, cypress and eucalyptus trees to protect themselves from the elements, forming an incredible display of natural art. Staffed with knowledgeable docents, this nature preserve is open year-round and free to enter, but the best time to visit is between October and February, when its winged occupants are here in droves.”
Beyond that, the city is also known for “its incredible geographic attributes, including a curving coastline, Pacific views, and attractions like Asilomar State Beach, a narrow, one-mile-long sandy strip brimming with rocky coves and sea creature-filled tide pools,” the magazine said. “Kayak among kelp forests and lounging sea otters, bicycle along the 18-mile-long Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, or go for a swim in the waters of Lovers Point Park.”
For museum lovers or those looking for some family-oriented fun, “the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History offers families an in-depth look at the changing landscapes of Monterey County, while the Point Pinos Lighthouse has been flashing its beacon as a Coast Guard navigational aid since 1855, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast,” the magazine wrote. The lighthouse is open for afternoon visits Thursday through Monday.
Butterfly Town also has lots of dining options, from Julia’s, “the best vegetarian restaurant Monterey Peninsula,” to seafood at Passionfish, “and Spotted Duck for local, seasonal cuisine served bistro-style.”
Plus, there’s a four-story hotel scheduled to open in late 2025 that offers “sweeping bay views, complimentary bicycles and in-room yoga mats, and a laid-back neighborhood vibe,” the magazine wrote. The Kimpton Pacific Grove Hotel hopes to be open for the 2026 season.
Smithsonian Magazine’s ‘The Best 15 Small Towns to Visit in 2025’
Other towns worth visiting this year, according to Smithsonian:
- See the wild ponies swim in Chincoteague, Virginia
- Enjoy a craft festival in Berea, Kentucky
- Immerse yourself in the world of “Jaws” in Edgartown, Massachusetts
- Chow down on some barbecue in Lockhart, Texas
- Learn some Revolutionary War history in Ticonderoga, New York
- Soak up Southern Gothic literary culture in Milledgeville, Georgia
- Bask in the great outdoors in Breckenridge, Colorado
- Celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Tieton, Washington
- Reconnect with Bruce Springsteen’s musical legacy in Asbury Park, New Jersey
- Pretend you’re on a radio quiz show in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
- Become a Gilmore Girl for the day in Washington, Connecticut
- Learn Civil War history in Vicksburg, Mississippi
- See the bridges from “The Bridges of Madison County” in Winterset, Iowa
- Drive through forests, alpine lakes and towering peaks in Red Lodge, Montana
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "This town on CA’s Central Coast is one of the best places to visit in 2025."
