Maryland has a state butterfly worth going out to find. The Baltimore checkerspot is black with orange and white checks, named — like the oriole — for Lord Baltimore's colors, and its caterpillars spend the entire winter huddled together inside a nest of leaves before emerging in spring. It depends on a wetland plant called turtlehead, so it turns up only where the right habitat survives. Around it fly the more familiar cast: eastern tiger swallowtails patrolling wooded creeks, eastern tailed blues no bigger than a dime with ants standing guard over their caterpillars, and monarchs moving down the Chesapeake and the coast each autumn.
This guide maps the best spots to find butterflies in Maryland with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Butterflies of Maryland Activity Book to track every discovery your family makes.
Best Spots for Butterfly Watching in Maryland
We mapped the best butterfly watching locations in Maryland so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Catoctin Wildlife Preserve, Thurmont — Mountain clearings and forest edges in the Catoctins, good for high-ground species.
- Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore — A city arboretum with formal gardens and meadow — easy walking and reliable numbers.
- Gunpowder Falls State Park, Middle River — A long river corridor with sunny meadows and damp gravel where swallowtails puddle.
- Black Hill Regional Park, Boyds — Lakeside meadows and trails with strong midsummer nectar.
- Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg — Stream valley meadows and woodland openings west of the city.
- Brookside Gardens, Wheaton — A public garden with a seasonal live butterfly exhibit — the easiest introduction for young children.
- Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel — Research refuge with managed meadows and a visitor center.
- Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Lothian — Tidal freshwater marsh on the Patuxent, one of the best places for wetland species.
- Mattawoman Creek — A rich tidal creek system in southern Maryland with varied habitat.
- Assateague Island National Seashore — Dune and marsh where migrating monarchs stage in autumn.
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Make the Adventure Real The Butterflies of Maryland Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full MD Set |
Family Tips for Butterfly Watching in Maryland
- Go mid-morning on a warm, still day. Butterflies need sun to warm their flight muscles and are grounded by wind. Late morning, once the dew has burned off, is the sweet spot.
- Start at Brookside Gardens. The seasonal butterfly exhibit puts children within inches of live butterflies, which builds interest far faster than a first attempt at finding them in an open meadow.
- Look for turtlehead to find Baltimore checkerspots. Their caterpillars depend on it, so wet meadows with turtlehead are the places to search. It is a clear example of one butterfly relying on one plant.
- Watch monarchs at Assateague in September. Coastal points concentrate migrating monarchs, so families can see many at once rather than one at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Butterflies of Maryland with Kids
What is the state butterfly of Maryland?
The Baltimore checkerspot, adopted in 1973. It is black with orange and white checked markings — Lord Baltimore's colors, the same reason the oriole carries the name. Its caterpillars overwinter together in a communal nest of leaves, then emerge in spring to finish growing.
Where is the best place to see butterflies in Maryland with kids?
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton has a seasonal live butterfly exhibit and is the easiest starting point. Cylburn Arboretum is excellent in Baltimore, and Jug Bay is the best bet for wetland species.
When is the best time to see butterflies in Maryland?
The season runs from April into October, with the widest variety in July and August. Baltimore checkerspots emerge in late June and early July, and monarchs move through in September and October.
Why is the Baltimore checkerspot hard to find?
It depends almost entirely on turtlehead, a plant of wet meadows and stream edges. As wetlands have been drained or developed, the butterfly has disappeared from many places it once lived — so the sites that still hold it are genuinely worth protecting.
What makes Maryland butterfly watching special?
A small state with mountain, piedmont, tidal marsh, and barrier island habitats. Families can find Appalachian species in the Catoctins and coastal migrants at Assateague, plus a state butterfly that many people never see.
Turn Your Maryland Adventure Into a Real Butterfly Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Butterflies of Maryland Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a butterfly tracker, fun facts about each species, butterfly category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Maryland nature books together — the Maryland Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Maryland activity books.
Also exploring Maryland's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of Maryland with Kids, Wildflowers of Maryland with Kids, and Leaves of Maryland with Kids.
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