Butterflies of New York with Kids: A Nature Explorer Guide (+ Free Map)

New York's butterflies reflect the state's extraordinary geographic diversity — from the Karner Blue butterfly of the Albany Pine Bush, one of the rarest and most endangered butterflies in North America, to the Monarch streaming south past Fire Island each September, to the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail soaring through the gorges of the Finger Lakes and along the waterfalls of the Catskills. Over 150 butterfly species have been recorded in New York. For families who explore New York's remarkable natural areas with a butterfly guide and a curious eye, the state offers butterfly experiences that range from world-class rarity to abundant everyday beauty.

Engage your kids in outdoor exploration with Nature Explorer Club's Butterflies of New York Activity Book.

Best Spots for Butterflies in New York

We mapped the best butterfly locations in New York so you can plan your adventure before you go.

1. Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Albany — One of the most ecologically significant butterfly destinations in eastern North America — a rare inland pitch pine barrens ecosystem preserved within the Albany metropolitan area that is the last stronghold of the Karner Blue butterfly in New York. The preserve's management — including prescribed burning that maintains the open pine barrens habitat the Karner Blue requires — is one of the most successful butterfly conservation programs in the country. Eastern Pine Elfin, Wild Indigo Duskywing, and other pine barrens specialists are found here alongside the remarkable Karner Blue.

2. Teatown Lake Reservation, Ossining — A beautiful nature preserve in Westchester County with excellent butterfly viewing in its meadows, woodland edges, and lakeside habitats. Monarch, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Painted Lady are all reliably found here in season. The nature center's educational programs for families are outstanding. One of the finest family butterfly destinations accessible from New York City.

3. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz — A stunning 8,000-acre nature preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains with outstanding butterfly viewing in its cliff-top meadows, forest edges, and rocky habitats. The unique geology of the Shawangunk Ridge — white quartz conglomerate that creates specific plant communities — supports butterfly species that are rarely found elsewhere in the Hudson Valley. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails soar along the cliff edges. Aphrodite Fritillaries find their violet host plants in the meadow clearings.

4. Lime Hollow Nature Center, Cortland — A beautiful nature center in central New York with outstanding native plant gardens and woodland trails that are excellent for butterfly viewing. Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, and Painted Ladies are all reliably found in the gardens in season. The center's educational programs for families make this one of the finest family butterfly education destinations in central New York.

5. Innisfree Garden, Millbrook — A magnificent 150-acre garden in Dutchess County — one of the most beautiful gardens in the United States — with outstanding butterfly viewing in its wildflower meadows and garden plantings. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Monarchs, and Painted Ladies are all reliably found throughout the summer. The garden's extraordinary beauty makes butterfly watching here feel like an event in itself.

6. Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, Wellesley Island — A beautiful nature center in the Thousand Islands region with excellent butterfly viewing in its meadows and woodland habitats along the St. Lawrence River. The diverse habitats of the Thousand Islands create conditions for butterfly species from both the northeast forest and the northern grassland communities. One of the finest family butterfly destinations in northern New York.

7. Cornell Botanical Gardens, Ithaca — A beautiful botanical garden operated by Cornell University with outstanding native plant collections and butterfly gardens that support excellent butterfly diversity throughout the summer. The garden's educational exhibits explain butterfly life cycles, host plant relationships, and conservation — making this one of the finest combined botanical and butterfly education destinations in New York. The proximity to Cayuga Lake and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology makes Ithaca one of the finest family nature destinations in the state.

8. Adirondack Interpretive Center, Newcomb — A beautiful interpretive center in the heart of the Adirondacks with excellent butterfly viewing in its meadows and bog edges. The Adirondack butterfly community is distinct from the rest of New York — northern and boreal species found nowhere else in the state breed in the Adirondack forests and bogs. The interpretive center's trails give families outstanding access to Adirondack butterfly habitats in a beautiful wilderness setting.

9. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar — New York's premier environmental education center near Albany with outstanding butterfly viewing in its varied habitats. The center's native plant meadow is outstanding for Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, and Painted Ladies in summer. The proximity to the Albany Pine Bush means that some of the pine barrens specialists occasionally appear in the center's habitats. Educational programs for families are excellent.

10. Sweetbriar Nature Center, Smithtown — A beautiful nature center on Long Island with outstanding butterfly viewing in its meadows and woodland habitats. Long Island's position at the southern end of New York gives it access to some butterfly species not regularly found elsewhere in the state. Monarchs are particularly well represented during fall migration — the Long Island coastline is a significant concentration point for southbound Monarchs in September.

Engage your kids!

Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Butterflies of New York Activity Book is a  nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a butterfly tracker, fun facts about each species, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.

For the full experience with 12 top butterflies to find, tracker and games, explore our Butterflies of New York Activity Book. Or get all five New York nature books together with the New York Nature Explorer Series.