Utah's dramatic range of elevations — from desert valleys to alpine meadows above 10,000 feet — makes it a wonderful butterfly state. Western Tiger Swallowtails sail along the cottonwood-lined creeks of the Wasatch canyons, Great Spangled Fritillaries glide over mountain wildflower meadows, and Painted Ladies sometimes migrate through in spectacular numbers. From the gardens of Salt Lake City to the high meadows of Cedar Breaks, families can find a rich variety of butterflies across the seasons.
This guide maps the best spots to find butterflies in Utah with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Butterflies of Utah Activity Book to track every butterfly your family discovers.
Best Spots for Butterflies in Utah
We mapped the best butterfly locations in Utah so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City — Utah's premier botanical garden, whose flower borders and natural areas draw a wonderful variety of butterflies along easy family paths.
- Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt Lake City — A family museum with nature exhibits and seasonal programs, a great rainy-day pairing with nearby Red Butte Garden.
- Antelope Island State Park — A Great Salt Lake island whose wildflower-dotted grasslands draw butterflies alongside its famous bison.
- Big Cottonwood Canyon — A Wasatch canyon whose creekside meadows and wildflowers host swallowtails and fritillaries through the warm months.
- Little Cottonwood Canyon — A dramatic granite canyon near Salt Lake City with alpine wildflower meadows alive with mountain butterflies in summer.
- Millcreek Canyon — A close-to-the-city canyon with shaded creeks and sunny meadows, an easy butterfly outing for families.
- Zion National Park — A red-rock park whose river corridor and hanging gardens draw butterflies in a spectacular setting.
- Capitol Reef National Park — A red-rock park whose historic orchards and river draw butterflies amid the desert.
- Wasatch Mountain State Park, Midway — A mountain park of meadows and aspen whose summer wildflowers attract a fine variety of butterflies.
- Cedar Breaks National Monument — A high-elevation amphitheater famous for its summer wildflower bloom, which draws alpine butterflies in July and August.
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Make the Adventure Real The Butterflies of Utah 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 UT Set |
Family Tips for Butterfly Watching in Utah
- Start at Red Butte Garden. The flower borders make for easy, reliable butterfly watching, and it's a relaxed introduction for young explorers.
- Visit the high country in July and August. Cedar Breaks and the Wasatch canyons burst into wildflower bloom in mid-summer, drawing mountain butterflies at their peak.
- Plant native flowers and milkweed at home. Milkweed feeds Monarch caterpillars, and native penstemon and rabbitbrush bring butterflies to a Utah garden.
- Download the iNaturalist app. Snap a photo for an instant ID — a fun way for kids to learn species and contribute to real science.
Frequently Asked Questions: Butterflies of Utah with Kids
Does Utah have a state butterfly?
Utah does not have an official state butterfly or insect, but the Western Tiger Swallowtail and the Monarch are among its most beloved and recognizable butterflies. The big yellow-and-black Western Tiger Swallowtail is a common sight along Utah's creeks and canyons in summer.
Where can families see lots of butterflies in Utah?
Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City is the easiest and most reliable spot, with flower borders that draw many species. For mountain butterflies, the Cottonwood Canyons and the summer wildflower bloom at Cedar Breaks National Monument are outstanding.
When is the best time for butterfly watching in Utah?
Summer is the peak, especially July and August when the high-country wildflowers bloom. Lower elevations and gardens have butterflies from spring through fall. In some years, Painted Ladies migrate through Utah in remarkable numbers.
What is the largest butterfly in Utah?
The Western Tiger Swallowtail is among Utah's largest and most striking butterflies — bright yellow with black tiger stripes and a wingspan up to four inches. It's commonly seen gliding along streams and canyons, where its caterpillars feed on willows and cottonwoods.
How can families attract butterflies to their Utah garden?
Plant native nectar flowers like penstemon, rabbitbrush, and aster, and add host plants such as milkweed for Monarchs. Provide a sunny, sheltered spot with water, avoid pesticides, and butterflies will visit through the warm months.
Turn Your Utah Adventure Into a Real Butterfly Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Butterflies of Utah 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 the Utah nature books together — the Utah Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Utah activity books.
Also exploring Utah's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of Utah with Kids, Wildflowers of Utah with Kids, and Leaves of Utah with Kids.
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