Wyoming has a state butterfly most people have never heard of: Sheridan's green hairstreak, a small butterfly with vivid green undersides that emerges very early in spring in the sagebrush country. It is a fitting choice, because Wyoming's butterflies are mountain and high-desert specialists rather than garden regulars. The best watching is in the alpine meadows in July, when the snow has finally gone and everything blooms at once — fritillaries over the paintbrush and lupine in Grand Teton, checkerspots in the Bighorns, and swallowtails using hilltops as meeting points, a behavior called hilltopping where males gather on the highest ground to find mates.
This guide maps the best spots to find butterflies in Wyoming with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Butterflies of Wyoming Activity Book to track every discovery your family makes.
Best Spots for Butterfly Watching in Wyoming
We mapped the best butterfly watching locations in Wyoming so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Grand Teton National Park, Moose — Wildflower meadows below the peaks where fritillaries and swallowtails gather in July.
- Yellowstone National Park — Thermal-warmed meadows and river valleys full of mountain butterflies.
- Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Centennial — A high-elevation drive with roadside meadows and easy pull-offs.
- Medicine Bow National Forest, Laramie — Subalpine clearings with asters and paintbrush that feed checkerspots.
- Bighorn National Forest, Sheridan — High meadows and forest edges rich in summer wildflowers.
- Vedauwoo Recreation Area, Laramie — Sunny granite clearings where butterflies bask on warm rock — good for hilltopping swallowtails.
- Shoshone National Forest, Cody — The country's first national forest, with mountain trails and open parks.
- Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson — Vast backcountry meadows and streamsides across western Wyoming.
- Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark, Lovell — High-country grassland where small blues drift over the tundra edge.
- Buffalo Bill State Park, Cody — Sagebrush and reservoir edges with sun-loving species.
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Make the Adventure Real The Butterflies of Wyoming 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 WY Set |
Family Tips for Butterfly Watching in Wyoming
- Go in July, after the snow clears. Wyoming's high-country season is compressed into a few weeks. Too early and the meadows are still under snow; too late and the flowers are done.
- Head for the meadows and the hilltops. Butterflies concentrate where the flowers are, and males of many species gather on high ground to find mates — a behavior called hilltopping.
- Watch for basking on warm rock. At altitude, butterflies warm up on sun-heated granite with wings spread flat. Vedauwoo is excellent for this, and they hold still.
- Move slowly and keep your shadow off them. Sudden shade reads as a predator. Approach from the side, stop often, and wait near good nectar flowers.
Frequently Asked Questions: Butterflies of Wyoming with Kids
Does Wyoming have a state butterfly?
Yes — Sheridan's green hairstreak, adopted in 2009. It is a small butterfly with vivid green undersides that emerges very early in the spring in sagebrush and foothill country, well before most other species are flying.
Where is the best place to see butterflies in Wyoming with kids?
Grand Teton National Park in July, when the meadows below the peaks bloom all at once. Vedauwoo is the easiest stop off the interstate, and butterflies basking on the warm granite hold still long enough to draw.
When is the best time to see butterflies in Wyoming?
July, and it is a narrow window. High-country meadows stay under snow into early summer, then bloom and fade quickly, so timing matters more here than in most states.
What is hilltopping?
A behavior where males of many butterfly species fly to the highest ground around and gather there, because females looking to mate come to the same landmark. It means a summit or ridge can hold far more butterflies than the meadow below it.
What makes Wyoming butterfly watching special?
Altitude specialists. Wyoming's alpine and subalpine species are adapted to cold, short seasons and intense sun, and several — including arctic and alpine species left behind after the ice age — are found nowhere else in the lower forty-eight.
Turn Your Wyoming Adventure Into a Real Butterfly Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Butterflies of Wyoming Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a species tracker, fun facts about each one, category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Wyoming nature books together — the Wyoming Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Wyoming activity books.
Also exploring Wyoming's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of Wyoming with Kids, Wildflowers of Wyoming with Kids, and Leaves of Wyoming with Kids.
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