Horse Mountain at Friday Ridge Road July 11, 2026

Join us at 10am on July 11 for Humboldt County’s premier butterfly event and experience the dazzling diversity of Horse Mountain butterflies! Help us topple our the record we set in 2023 — 35 species! We’ll meet at 10:00 am at the parking lot located at 40.86588, -123.73406 (or search Horse Mountain Botanical Area) and then caravan to the parking area. We’ll be hiking along an infrequently used paved road that winds between serpentine outcrops, wetland seeps, and forest edges to see Anna’s blues, hydaspe fritillaries, and maybe even the elusive Great Arctic! This is a 1.5-mile hike with a consistent downhill slope across a paved surface that has a couple of potholes. We will shuttle cars so that we can avoid hiking back uphill. Participants can pace themselves and easily depart at any time. What to bring? Comfortable sturdy shoes, water, extra water, food, extra food, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, binoculars, field guides, camera (optional), enthusiasm, and whatever other butterfly gear you may desire! Here’s a handy checklist to help you prepare.  When and where to meet? We’ll be meeting at this parking area (40.86588, -123.73406) on Saturday, July 11 at 10:00 am. If you show up late, continue on the road to the parking lot located at 40.80922, -123.68882. Park with the other cars and then follow Friday Ridge Road down to find us! It is about a 45 minute drive from Arcata to the meeting spot, then another 10 minutes to Friday Ridge Road where we will start the walk.