Highway 13 Butterfly Trail 

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is A Conservation Pathway for Pollinators, Communities, and the Future of Missouri’s Landscapes

 This project is a collaborative ecological and community revitalization initiative transforming nearly 300 miles of western Missouri into a vibrant corridor for native pollinators—and a destination for travelers, families, and nature lovers. Following the full length of Highway 13 from Bethany in the north to Branson in the south, the project connects a network of native wildflower habitats planted along roadsides, parks, and public spaces across twelve counties.

Rooted in conservation and fueled by community partnerships, this trail reimagines how infrastructure, small towns, and natural ecosystems can thrive together. Whether you're exploring Missouri’s rural backroads or looking to contribute to habitat restoration, the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail offers a scenic, educational, and deeply impactful experience

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is a unique, community-driven initiative that transforms Missouri’s Highway 13 into a vibrant corridor of native wildflowers and pollinator habitats. Stretching nearly 300 miles from Bethany to Branson, this trail is more than a scenic route—it’s a growing movement designed to restore critical ecosystems, boost rural economies through ecotourism, and reconnect communities with nature.

As pollinator populations continue to decline, projects like the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail play a vital role in preserving biodiversity while offering travelers and residents alike a chance to engage with the land in a new and meaningful way.

Restoring Native Habitat Along the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail

The trail is built on a simple but powerful idea: by planting native species in strategic locations—such as rest stops, roadside plots, public parks, and underutilized community spaces—we can create a continuous path of habitat that supports monarch butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other essential pollinators.

Each site along the trail features regionally appropriate wildflowers and milkweed, which are crucial for the survival of monarchs and a wide range of other pollinators. These plots not only help native species thrive, but they also enhance the beauty of the landscape for those passing through.

Pollinators—particularly monarch butterflies, native bees, and hummingbirds—are in crisis. Over the last several decades, widespread habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use have caused alarming declines in pollinator populations. These species are responsible for pollinating nearly 80% of all flowering plants and a third of our food crops. Without them, both our ecosystems and agricultural systems face major threats.

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail addresses this head-on by building a “pollinator pathway” through one of Missouri’s key migratory flyways. Strategically located planting plots provide nectar, pollen, and host plants that help sustain monarch butterflies during their migration and support resident pollinators throughout the growing season.

Each site along the trail includes carefully selected native wildflowers and grasses—such as milkweed, blazing star, purple coneflowers, goldenrod, and bee balm. These plants are not only beautiful but ecologically essential, adapted to local soil and weather patterns and beneficial to a wide range of insects and birds.

This effort ensures that roadside corridors—often overlooked or mowed into monoculture—become part of a meaningful solution to one of the 21st century’s most urgent ecological challenges.

A Regional Effort with Local Roots

The trail winds through twelve counties and countless communities, from small towns like Gallatin and Bolivar to well-known destinations like Branson and Hamilton. What unites these towns is more than geography—it’s a shared desire to care for the land, celebrate their local character, and build opportunities for the future.

In Hamilton, for example, the Hamilton Community Alliance has partnered with residents, the MO Department of Conservation, and other regional stakeholders to launch a 10-acre butterfly park. What was once underutilized land is now being transformed into a sanctuary for pollinators and a hub for environmental education, outdoor events, and ecotourism.

Gallatin has embraced the project with its own colorful mural stop and pollinator garden, weaving together public art and ecological awareness. Other towns are preparing similar stops, each contributing to the trail’s diversity and impact.

These efforts are not limited to municipalities—local farmers, landowners, and schools are actively involved. Anyone with property within roughly 13 miles of the highway can apply to host a planting site. Each new garden, however small, becomes a valuable link in the habitat corridor.

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail spans twelve counties in western Missouri, connecting towns and rural communities through a shared vision of restoration, education, and opportunity. From mural-lined streets in Gallatin to the 10-acre butterfly park in Hamilton, each town contributes its own unique voice and identity to the trail.

The project is supported by a coalition of community organizations, including the Hamilton Community Alliance, local governments, landowners, schools, and numerous other partners. Together, these groups are working to plant, maintain, and expand pollinator-friendly plots along the corridor.

This collaboration empowers communities to participate directly—by planting gardens, hosting educational events, or simply creating a space where people can gather and connect.

The Economic Potential of a Blooming Trail

While ecological restoration is the primary focus, the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail also brings significant economic potential. As a growing ecotourism destination, the trail encourages travelers to stop and explore local attractions, dine at small-town restaurants, stay in bed-and-breakfasts, and shop at local stores.

Communities like Hamilton, already known for its quilt tourism, see the trail as a natural extension—an opportunity to blend cultural heritage with conservation and create new avenues for sustainable tourism.

Interpretive signage, seasonal events, and eventually a comprehensive digital trail map will help guide visitors from stop to stop, highlighting the beauty and significance of each planted plot along the way.

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is not only restoring natural ecosystems—it’s also bringing renewed energy to rural economies.

As the trail develops, it offers travelers and tourists new reasons to stop, explore, and support the businesses that make Missouri’s small towns so special. Whether grabbing lunch at a local café, visiting a roadside quilt shop in Hamilton, or attending a community planting day, trail visitors contribute to a sustainable tourism model rooted in conservation.

Much like Missouri’s popular quilt trails and scenic byways, the butterfly trail is becoming a new kind of heritage attraction—one that blends natural beauty with rural culture, and that positions conservation as an engine for economic vitality.

To support this growth, future phases of the project will include trail signage, interpretive displays, guided tours, and an interactive digital map that highlights key stops and educational features along the route.

Education, Stewardship, and Connection

A critical goal of the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is to reconnect people with nature—particularly through education and hands-on engagement. Schools, youth groups, and community organizations are encouraged to “adopt” a planting site or develop pollinator-focused programming that ties into local science curricula.

Interpretive signage at each stop will educate visitors about the importance of pollinators, the types of native plants used, and the ecological story of the region. Many of the plots are designed to be walkable, inviting people to slow down and observe butterflies, bees, and birds in action.

Community planting days, citizen science initiatives, and seasonal events like monarch tagging and wildflower festivals are also in development. These efforts help cultivate not just flowers, but connection—a sense of pride in the land and shared responsibility for its care.

What’s Next for the Trail

There are many ways to become part of the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail movement:

Landowners and Residents:
If you live within 13 miles of Highway 13, you can apply to create your own pollinator planting. The project team can offer guidance on design, site prep, and plant selection.

Municipalities and Schools:
Cities and schools can host larger planting sites, create educational programming, or incorporate the trail into town beautification and tourism strategies.

Volunteers and Donors:
Volunteer opportunities include helping with planting days, maintaining sites, or leading guided nature walks. Donors can support signage, seed kits, and programming for schools and public sites.

Travelers and Visitors:
Plan your route along the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail and discover the ecological, cultural, and economic richness of Missouri’s small towns. Stop, walk, learn—and support local businesses that make the trail possible.

How to Get Involved

The success of the trail depends on the participation of individuals, businesses, and organizations along the Highway 13 corridor. Whether you’re a farmer, homeowner, teacher, or city official, there are multiple ways to support the project:

• Host a pollinator plot on your land or in a public space
• Volunteer for planting or maintenance events
• Donate to support signage, seeds, or educational programming
• Partner as a sponsor or community ambassador
• Incorporate pollinator education into local schools and youth programs

All plots—large or small—contribute to the integrity of the habitat corridor and help us build a continuous lifeline for Missouri’s most important pollinators.

Looking Ahead To the Future

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail is still growing. Future plans include the expansion of additional planting sites, development of a digital interactive trail map, launch of community science programs, and the addition of educational events throughout the year.

Each mile of progress helps secure a healthier, more resilient ecosystem—and a stronger sense of place for the people who call this region home.

This trail is not just a line on a map. It’s a shared story of restoration, connection, and hope.

The trail is just beginning. In the coming months and years, we aim to:

• Expand planting sites to cover more towns and counties
• Launch an interactive trail map and mobile-friendly web platform
• Install educational signage and pollinator viewing stations
• Host seasonal events and festivals to celebrate the trail
• Monitor plant and pollinator success through citizen science efforts

The Highway 13 Butterfly Trail will grow with every partnership, every planted seed, and every new visitor who takes a moment to appreciate the beauty and purpose of this conservation corridor.

This is not just a trail—it’s a movement. A celebration of nature’s resilience. A grassroots solution to environmental decline. And a blueprint for how rural America can thrive by nurturing what makes it unique.

Start Your Journey With Us

Whether you're a traveler looking to explore, a landowner ready to plant, or a community leader seeking to make an impact, the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail welcomes you.

Discover the trail. Support our pollinators. Grow with us!

• Support Pollinators: Pollinators like monarch butterflies, native bees, and other insects face declining habitats. The Trail restores wildflower-rich habitats exactly where they’re needed—along a 292‑mile stretch of Highway 13 through 12 counties. This helps bolster breeding and migration routes. 
• Boost Local Economies: By turning rural landscapes into ecotourism destinations, the initiative invites travelers to stop, stay, shop, and explore. From local coffee shops to B&Bs and farm stands, communities can reap financial rewards.
• Enhance Community Well‑Being: Trails bring people together—through planting events, citizen science, and educational hikes—creating pride and shared purpose.

Ecotourism Meets Conservation

• A New Visitor Opportunity
  Much like a butterfly parks and quilt trails, this initiative intertwines conservation with local identity. In Hamiton—famed as “Quilt City USA”—community leaders saw an opportunity to merge environmental stewardship with heritage tourism: “Let’s combine these two things to create an ecotourism spot that will enhance the pollinator pathways and at the same time serve as an economic development tool.” kxcv.org
• Attraction Infrastructure
  Visitors can explore roadside meadows, mural-featured towns like Gallatin, and curated stops in Hamilton’s newly developed 10-acre butterfly park—made possible by the Hamilton Community Alliance and local partners. explorehamiltonmissouri.com

What We’re Planting

The Trail emphasizes native, pollinator-friendly flora:

• Milkweed: Crucial host plant for monarch caterpillars.
• Native Wildflowers: Species like coneflowers, asters, goldenrod, and blazing star feed bees, flies, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
• Biodiversity Benefits: Supporting diverse pollinators strengthens ecosystems, boosts crop yields, and enriches local landscapes.

From the rolling fields and small towns of western Missouri, the Trail will span 12 counties. This network of way‑stations includes:

• Roadside flower plots
• County parks and public lands
• Rest areas and roadside pull-offs

Each stop is designed to create a chain of habitats for migrating and local pollinators, while offering travelers education, recreation, and rest.

Community Participation & Planting Opportunities

Would you like to participate? How Communities Can Help.  Landowners, municipalities, schools, and businesses can:

• Host a Pollinator Plot: Register your property (must be within ~13 miles of Highway 13) to be part of the Trail 
• Receive Guidance: The initiative coordinates site preparation and native plant selection.
• Join Events: Community planting days, citizen science projects, and storytelling sessions create shared engagement.
• Anyone can be part of the Butterfly Trail: Host a Pollinator Plot
  Landowners—whether residents, farmers, or municipal managers—can convert small patches of land into wildflower plots. No plot is too small; even a garden bed contributes! “Start by choosing some plants and starting a garden!” 
•  Select Native Flora
  Missouri Extension, Department of Conservation, and local organizers recommend native species like milkweed, coneflowers, asters, goldenrod, and blazing star—ideal for supporting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
•  Join Community Efforts
  Volunteer for planting events, sign maintenance, and educational programs. Engage with local Alliances, such as the Hamilton Community Alliance. Spread the word!
• 
  Support can also include purchasing a Butterfly Trail Barn Quilt Sign, donating to trail maintenance, or pledging local spaces in future development.

How the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail Works

1. Partnership Building
   The Trail collaborates with local conservation groups, county governments, schools, and private landholders to establish each pollinator site 
2. Site Preparation
   Each plot is carefully prepared—existing vegetation removed, soil amended, and native seed mixes selected based on site conditions.
3. Planting & Site Launch
   Community planting effort introduces nectar- and pollen-rich species, along with milkweed to attract monarchs.
4. Ongoing Care & Monitoring
   Volunteer stewards help maintain the sites and track pollinator activity, contributing to scientific understanding and conservation efforts.
5. Visitor Engagement Trail Map & Guide: GPS-enabled maps guide visitors to stops. Events & Tours: Seasonal programming invites all ages. Digital Portal: Visitors can share photos, sightings, and stories online.

Stay Connected

What's Next?

We’re expanding planting plots, engaging more communities, and building out Trail infrastructure like interpretive signs, visitor guides, and seasonal programming. With your help, the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail will bloom across western Missouri—benefiting wildlife, communities, and those who journey through.

• Trail Map Launch
  We’re developing an interactive digital map to guide visitors from Bethany to Branson—with highlights of pollinator-friendly stops, wildlife habitats, and local attractions.
• Interpretive Signage
  Informational panels at each stop will explain planting choices, ecological impact, and local partnerships.
• Seasonal Programming
  Expect guided walks, citizen science days, summer festivals, and monarch tagging events in Hamilton and beyond.
• Monitoring & Stewardship
  Volunteer stewards will collect vital data on pollinator visits, host plant growth, and overall habitat health.

Join the movement today!