Adirondack Butterfly Trails:
Adirondack Loj Road

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The Adirondack Loj Road is primarily a butterfly destination. The site is one of the best places in the Trilakes area to see butterflies and moths that live in old fields, hedge rows, and meadows.   

• The first part of the road traverses a series of meadows and actively-harvested fields. The edge of the roadway hosts a variety of old field wildflowers that attract a variety of butterflies and moths.
• The most fruitful areas to search for butterflies include the first 1¼ miles of the road from the intersection of the Adirondack Loj Road and Cascade Road to just before the narrow bridge over North Meadow Brook. The roadside near the sharp curve before the bridge (at 0.88 miles) seems to attract a particularly wide range of species.
• Although the shoulder is narrow in places, there are places to park at convenient points along both sides of the road. Some can accommodate one or two vehicles safely, while others can accommodate five or six.

This site lacks many of the attributes associated with an ideal spot to appreciate nature.

• There are no trails or interpretive signs. You are searching for butterflies and moths from a narrow country road bordered by private land which has been posted to prohibit public access. Butterfly enthusiasts cannot take off through the tall grass of the meadow in pursuit of an interesting specimen.
• This road leads to the Adirondack Loj at Heart Lake – a favorite destination for hikers, so the road is fairly well-traveled, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon, when hikers are arriving and leaving.

These drawbacks are balanced by the wide variety of butterflies and moths that can be found along the margins of the fields that border the roadway. The Adirondack Loj Road also provides a series of dramatic vistas of the High Peaks. In particular, the first right-hand pull-off immediately after the intersection with Cascade Road features an iconic view of Algonquin Peak, much loved by landscape photographers. Another plus is the opportunity to see a variety of other wildlife at home in old fields and meadows, including Wild Turkeys and White-tailed Deer.

Butterflies and moths seen on the Adirondack Loj Road include:

Getting There: Directions to the Adirondack Loj Road

The butterfly/moth list was generated from a series of photographs from 2018 through 2021.