CLOSED - Pre-Symposium Walk – Mason Farm Biological Reserve (Chapel Hill, NC)
2025-09-12 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Mason Farm Biological Reserve Trailhead, 35.89233, -79.01647
CLOSED – We have had an overwhelming response to this year’s symposium and must close registrations due to resource limitations.
This is a pre-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.
We will meet at the parking lot at Mason Farm Biological Reserve trailhead. There is no street address, but the GPS coordinates are 35.89233, -79.01647. The walking loop is about 2 miles or so and is flat. The trail winds through several habitats including hardwood forest, mixed pine forest, open fields, and has a nice boardwalk section through a wetland. Approximately 60+ species of butterflies have been tallied here over the years and seasons. Of course, we will probably not have that diversity in September, but it’s still a nice walk. Jeff Pippen will lead.
No restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, snacks (or a late lunch), binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Directions – From the north, drive to Finley Golf Course Road in Chapel Hill. Drive around the Finley Golf Club clubhouse and parking lot and past the driving range. Directly after the driving range at the power lines, take the right fork onto Mason Farm Acc Road (which passes under the power lines). After about 0.38 miles, turn to the right on the gravel access road to the creek, then drive over the concrete ford (which always has at least some water flowing over it, but should be passable). The trailhead parking lot is just to the south of the creek.
Please use the symposium registration form if you are attending the symposium and plan to participate. If you are NOT attending the symposium, you can register for this walk online at the CBS website or RSVP to Marty Kastner at kastners@aol.com.

CLOSED - Post-Symposium Walk – Jordan Lake Tailrace and Deep River State Natural Area (Moncure, NC)
2025-09-14 09:30 - 15:00 | Jordan Lake Tailrace, 2060 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure, NC, 27559, United States
CLOSED – We have had an overwhelming response to this year’s symposium and must close registrations due to resource limitations.
This is a post-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.
We will meet at the Jordan Lake Tailrace. The address is 2060 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.65231, -79.06748). We will walk around the fields and outflow area to look for butterflies. Going will be slow, with level to moderate terrain, some mowed field edges or walking through grassy fields. Be prepared for some exploring. Brian Bockhahn will lead.
Restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
After 45 minutes or so, we’ll drive 3 miles, about 6 minutes away, to a relatively new section of Deep River State Natural Area. This area has not been visited much, so we really don’t know what to expect; most sightings will be new for the property. The trailhead is behind the Moncure Community Health Center. The address is 7228 Moncure Pittsboro Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.63146, -79.09675). We will hike a series of old roads, first through a recently logged area, around an old home site and pond, then down into the rich floodplain and an old rock quarry along the Deep River. The terrain will not be level, and the trail is not maintained.
Please use the symposium registration form if you are attending the symposium and plan to participate. If you are NOT attending the symposium, you can register for this walk online at the CBS website or RSVP to Brian Bockhahn at the email address below.

Carolina Sandhills NWR (Frosted Elfin - McBee, SC)
2026-03-28 10:30 - 16:00 | Carolina Sandhills NWR, 23734 US-1, McBee, SC, 29101, United States
Date: Saturday, March28, 2026
Location: Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, McBee, SC

Meeting Time: 10:30 am
Meeting Spot: Meet in the parking lot at the visitor center of Carolina Sandhills NWR. The main entrance is on US Highway 1, about 4 miles northeast of McBee, SC. The address is 23734 U.S. Highway 1, McBee, SC 29101. GPS coordinates are 34.5044, -80.2249.

Description: This will be a joint field trip between the Carolina Butterfly Society and SCAN, the South Carolina Association of Naturalists. We will drive roads in the NWR getting out to explore various areas and look for spring butterflies.
Target Species: Frosted Elfin
Notes: Restrooms are available near Lake Bee within the NWR but there are no restrooms at our meeting site. There are gas stations in McBee. Bring a portable lunch. There are picnic tables near Lake Bee but be prepared to eat on the go if necessary. Please bring water, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Caroline Eastman and John Demko
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: N/A
Sign-up: Please contact Caroline Eastman at carolinemeastman@gmail.com or John Demko at leveljohn7@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.

Cheraw State Park & Sandhills State Forest (Patrick, SC)
2026-03-29 10:30 - 16:00 | Cheraw SP on Society Hill Road, 34.6214, -79.9451
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026
Location: Cheraw State Park & Sandhills State Forest / Horseshoe Mountain, Patrick, SC

Meeting Time: 10:30 am
Meeting Spot: Meet on Society Hill Road (sometimes called Teals Mill Rd) in Cheraw SP. This is off Hwy 1 in Patrick, SC. We will park on the side of the road just past Juniper Creek. The GPS coordinates are near 34.6214, -79.9451.

Description: At Society Hill Road, we will explore the sand myrtle, vaccinium, horse sugar trees, and Atlantic white cedar on both sides of the road. When finished we will drive approximately 25 minutes west to Sandhills State Forest to explore Horseshoe Mountain. The GPS coordinates for parking at Horseshoe Mountain are 34.5896, -80.1170.
Target Species: Hessel’s Hairstreak, Brown Elfin, Henry’s Elfin, Eastern Pine Elfin, Great Purple Hairstreak, Holly Azure
Notes: No restrooms are available at our first stop. There is a pit toilet near Horseshoe Mountain, but it is sometimes locked. Bring a portable lunch to eat either at our first stop or the second one depending on the timing. There are no tables for lunch at either site. Please bring water, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leader: Ron Ahle
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: There are hotels and restaurants in Cheraw, SC and camping sites in Cheraw State Park. A recent search indicated that the cabins in Cheraw State Park were not available on our dates.
Sign-up: Please contact Ron Ahle at thebears@earthlink.net if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.

Madison County, NC
2026-04-11 09:30 - 2026-04-12 15:00 | Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, NC, 28743, United States
Dates: Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2026
Location: Hot Springs, NC, area

Meeting Time: 9:30 am (Buncombe County) / 10:00 am (Madison County) – to 3:00 pm
Meeting Spot: For those staying in Buncombe County, we will meet at the Publix parking lot in Weaverville, NC, and leave at 9:30 am (165 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC, 28787; parking lot GPS coordinates 35.7049, -82.5687). For those staying in Madison County, meet at Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, NC at 10:00 am. Park in front of the “event venue” building that’s located at 165 Broadwing Farm Lane, Hot Springs, NC (GPS coordinates 35.9008, -82.8291).

Description: We’ll spend two days butterflying this part of the Pisgah National Forest. Pete Dixon will lead Day 1 (April 11) and Heather Rayburn will lead Day 2 (April 12).
Target Species: Olympia Marble, Cobweb Skipper, Duskywings, Elfins and Hairstreaks
Notes: Easy-to-moderate walking. Normally a restroom is open at the state picnic area. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and field guides. Long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Pete Dixon (day1 on April 11) and Heather Rayburn (day 2 on April 12)
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: For places to stay overnight, there are several rental cabins and B&Bs in Madison County, including Broadwing Farm. Mars Hill has a Comfort Inn, and there is a Fairfield Inn in Weaverville (Buncombe County). Mars Hill, Marshall, Hot Springs, and Weaverville each have a variety of restaurants and brewery taprooms, and Asheville is a foodie destination.
Sign-up: Please contact Heather Rayburn at rayburnh@icloud.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.

Francis Marion NF (McClellanville, NE of Charleston, SC)
2026-08-29 10:00 - 2026-08-30 16:00 | Francis Marion NF McClellanville Circle K, 33.09514, -79.47558
SAVE THE DATES!
Dates: Saturday, August 29 and Sunday August 30, 2026
Location: Francis Marion National Forest, McClellanville (NE of Charleston), SC

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 4:00 pm
Meeting Spot: TBD

Description: Exact locations for butterflying within the FMNF (Francis Marion National Forest) will be determined after scouting the week before. We will drive to areas within the FMNF to butterfly. We will be on forest roads within the national forest. There is a fairly large area to explore so we will be driving to specific sites, parking and walking along the roadside, then driving to other areas to explore on foot.
Target Species: Late-season butterflies
Notes: There are no facilities within the FMNF. The meeting location for Sunday will be determined at the end of the walk on Saturday. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Alison Smith and Tom Austin
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: N/A
Sign-up: Please contact Alison Smith at sweetgrassess@gmail.com or Tom Austin at tomaustin.pro@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: N/A

Sandhills Game Land (Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Scotland Counties, NC)
2026-09-26 10:00 - 2026-09-27 16:00 | Sandhills Game Land, 35.026875, -79.559467
SAVE THE DATES!
Dates: Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026
Location: Sandhills Game Land, Hoke, Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties, NC

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 4:00 pm (tentative)
Meeting Spot: TBD

Description: The scenic Sandhills Game Land encompasses 63,061 acres across Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties in North Carolina, with 32,235 acres being in Richmond County. The Game Land is one of the largest remaining examples of a Longleaf Pine ecosystem in North Carolina. There is approximately 6700 acres of Oak/Hickory dominant forestland on the Game Land.
Target Species: Fall butterflies
Notes: Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Harry LeGrand and Lori Arent
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: TBD
Sign-up: Please contact Harry LeGrand at hlegrandjr@gmail.com or Lori Arent at ljarent1@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: TBD
