Mt. Lemmon
Butterfly Trail hike
Butterfly Trail #16. The Forest Service describes the trailhead across from Palisades, signed Bigelow Trailhead.
Lower heat exposure through 5pm (71F forecast at 4pm). Sunset about 6pm. Forecast updated 4:07am.
Check conditions before you go.
Today
Today, hour by hour. Sunset is about 6pm, and later hours aren't rated.
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow from 5am to noon, if the forecast goes that far.
Photos
NWS alerts
No weather alerts for this trail as of the last update.
NWS HeatRisk, experimental
Level 1 (Minor) for 2026-10-07. HeatRisk is an experimental NWS product. For official heat warnings, go by NWS watches, warnings, and advisories.
Trail facts
Trailhead location
Bigelow (Butterfly) trailhead. 32.41583, -110.71333. Source: USFS Bigelow Butterfly Trailhead page.
Elevation
8,422 ft. From USGS elevation data for the map pin.
Forecast area elevation
7,612 ft for the NWS forecast area near Willow Canyon, AZ. The NWS forecasts for squares about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) across, so it can be hotter or cooler on the trail itself. Forecast updated 4:07am MST.
Access
USFS: from the Catalina Highway, the trailhead is just before and across the highway from the Palisades visitor center. Signs read Bigelow Trailhead. An upper trailhead is about 4 miles farther, at the Soldier Camp access road. The highway may be snow-covered in winter. Source: USFS Butterfly #16.
Water
USFS: potable water is not available at this site. The Bigelow trailhead record also says no water is available. Source: USFS Butterfly #16.
Distance
The Butterfly page we checked on Oct 2, 2026 doesn't give a length. Source: USFS Butterfly #16.
Sun and shade
The upper Catalina Highway complex page describes a network of wooded trails in general. We don't have hour-by-hour shade for Butterfly. Source: USFS Catalina Highway complex (upper).
Hours and fee
Bigelow trailhead record: day use only, no overnight camping. The trailhead page lists day use at $8 per vehicle per day and $10 per vehicle per week. Source: USFS Bigelow Butterfly Trailhead.
Official links
Nearby trails
- Aspen Trail (2.6 miles away)
- Marshall Gulch (2.6 miles away)
- Seven Falls (Bear Canyon Trail) (9.7 miles away)
See also the heat guide, the monsoon guide, and today's conditions on every trail.