The Route, Stop by Stop
From south to north, the way monarchs fly in spring. Every candidate site needs its owner’s permission and a local club to adopt it.
The map
About 2,000 miles, three countries
The main route follows I‑35 from Laredo to Duluth, extended south through central Mexico to the overwintering forests. Branches reach north to Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and the International Peace Garden.
- Peace stops: the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Kansas City and the International Peace Garden
- Pilot sites: historic cemetery pilots in Dallas and proposed first sites in Kansas City
- Candidate cemeteries waiting for a club to adopt them
- Main route: I‑35 and its extension into Mexico
- Branches into Canada
Locations are approximate. Want to suggest a stop? Use our contact form.
Overwintering grounds · Michoacán & State of México
- South peace stop
El Rosario Monarch Sanctuary
Ocampo, Michoacán · Biosphere Reserve
Start of the line. Part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO), where the eastern population overwinters in oyamel fir forest about 100 km west of Mexico City.
- South peace stop
Sierra Chincua Sanctuary
Angangueo, Michoacán · Biosphere Reserve
Second major colony site and the northern edge of the reserve. A natural partner for sister-club ties between Mexican and US service clubs.
Central & northern Mexico
- Candidate
Panteón de los Queretanos Ilustres
Querétaro, Qro. · 19th c.
Historic hilltop burial ground with gardens, on the spring route north. A good showcase for clubs in Mexico.
- Candidate
Panteón del Saucito
San Luis Potosí, SLP · late 19th c.
Historic municipal cemetery on the high plateau flyway.
- Candidate
Panteón de Santiago
Saltillo, Coahuila · 19th c.
Saltillo sits where monarchs funnel through the Sierra Madre Oriental. A strong migration story.
- Candidate
Panteón del Carmen
Monterrey, Nuevo León · 19th c.
Historic city cemetery on the main fall-and-spring funnel into Texas.
Texas
- Candidate
Laredo City Cemetery
Laredo, TX · 19th c.
Border crossing at the I‑35 start. A natural 'Without Borders' symbol for a binational event.
- Candidate
Old San Antonio City Cemeteries
San Antonio, TX (East Commerce St) · 1850s
A historic district of about 30 cemeteries with a strong preservation community.
- Candidate
Oakwood Cemetery
Austin, TX · 1839
Austin's oldest city cemetery, with restoration work in recent years.
- Candidate
Oakwood Cemetery
Waco, TX · 1878
Large historic cemetery just off I‑35, midway between Austin and Dallas.
- Pilot site
Lagow Cemetery
Dallas, TX · CLM site
A Constellation of Living Memorials site where volunteer days are being planned with local partners.
- Pilot site
Warren Ferris Cemetery
8381 St Francis Ave, Dallas, TX · CLM pilot
One of the Constellation of Living Memorials pilot cemeteries in North Texas.
- Candidate
Pioneer Park Cemetery
Downtown Dallas, TX · 1850s
High-visibility downtown site next to the Convention Center. Good for a media moment.
- Candidate
Pioneers Rest Cemetery
Fort Worth, TX · 1850
Fort Worth's oldest cemetery. Brings in the Fort Worth service clubs.
Oklahoma
- Candidate
Fairlawn Cemetery
Oklahoma City, OK · 1892
Oklahoma City's oldest cemetery, on the I‑35 and I‑44 crossroads.
- Candidate
Summit View Cemetery
Guthrie, OK · 1889
Cemetery of the territorial capital, next to the Guthrie historic district.
Kansas
- Candidate
Highland Cemetery
Wichita, KS · 1870s
Wichita's historic cemetery near the I‑35 and I‑135 junction.
- Candidate
Oak Hill Cemetery
Lawrence, KS · 1866
Monarch Watch is based at the University of Kansas here. A natural science partner for tagging and Waystation certification.
Kansas City · Heartland Waystation
- Proposed pilot
Linwood Pioneer Cemetery
3600 W 95th St, Leawood, KS · 1869–73
Top pick, about 1.5 mi from 9615 State Line. A small pioneer cemetery saved from a parking lot and cared for over the years by the Garden Club, Lions and DAR. The right size for one service club.
- Candidate
Corinth Cemetery
W 83rd St near Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS · 1871
Cumberland Presbyterian pioneer cemetery. Run by an association that meets every Memorial Day.
- Candidate
New Santa Fe Cemetery
122nd St & State Line Rd · mid-1800s
Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts are still visible. A 'migration trail' story that pairs well with the monarch route.
- Candidate
Shawnee Methodist Mission Cemetery
Fairway, KS · 1839 era
Tied to the Shawnee Indian Mission state historic site.
- Already pollinator-active
Union Cemetery
227 E 28th Terr, Kansas City, MO · 1857
Already has pollinator gardens and six Bee KC hives, run with KC Parks. Use it as a showcase and partner rather than a blank slate.
- Proposed pilot
White Church Delaware Indian Cemetery
2200 N 85th St, Kansas City, KS (next to White Church Elementary) · 1831 mission
Mission to the Delaware (Lenape), next to what may be the oldest church in Kansas still in use. The church owns the cemetery, and the school next door suits the outdoor-classroom model.
Missouri & Iowa
- Candidate
Mount Mora Cemetery
St. Joseph, MO · 1851
Missouri's oldest incorporated cemetery, with an active Friends group, on the I‑29 branch north.
- Candidate
Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, IA · 1850
Des Moines' oldest cemetery, on I‑35 in the middle of Iowa's monarch breeding grounds.
Minnesota
- Candidate
Pioneers & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
Minneapolis, MN · 1853
Oldest existing cemetery in Minneapolis, owned by the city. A strong urban-restoration candidate.
- Candidate
Oakland Cemetery
St. Paul, MN · 1853
Minnesota's oldest public cemetery, with large landscaped grounds.
- Candidate
Forest Hill Cemetery
Duluth, MN · 1890
North end of I‑35, on the Lake Superior shore where fall monarchs gather before heading south.
Across the border · North Dakota, Manitoba & Ontario
- North peace stop
International Peace Garden
Dunseith, ND · Boissevain, MB · 1932
The Peace Flyway's northern peace stop: a garden straddling the U.S.–Canada border, dedicated to peace between the two countries. Reached by a western branch north from Fargo.
- Candidate
Riverside Cemetery
Fargo, ND · 1879
Red River valley branch toward Winnipeg.
- Candidate
St. John's Cathedral Cemetery
Winnipeg, MB · 1812
One of the oldest cemeteries in western Canada. A strong first Canadian partner.
- Candidate
St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery
Winnipeg, MB · 1818
Burial place of Louis Riel. A bilingual (Francophone and Métis) heritage angle.
- Candidate
Brookside Cemetery
Winnipeg, MB · 1878
Large municipal cemetery near the northern edge of the monarch's range.
- Candidate
Mountain View Cemetery
Thunder Bay, ON · historic
The Ontario option across the border from Duluth along Lake Superior.
Along the flyway
