Endangered Mission Blue Butterfly Recovery Depends on Protecting Twin Peaks Lupine

TWIN PEAKS, San Francisco — Twin Peaks is one of San Francisco’s important habitat areas for the federally endangered Mission blue butterfly, a species dependent on native lupine plants.

San Francisco Recreation and Parks says the butterfly was listed as endangered in 1976 and that its natural resources staff have worked on habitat restoration and population re-establishment since 2009. A 2023 monitoring estimate reported 128 adult females based on field observations of eggs and host plants. That number is a historic estimate, not a confirmed current population for November 2026.

Park authorities say trampling vegetation, off-trail cycling and unleashed dogs can damage the plants or habitat on which the butterfly relies. The promenade’s project team includes native planting and erosion-control measures intended to reduce those pressures.

What residents and visitors should know

Visitors can help by remaining on established paths, using paved routes for bicycles and keeping pets leashed. The park’s conservation page explains why seemingly harmless shortcuts through grassland can have disproportionate effects on rare wildlife.

Official source: San Francisco Recreation and Parks.

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