This may be the ideal moment to step into Mexico’s forests filled with monarch magic.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect year to experience the monarch butterfly migration in Mexico, 2026 is shaping up to be something truly special.

The 2025 monarch season brought a wave of optimistic news, something we don’t always get in conservation. All signs point to a spectacular overwintering experience for the 2025/2026 monarch butterfly season in Mexico.

A Strong Finish in the U.S.
Despite a late start to the 2025 season in the U.S., monarch butterfly numbers surged in late summer across much of their range in the United States and Canada. Community scientists from multiple monitoring networks reported higher-than-expected sightings, a promising indicator for the overwintering colonies in Mexico. The eastern population of monarch butterflies includes the individuals that migrate south to the oyamel forests of central Mexico to overwinter.

Early Arrivals and Healthy Activity in the Reserves
The first monarch of the season was spotted near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve on November 2, 2025, corresponding with Día de los Muertos. By November 21, the El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sanctuaries had officially opened with excellent early-season activity.

Remarkable Population Growth
A brand-new 2025 report from the state of Michoacán delivered the best news of all: monarch populations have doubled since last year. After years of worrying declines, this jump is one of the most encouraging signs of recovery in more than a decade. Researchers say this bump reflects multi-year conservation wins taking hold, not a one-year anomaly.

Conservation Efforts Are Making a Difference
Researchers attribute this rebound to major wins across the migratory corridor, including:

• Increased milkweed planting throughout North America
• Reduced pesticide use in key breeding areas
• Healthier, better protected oyamel fir forests in Mexico
• Unprecedented trilateral cooperation among Mexico, the U.S., and Canada

All together, these efforts are giving monarchs the stability they need to rebound. 

We still have a few spots left on our Her Wild Life expedition to Mexico starting January 18, 2026, timed perfectly for peak activity inside the sanctuaries. If you’ve ever dreamed of standing among clouds of orange wings and the sound of millions of monarchs filling the forest, this may be the best year in a long while to experience it.

Your Travel Helps Protect Monarch Butterflies
Our Her Wild Life expedition does more than offer a meaningful wildlife experience. It directly supports conservation in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

A conservation donation is made on behalf of all trip participants to Alternare, a respected local organization helping communities adopt sustainable agriculture, protect forests, and strengthen stewardship around the monarch sanctuaries. When you travel with us, you’re contributing to long-term, community-led conservation.

Ready to join us? Book here →