Take a walk inside this vibrant summer garden of pollinating butterflies

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WZTV) — About an hour's drive north of Nashville, Tennessee, there’s a stunning garden of native butterflies tucked away in 72 acres of nature trails.

The Charlie Miller Butterfly Habitat in Kentucky sits in the heart of a trail at Lost River Cave where host and nectar plants play a crucial role to pollinating butterflies. The garden is designed for families and nature-lovers to take photos and learn about the six species of fluttering friends that inhabit the space.

As guests walk through the pebble-pathed garden, they’ll be immersed in a busy house of monarchs, painted ladies, gulf fritillaries, common buckeyes, giant swallowtails and red admirals.

The non-profit space at 2818 Nashville Road in Bowling Green is entirely free for guests and runs through Labor Day. The habitat is open anytime the sun is up. The best time to visit to see butterflies moving about is during warmer hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Only 20 people are allowed inside the garden at a time.

Lost River Cave was donated to Western Kentucky University in the late 80s and continues to work as a springboard for reservation and preservation of its environment. For more information on donating to the park’s ecosystem, click here.