The goal of this study was to determine ecological, behavioral and environmental factors that would facilitate a management plan for the rare cobblestone tiger beetle (Cicindela marginipennis). We used a mark – recapture study to document dispersal distances of the cobblestone tiger beetle along the upper Genesee River in western New York and binomial logistic regression models to compare habitat characteristics measured during occupancy surveys. Cobblestone tiger beetles occupied cobble bars with approximately twice the interior area and difference between minimum and maximum elevation, and higher shrub cover, than unoccupied cobble bars. Beetles occasionally dispersed distances greater than the maximum distance between cobble bars in our study area. In order to preserve cobblestone tiger beetles and riparian habitats along the upper Genesee River, habitats should be managed to reduce impacts from recreational activities and sand/gravel mining.