Rare fireflies to light up the Smoky Mountains — but you have to reserve a spot
Hundreds of rare fireflies that flash in unison will soon light up the sky in the Great Smoky Mountains — but those interested in seeing them will need to apply for a spot soon.
The National Park Service on Tuesday announced it will hold its annual synchronous firefly viewing opportunity at Elkmont Campground from June 1 through June 8. The event offers a “limited viewing opportunity,” and those interested must apply for a spot by entering a lottery for a vehicle pass.
The lottery will open Friday at 10 a.m. and close May 3 at 11:59 p.m., the park says. The application can be found here.
The park will only accept one application per household. Applicants must enter the date they would like to attend and can choose one alternative date.
“All lottery applicants will be charged a $1.00 application fee,” the park service says. “Successful applicants will automatically be awarded parking passes and $24.00 will be charged to the same credit or debit card used for the application fee.”
The park will distribute 100 vehicle passes for each day of the event, and applicants will know by May 7 if they’ve been selected.
“Each vehicle pass provides admission for parking directly at the Elkmont viewing location for one passenger vehicle with a maximum of seven occupants,” the park service says.
The popular fireflies make an appearance in the park every year in late May or early June and attract thousands of visitors from all over.
The male fireflies flash their lights in unison as part of a ritual during mating season, according to the park service, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — which straddles North Carolina and Tennessee — is one of the few places in the United States that the unique bugs can be found.
The species is found between New York and Georgia, scientists say, and in 2019 they were discovered atop Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.
But they’re “most widely known and recognized” at Elkmont.
The Smokies are home to 19 species of fireflies. But the synchronous fireflies are the only ones in the U.S. able to “synchronize their flashing light patterns,” the park service says.
Why they flash in unison, however, remains a mystery.
“Competition between males may be one reason: they all want to be the first to flash,” NPS says. “Or perhaps if the males all flash together they have a better chance of being noticed, and the females can make better comparisons.”
The Elkmont area has had restricted access during the viewing days since 2006 to provide a safe viewing experience and to minimize disturbances.
Last year, however, the park canceled its annual viewing event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m pleased that we’re able to once again offer an opportunity for visitors to experience synchronous fireflies at Elkmont in a safe manner,” Superintendent Cassius Cash said in a news release. “Last year, we canceled the viewing opportunity due to concerns about using shuttle operations during the pandemic. Our staff worked hard to develop a new operational plan that allows limited parking for passenger vehicles directly at the site for 2021.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Rare fireflies to light up the Smoky Mountains — but you have to reserve a spot."
