The annual flickering of these rare fireflies signals the beginning of their mating season during which hundreds of nearby males will simultaneously shine their lights in the hope of attracting a mate. Every year thousands of visitors gather near the popular Elkmont Campground to witness this harmonious magic. Park officials will run shuttles into the area to see the fireflies from May 30 through June 6. All visitors hoping to view the fireflies during these dates must have a parking pass distributed by the annual lottery.Ī rare phenomenon that is as beautiful as it is unforgettable to see, the synchronous fireflies’ dazzling light show only lasts approximately two weeks out of the year, with dates varying every calendar season. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced this year’s dates for firefly viewing in Elkmont.
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If you would like more information about this annual event, including how to enter the lottery for a vehicle pass, please see our Firefly Viewing Event page.One of the most exciting natural events in the Smokies returns. Started in 2021, this new system not only allows park staff to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable visitor experience, it is also helping to ensure that there will be fireflies for the future. To better protect firefly habitat from further damage and reduce overcrowding in the viewing area, the park implemented a lottery system modeled after the one that Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been using for their annual synchronized firefly event. The results of this work found that synchronous firefly activity had visibly decreased compared to neighboring locations, raising concerns that with visitation only likely to increase in the future, this trend would only get worse. The pandemic in 2020 gave park staff the opportunity to observe and compare synchronous firefly activity in both the viewing area and nearby locations that had seen little to no event visitors over the past three years. Concerns that this rapid increase in visitation would have negative long-term impacts on the synchronous fireflies and their habitat led the park to hold its first managed viewing event in 2017.īetween 20 an estimated 25,000-30,000 visitors came to see the synchronized fireflies. Word spread, however, and by 2016 large numbers of people were coming to Congaree to see them. They are:įor many years the synchronous fireflies at Congaree were something only a few people each year came to see. Males may synchronize where populations are large enough, producing three yellow flashes about every six seconds.Complete synchronization is unique ability that only three of all North American firefly species are capable of.
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Photinus carolinus – The famous synchronous firefly seen at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, males of this species typically fly 3-7 feet off the ground, producing a series of 4-11 yellow flashes, followed by a 6-9 second pause.They are also present (though uncommon) as far north as Delaware and Maryland. This species prefers to live on the edges of mature cypress/hardwood swamps and bottomlands, and are locally abundant across the southeastern United States. Males fly low to the ground, producing a quick flash every. Photuris frontalis – Also known as the Snappy Single Sync, these are the synchronous fireflies seen at Congaree National Park.Complete synchronization is unique ability that only three of all North American firefly species are capable of.
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