The Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

By Kristina Light

It was autumn, 2008, and I was strolling through the Country Club Plaza Art Fair, a regional art fair featuring hundreds of artists. One particular booth caught my eye. Stunning nature photography printed on glass captured the forest at night, bedazzled with the warm yellow glow of hundreds of fireflies. I had never seen anything like it.

Sure, I have fireflies in my backyard as any Midwesterner does, but I have never seen hundreds, maybe thousands, all at once. This phenomenon struck my curiosity and I began a conversation with the photographer, Radim Schreiber.

I learned that Radim grew up in the Czech Republic where fireflies are rare. When he came to Iowa to study photography in college, he discovered the nighttime wonder of fireflies and began photographing them. Over time, he developed a technique to photograph fireflies and came to meet scientists and learn more about the luminescent beetles. He has photographed fireflies worldwide, but he claims that the best firefly experience occurs every summer in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Smoky Mountain’s Summer Lightshow

For those "in the know," seeing the Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains is a lifelong dream and such a draw that the National Park Service conducts an annual lottery to regulate the number of attendees, protecting both the insects, and the wonder of the event for spectators.

Every year at the fair, I marvel at Radim's Smithsonian award-winning photography and, thanks to his advice, every spring I enter the NPS Lottery to see the fireflies. Scientists study the fireflies and predict their peak performance week, awarding a set number of permits to enter the campground for firefly viewing. People from all over the world enter the drawing (there is a $1/household entry fee) hoping to see this mesmerizing mating ritual. And, every year until 2024, I lost.

This year, I won and on June 5th, our family experienced God’s Fireworks, also known as the Synchronous Fireflies of the Smoky Mountains.

Showtime at Elkmont

Troll Bridge at Elkmont Campground: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We arrived at Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park with our firefly permit, choosing a spot near Troll Bridge. We learned that over the years, the NPS has adjusted the rules for attending the event. In our case, they permitted one family-size vehicle with up to seven passengers. Campers at Elkmont are also able to view the fireflies. Guests are asked not to catch fireflies or touch them, to turn off all lights, and to use only a red light during the show.

As the sky grew dim beginning around 8:45, thousands of fireflies began flashing in the hills. It reminded me of instruments warming up for an orchestra, thousands all flashing here and there. In fact, this precursor to the real show may have been my favorite part of the evening because you could see the fireflies AND the forest.

Synchronous Fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The night sky became darker still, and then they stopped with nothing happening at all. A ranger came and said, "That's all folks." (as a joke to make everyone panic). The ranger explained that the fireflies warm up and then calm down before the show.

And, again just as if attending an outdoor summer musical, the crowd is chatting and then, as the show begins, the crowd grows silent in amazement.

Everyone was in awe. It's almost more than the brain can take in. The number of fireflies flashing in unison is overwhelming, much like watching the finale to a fireworks show for hours as close as you can watch it - with no noise, just nature - wind, the rushing water, and occasional birds chirping.

Synchronous Fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We were amazed at the millions of bright fireflies flashing, it reminded me of riding Space Mountain if one were to ride it for hours without the actual ride.

That evening, two species of fireflies put on a show: blue ghost fireflies with a soft blue light that fly slowly and stay lit creating a soft trail of light, and the synchronous fireflies that are like bright white lights and flash in unison. I was surprised at how bright they were, almost appearing to be white, not warm yellow like home, though the camera caught the yellow.

During the show, the females start low to the ground flashing, and the males are up in the tree canopy. As they communicate they try to find a mate, slowly merging until you are surrounded. I stood up several times from my chair and it was 360 degrees featuring millions of fireflies all flashing at once.

Our family spent time in Elkmont Campground from 6 pm - 11:30 pm... and then we were ready for bed. As we were leaving, the fireflies were still flashing. Then, the question everyone asks: Are they really just in the Elkmont Campground section of the national park? And, the answer is, yes. As we left when you turn away from the campground, you no longer see them.

An Ethereal Experience

Extraordinary experiences define adventure. Witnessing "God's Fireworks" in the Great Smoky Mountains, surrounded by the peaceful serenity of the forest, the ethereal spectacle of fireflies, performing their mesmerizing light show - this memory will stay with us forever.