Time for Fireflies In The Smokies
It’s that time of year again…time to get ready for the fireflies at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park will be hosting the annual synchronous firefly viewing at Elkmont from Sunday, June 4 through Sunday, June 11. Every year in late May or early June, thousands of visitors near Elkmont Campground get to see a firefly species that flashes synchronously. Since 2006, the National Park Service has limited access to the Elkmont area to the eight days of predicted peak firefly activity. This helps reduce traffic congestion, provides a safe viewing experience for visitors, and minimizes disturbances to these unique fireflies during their two-week mating period.
A lottery is used each year for this limited viewing opportunity. The lottery for this year will open for reservation applications on Friday, April 28 at 10 a.m. and closes Monday, May 1 at 8 p.m. Those applications can be found at www.recreation.gov. Using the lottery system ensures everyone who applies for a reservation has an equal chance of getting one. A total of 960 vehicle reservations, 120 per night, will be issued through the lottery process. Each reservation allows one vehicle with a maximum of seven occupants to park at the Elkmont viewing location. The number of daily reservations is based on parking capacity and the ability to safely accommodate a large number of viewers on site while minimizing resource impacts.
Lottery applicants may enter two dates to take part in the viewing opportunity over the eight-day period. The lottery system uses a randomized computer drawing to select applications. All lottery applicants will be charged a $1.00 application fee. Those lucky enough to be selected will automatically be given reservations and a $24.00 reservation fee will be charged to the same credit or debit card used for the application fee. Reservations are non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one lottery application per household per season.
The results of the lottery will be available by Thursday, May 11.