Imagine a stunning light show in the forest, with twinkling lights flashing in call-and-response patterns. No, this isn’t some sort of festival in the woods with lighting specialists running the show—it’s the annual gathering of synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Each year this rare species of firefly returns to the park to perform its mating ritual. For two weeks, usually between mid-May and mid-June, these fireflies light up the sky with little flashes of light, all in the hopes of finding the perfect mate. Males flash while flying around in the air, and stationary females flash in response. Colors range from a greenish-yellow color to blue or white, all flashing in harmony. The National Parks Service (NPS) explains that the males’ coordinated flashing is to distinguish themselves from the more than a dozen other species of fireflies in the park.
This dazzling display of bioluminescence is an incredible site that’s become so popular you’ll have to win the lottery to see it. The NPS limits the number of visitors to the spectacle to protect the fireflies and their habitat. Estimated dates will be announced on April 25. The lottery for vehicle passes, which costs $1 to enter, opens on April 28 at 10am and runs through May 1. Lucky winners will be notified on May 11.
Learn more about the fireflies and how to enter the lottery here.
