Synchronous fireflies at Elkmont

What you'll see

The synchronous firefly, Photinus carolinus, is one of the few firefly species that can line up its flashing. The males flash five to eight times, go dark for about eight seconds, then start again, and across the woods their rhythms gradually fall into step. The park picks the viewing nights each spring from soil temperatures. Since 1993, peak nights have fallen between the third week of May and the third week of June.

How the lottery works

1. Watch for the park's announcement in late April. In 2026 it came on April 21.
2. Apply on Recreation.gov during the four-day window: April 24–27 in 2026, May 2–5 in 2025. It's one application per household, with a first-choice night and a backup, and it costs $1.
3. Results arrive in early to mid-May (by May 6 in 2026). Winners pay $29 for parking for one passenger vehicle, with up to 7 people, on their assigned night. There are 120 passes a night.
4. The winner has to be in the car with matching photo ID. Passes can't be transferred, refunded or changed.

The pass is your parking, so you don't need a park parking tag that night.

On the night

• Arrive between 6 and 8 p.m. No one gets in after 8:15, and if you leave, you can't come back. Attendants show you where to park.
• Use only red light. Red cellophane over a flashlight works. Point it at the ground while you walk, and switch it off once you're settled.
• Stay on the trail. Female fireflies live on the forest floor.
• Don't catch fireflies. Pack out all food and trash, because this is bear country.
• No pets on the viewing trails, and no alcohol. Turn off your car's inside and outside lights.

No pass?

During the event, Elkmont closes after noon to everyone except pass holders and campers registered at Elkmont Campground, who can walk to the viewing. Lightning bugs are a fixture of summer evenings all through these hills, so keep an eye on the woods from the deck at dusk, too.

Getting there from the cabin

Take the Parkway through Pigeon Forge, then the Gatlinburg Bypass into the park to Sugarlands Visitor Center, about 13 miles from the cabin. Turn right onto Little River Road and go 4.5 miles, then turn left at the Elkmont Campground sign. Check-in is about 1.5 miles in, by the campground. Leave extra time for Parkway traffic, because the gate closes at 8:15.