Travel Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains National Park Announces Dates for World-Famous Synchronous Firefly Display Find out how you can experience this one-of-a-kind spectacle. By Meghan Overdeep Meghan Overdeep Meghan is a senior staff writer at Southern Living. She has been scouring the Internet for the buzziest Southern news since joining the team in 2017. She has never met a story she couldn't tell. Meghan is passionate about animals, current events, history, gardening, and making people smile. You can find her skiing or taking pictures of her dog.Previously, Meghan was the weddings editor for The Knot. She also worked for many years as a freelancer with bylines at InStyle, The Food Network, HGTV Magazine, Runners World, and more. She graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Magazine Journalism. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Nori Yuasa/Getty Images One of Mother Nature's most incredible shows is back! The dates to see the synchronous fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park perform their annual spectacle have been revealed. But experiencing it in person won't come easy. This week, the park announced its plan to welcome visitors to see thousands of fireflies flash in unison with a limited viewing event scheduled to take place at Elkmont between Friday, June 3, and Friday, June 10. A total of 800 vehicle passes—100 passes per night—will be issued through the lottery process. You can apply for a limited viewing opportunity by entering a lottery for a vehicle pass through Recreation.gov. WATCH: Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is Home to Rare Population of Synchronous Fireflies The Photinus carolinus, also known as Elkmont fireflies, is one of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each year, typically in the spring, the fireflies put on a synchronous light display in order to find a mate. They are only species in America whose individuals can synchronize their flashing light patterns. Have this experience on your bucket list? This year's application lottery opens on Friday, April 29, at 10:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesday, May 3, at 10 a.m. All lottery applicants will be charged a $1.00 application fee. Successful applicants will automatically be awarded parking passes and charged a $24.00 reservation fee. Competition for the parking passes is steep, so don't delay. Last year, a total of 24,401 households reportedly applied for a vehicle pass. Applicants were from all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and three countries—Australia, Canada, and Great Britain. Good luck! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit