Every summer, Great Smoky Mountains National Park gives parkgoers a chance to see a magical phenomenon — a synchronous firefly viewing.
The “natural light show” — which can only be viewed in a handful of places throughout the United States — occurs when large populations of fireflies gather for mating season and flash their lights in perfect synchronization, creating a dazzling display of light.
To tamp down on crowds, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has implemented a lottery system so that only a select group of winners can attend the event.
The limited attendance makes the experience better, not just for the humans, but also for the blinking, benevolent beetles, which are sensitive to the artificial light pollution emitted from flashlights and car headlights.
On April 21, Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that their lottery will open on recreation.gov on May 2 at 10 a.m. and close on May 5 at 11:59 p.m.
The cost of entering the lottery is a single dollar. If selected for the firefly viewing, recipients will be prompted to pay a $29 vehicle pass fee, the cost of which goes directly to the park.
According to the National Park Service website, all lottery applicants will be notified in an email by mid-May, whether they were successful or not.
Although the dates for the event itself have yet to be determined, they usually fall in early June. In 2024, the event occurred from June 3 through June 10.
Beneath the lottery details, past winners wrote reviews of their time at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, praising the firefly viewing as an “otherworldly” and “magical” experience.
“I was picked for the ticket lottery and went with my parents from Nashville,” wrote Carson W., a 2024 lottery winner.
“I tried not to get their expectations up too high because we see a lot in our area and just expected a cute trip … once we found a spot to watch the sun set, and we saw a few at first but did not expect what was to come. When it fully got dark, we saw thousands fully around us, flashing in a wave across the landscape.”
Carson W. went on to say that he was truly at a “loss for words at the beauty of it all.”
“[It was] as if the forest floor was covered in twinkle lights as far as we could see,” he recounted. “It was magical and became a very special moment for us. This event far exceeded our expectations, and we plan to try to go every year for the foreseeable future.”
What’s different this year?
This year, the odds of winning the Great Smoky Mountains National Park firefly lottery are lower than they were in 2024.
Last year, 1,120 passes were awarded, and this year, only 960 total passes will be given out (120 vehicles for each night of the event). In addition, the vehicle pass fee is now $29 (a price hike from last year, when it was $24).
According to Knoxville News, these changes are reflections of recent staffing cuts ordered by the Trump administration, in which at least 12 staffers were let go from the Smokies.
Good Good Good has a guide for assisting the National Parks amidst the federal budget cuts, including volunteering, signing petitions, and contacting your elected officials.
Where can I go to see synchronous fireflies?
Synchronous firefly viewing events occur annually in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee and North Carolina), Joyce-Kilmer Memorial Forest (North Carolina), Congaree National Park (South Carolina), and Allegheny National Forest (Pennsylvania).
Already missed a deadline for a park near you? Lotteries are typically held around the same general time frames every year, so you can mark your calendars early for firefly lotteries in 2026!
Great Smoky National Park, TN*
- Event dates: TBD (2024 dates ran June 3 through June 10)
- Lottery: May 2 (10 a.m.) through May 5 (11:59 p.m.)
- Price: $1 for lottery entry, $29 cost upon winning
- *Joyce-Kilmer Memorial Forest is included in Great Smoky National Park’s larger lottery.
- Event dates: June 27 through June 29
- Lottery: January 1 through March 30, 2025
- Price: free lottery entry, $24 cost upon winning
- Event dates: TBD (2024 dates ran between mid-May and mid-June)
- Lottery: April 3 through April 9, 2025
- Price: $1 for lottery entry, $19 upon winning
Header image courtesy of Radim Schreiber/NPS
