Thousands Of Fireflies Are About To Light Up In Unison For A Super Rare Spectacle

Have you ever gone camping and caught a fleeting glimpse of a firefly lighting up the night sky? Remember the magic of that feeling, multiply it by thousands and you’ve got a scene straight out of a Disney movie. For folks in North Carolina and Tennessee, that movie scene is real life.

Officially known as synchronous flashing, this rare natural phenomenon occurs when large groups of fireflies produce rhythmic, repeated flashes in unison. Fireflies are a type of beetle whose unique backsides are defined by bioluminescence, the product of light by living organisms. To get technical, synchronous fireflies (Photinus Carolinus) are the only firefly species in America whose individual members can synchronize their flashing light patterns.

While no one knows for sure why this synchronization occurs, University of Connecticut Physiology and Neurobiology professor Andrew Moiseff hypothesizes that male fireflies produce bioluminescence as a mating tool to attract female fireflies of the same species. The results of Moiseff’s experimentation suggest that the synchronous flashing encourages female fireflies’ recognition of suitable mates.

Occurring in only a few locations around the world, often in Southeast Asia, people in the United States can catch a synchronous firefly light show in select areas. Straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular location to catch the show. Due to temperature and soil moisture, peak flashing for the synchronous fireflies in the park tends to occur during a two-week mating period from late May to mid-June, though the exact dates vary each year.

Another place to see the synchronous firefly show is Congaree National Park in central South Carolina, where this phenomenon is categorized as the park’s most-visited event of the year. Synchronous activity is already being reported this year and the park is expecting large crowds on the Fireflies Trail over Memorial Day Weekend.

You can also catch Mother Nature’s light show at Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania where the 6th annual Firefly Festival takes place on Saturday, June 23. Here, the light show accompanies the mating displays of over 15 different species of fireflies in the Allegheny National Forest area.

If you plan on making your way to one of these natural light shows this summer, keep in mind the following tips from the National Park Service on light-show etiquette:
• Cover your flashlight with red or blue cellophane.
• Use your flashlight only when walking to your viewing spot.
• Point your flashlight at the ground.
• Turn off your flashlight when you find your viewing spot.

Take our word for it, Fourth of July fireworks have nothing on these rare, natural light shows. This summer, skip binging yet another season of The Bachelor to catch a much more natural dating ritual.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.