Did you know you don’t have to wait until the Christmas season to see an amazing lights show? That’s right! But you’ve got to act quickly if you want to take advantage of a rare opportunity to see one of nature’s best light shows put on annually by synchronous fireflies in South Carolina, because the window in which this phenomenon happens is brief, and soon.
We are so blessed to be one of only a few locations where you can experience this rare synchronous fireflies phenomenon.
Out of over 2,000 firefly species in the world, only about a dozen of them can coordinate their flashes, and their flash patterns are part of their mating display, which helps males and females recognize and find each other. Only three species of synchronous fireflies are found in North America.
This glorious event and the opportunity to watch it unfold will take place this year in Congaree National Park from May 13-16 and May 19-24. You'll need a pass to enter the park, which will be made available through a lottery hosted through the Recreation.gov website.
Certain areas of the park will be closed to all visitors at 4:00 p.m. daily from Sunday, May 7 through Saturday, May 27 to best protect critical firefly habitat, including The Harry Hampton Visitor Center, boardwalk, front-country hiking trails, the Bannister Bridge Canoe Launch, Cedar Creek between Bannister Bridge and South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, and Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds. Backcountry camping permits will also not be issued.
The lottery to apply for a vehicle pass to attend this year’s event will open Thursday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m. and will be open until Wednesday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. Results of the lottery will be announced on Monday, April 17.
Superintendent Greg Hauburger has said, “The viewing of the synchronized fireflies has become the signature event of Congaree National Park. We are continuing to look for ways to increase opportunities for people to experience this amazing phenomenon while also doing all we can to protect these amazing insects and ensure that we have fireflies for the future."
There will be 130 passes available for each event night.
For additional details, visit the Congaree National Park page on the National Park Service website. And check out Mr. Bunky's Market in Eastover for a great steak on your way there!
In the meantime, get a sneak peek of what this experience is like in this video:
Have you ever seen this phenomenon of the synchronous fireflies in South Carolina? What was it like? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!
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