Elkmont, Tenn. is lighting up this month as the world famous synchronous fireflies put on their magical display.

Hundreds of people are flocking to the Smoky Mountains every night this month to watch these flashing fireflies, of the species Photinus carolinus.  Since the early 1990's the yearly ritual, which occurs for a few weeks each June, has been becoming more and more popular with locals and travelers alike. 

For many people who annually travel to watch the spectacle, the area around Elkmont--which is close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg--is the best vantage point to watch the show.  Charles Finney, a local scientist who has led firefly tours for the last 11 years, considers Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the place to go. 

Knoxville student Emerson Fuller visited the park last year to watch the fireflies with his friends, and he insists that the spectacle is well worth the drive.  The night that Fuller visited, he estimated that he watched the fireflies with around 700 other spectators. 

For Fuller, the best thing about the trip was the surprise of the show.

"The best memory I have of that night was being in the pitch black and not thinking we were going to get to see the light show, but the turning around and the flies were going crazy," he said. "It was really awesome."

Finney suggests driving to the Sugarlands Visitor's Center, which is located two miles into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and taking the park-provided shuttles up to Elkmont.  These shuttles run from late afternoon until 11 p.m. and will transport viewers to the fireflies' location and then back to their cars free of charge.

While the synchronous fireflies of Southeast Asia, the Ptertoptyx malacca, have been world famous for centuries, the fact that the U.S. fireflies were just discovered has led to a heightened interest in the fireflies here in Tennessee.

A local Knoxville woman, Lynn Faust, and her family who were vacationing in Elkmont in June of 1992 when they discovered the presence of these flashing marvels.  As news of the spectacle has spread, the number of visitors coming to the park has grown each year. 

Because of the increasing popularity of this event, it is now possible to make a reservation for a spot in the field at Elkmont to see these natural wonders. 

Fuller and Finney both suggest going to see the fireflies during the height of their synchronicity, from the middle two weeks to the end of June.  Contact the Elkmont Campground or the Sugarlands Visitor's Center for more information.