2024
FIREFLY TOURS SOLD OUT
2024 Synchronous & Blue Ghost Firefly Night Walks:
Do you want to witness the mystery and magic of the Synchronous or Blue Ghost fireflies in 2024? Get on the wait list now! These tours are extremely popular and sell out quickly. We will begin making reservations in February & March 2024. We will contact everyone on the wait list in the order in which we received their request. Then, reservations will be made on a first come, first serve basis. You must complete the reservation request form below to get on the wait list.
Firefly tours last approximately 4 hours. We arrange for a convenient pick up location in Waynesville, NC.
Are you ready to take our Firefly Oath and journey into the dark of night to our "secret", remote wilderness location to witness one of the true wonders of nature...the incredible light display of the rare Synchronous Fireflies or the mystical Blue Ghost firefly? Why do we call them our "secret" locations? In a word...preservation. We limit the number of guests on each of our tours to provide a unique and personal experience. We practice responsible wildlife viewing and part of our mission is to preserve this little piece of specialized habitat for these rare species and leave as small a footprint as possible. We do this by only taking small groups and respectfully asking our guests not to divulge our "secret" viewing locations by swearing an oath to the firefly.
Your guides will outfit you with our specially monogrammed safety vests and a red tinted flashlight. You will be transported via our luxury SUV's to our extremely remote wilderness "secret" viewing locations. Your guides will then lead you through the dark of night to witness this incredible phenomenon of nature. Timing is everything, so don't miss it. The fireflies only live for approximately 21 days, usually late May and early June. Homemade cookies and milk provided, if you behave. There is minimal walking involved as we travel to each unique "secret" viewing location by luxury SUV's.
Cataloochee Valley Tours is a private eco-tour company offering firefly tours near Waynesville & Maggie Valley, NC.
We are not connected with the National Park Service Firefly Lottery System in Gatlinburg, Tn. Our tours are small and private, only taking approximately 20 persons per night to our "secret" firefly viewing locations.
Firefly Tours Tentative 2024 Schedule:
May 24 to May 31, 2024* - Blue Ghost Firefly Night Walks
June 1 to June 14, 2024* - Synchronous Firefly Night Walks
8:30 PM to 12:00 Midnight (Make sure you get permission to stay out late.)
$200 per person (prices subject to change)
All tours are private. There will be no involuntary mixing of tour guests.
There is a 3 person minimum per tour. You may request a 1 or 2 person reservation with the knowledge that you will be paying for 3 persons.
Cancellation Policy:
- Reservations canceled more than 24 hours in advance of the tour time will be issued a full 100% refund.
- Reservations canceled less than 24 hours in advance of the tour time will receive a full refund less a $200.00 processing fee.
- Tours that we cancel for any reason will be given a full refund.
These tours are extremely popular and sell out quickly, so contact us early to get on the wait list. We will begin making reservations in February & March 2024. We will contact everyone on the wait list in the order in which we received their request. Then, reservations will be made on a first come, first serve basis. The sooner you reply, the better your chances of obtaining a reservation.
*Tour dates are subject to change depending on the actual date the fireflies begin & end their flashing. In the past, they have started as early as May 18, and as late as June 6. Please note these are estimated dates, the fireflies determine the actual tour dates. Also note that the weather plays an important role in the life of these sensitive little creatures. Typically, the warmer it is, the earlier in the season they will emerge and start flashing. Once they start flashing, temperatures are an important factor and can cause them to stop flashing. Therefore, under these or other weather related conditions, tours may be canceled. It's all up to Mother Nature.
IMPORTANT TOUR INFORMATION:
1. Our firefly tours are most suited to children 13 and up. We travel into an extremely remote wilderness area and it can be a very dark and scary experience for young children.
2. We do not allow photography or video of our Firefly Tours because:
-It is extremely difficult, even for professionals, to photograph in the complete darkness.
-Artificial light disrupts the fireflies and can even stop them from flashing.
3. Chairs are not necessary for these tours.
4. There is minimal walking involved.
5. We operate out of Waynesville & Maggie Valley North Carolina.
6. The closest airport is Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville North Carolina.
7. Due to the late night aspect of these tours, we highly recommend you stay locally in Waynesville, Lake Junaluska or Maggie Valley North Carolina.
To Know The Dark, by Wendell Berry
To go into the dark with a light, is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark.
Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
We want to help you make friends with the darkness.
Treat this adventure as an extraordinary natural experience - enjoy it - and capture it in your memory for a lifetime.
To get on our 2025 Firefly Tour Wait List, please complete the form below. We endeavor to respond to all requests within 24 hours. Check your Spam Folder if you do not hear back from us in a timely manner. Thank You!
Cataloochee Valley Tours is a private eco-tour company offering firefly tours near Waynesville & Maggie Valley, NC.
We are not connected with the National Park Service Firefly Lottery System in Gatlinburg, Tn.
Our tours are small and private, only taking approximately 20 persons per night to our "secret" firefly viewing locations.
What is a Synchronous Firefly?
Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus - PHOTINUS STEMS FROM GREEK AND MEANS “SHINING”) are one of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in the Smokies. They are the only species in America whose individuals can synchronize their flashing light patterns. They are only known from a few regions of the world like South East Asia, Japan and most recently here in North America.
Fireflies (also called lightning bugs) are beetles. They take from one to two years to mature from larvae, but will live as adults for only about 21 days. While in the larval stage, the insects feed on snails and smaller insects. Once they transform into their adult form, they do not eat.
Their light patterns are part of their mating display. Each species of firefly has a characteristic flash pattern that helps its male and female individuals recognize each other. Males will flash 5-8 times at ½ second intervals while flying 2-6 feet off the ground, followed by 8-12 seconds of darkness. It's lights on...lights off much like a light switch. The dark period is as fascinating as their flashing in unison. The males fly and flash and the usually stationary females respond with a flash. They begin flashing about 45 minutes after true dark, usually about 9:45 pm to about midnight.
Fireflies (also called lightning bugs) are beetles. They take from one to two years to mature from larvae, but will live as adults for only about 21 days. While in the larval stage, the insects feed on snails and smaller insects. Once they transform into their adult form, they do not eat.
Their light patterns are part of their mating display. Each species of firefly has a characteristic flash pattern that helps its male and female individuals recognize each other. Males will flash 5-8 times at ½ second intervals while flying 2-6 feet off the ground, followed by 8-12 seconds of darkness. It's lights on...lights off much like a light switch. The dark period is as fascinating as their flashing in unison. The males fly and flash and the usually stationary females respond with a flash. They begin flashing about 45 minutes after true dark, usually about 9:45 pm to about midnight.
- Production of light by living organisms is called bio-luminescence.
- Fireflies combine the chemical luciferin and oxygen with the enzyme luciferase in their lanterns (abdomens) to make light.
- Scientist are not completely sure why they flash synchronously, but there are two theories; it could be competition between males to be the first to flash; or perhaps by flashing all together, they have a better chance of being noticed and the females can compare brightness of lights.
- They do not always flash in unison.
- They can flash in waves and sometimes flash randomly.
What is a Blue Ghost Firefly?
Blue ghosts fireflies (Phausis Reticulata - Latin for phantom network)– don’t blink; they fly while glowing a bluish hue for up to a minute. Based on studies of the creatures, when the male comes close to where the wingless females are glowing on the forest floor, he cuts off his light, drops down to the ground, stops glowing, and tries to cover the female’s glow while they are mating “probably so others can’t see what’s going on. Both male and female blue ghost fireflies, which are about the size of a grain of rice, emit a light that looks more blue-white from a distance than the yellow-green common among other fireflies. The blue ghosts also glow for about a minute rather than flash. The females don’t fly because they lack wings; larviform adults, they have grub like bodies and never develop common features of adult beetles. Where they are abundant, Blue Ghosts create the effect of an ethereal fairy village.
What is the Firefly Lottery?
We are a private eco-tour company and we are NOT affiliated with the national park firefly lottery system. The firefly lottery system is for viewing the synchronous fireflies in the Elkmont area inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside of Gatlinburg, TN. You must obtain a parking permit from the national park service to view the Synchronous Fireflies at Elkmont. Access to the Elkmont area has been limited to shuttle service since 2006 in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a safe viewing experience for visitors that minimizes disturbance to the fireflies during this critical 2-week mating period. On average, the National Park Service typically allows about 1,000 or more persons per night for their viewing at Elkmont. Here is a link to the National Park Service for more details regarding their firefly lottery system: www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/fireflies.htm
Cataloochee Valley Tours is a private eco-tour company offering firefly tours near Waynesville & Maggie Valley, NC.
We are not connected with the National Park Service Firefly Lottery System in Gatlinburg, Tn.
Our tours are small and private, only taking approximately 20 persons per night to our "secret" firefly viewing locations.
Cataloochee Valley Tours is a private eco-tour company offering firefly tours near Waynesville & Maggie Valley, NC.
We are not connected with the National Park Service Firefly Lottery System in Gatlinburg, Tn.
Our tours are small and private, only taking approximately 20 persons per night to our "secret" firefly viewing locations.
Want to Learn More About Fireflies?
We highly recommend this book by our friend, naturalist and fellow firefly enthusiast, Lynn Frierson Faust:
Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/fireflies/ This book has a easy to use chart to help you identify the flashing patterns of the different species of fireflies you may have in your yard. It makes a great gift for all ages of firefly lovers!
Firefly Experience by Radim Schreiber: www.fireflyexperience.org/
Silent Sparks | The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Lewis: silentsparks.com
Xerces Firefly Tourism Webpage: https://xerces.org/endangered-species/fireflies/tourism
Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/fireflies/ This book has a easy to use chart to help you identify the flashing patterns of the different species of fireflies you may have in your yard. It makes a great gift for all ages of firefly lovers!
Firefly Experience by Radim Schreiber: www.fireflyexperience.org/
Silent Sparks | The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Lewis: silentsparks.com
Xerces Firefly Tourism Webpage: https://xerces.org/endangered-species/fireflies/tourism
- Visitors etiquette guide: https://xerces.org/publications/brochures/firefly-tourism
- Site managers guide: https://xerces.org/publications/guidelines/sustainable-us-firefly-tourism