Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced a transportation plan for visitor use during the mating period of the synchronous firefly beetles at Elkmont. The plan will be in operation from June 9-18, 2006.
In order to more safely accommodate an anticipated large turnout for this year, the City of Gatlinburg trolley service will operate transportation between the Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Little River Trailhead at Elkmont starting on Friday, June 9. The trolley will depart from Sugarlands to take visitors to Elkmont between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. each evening. Please note that Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot fills quickly and that trolley service will be discontinued before 9:00 p.m. if the parking lot fills before that time.
The last trolley returning from Elkmont to Sugarlands will leave at 11:00 p.m. The cost will be $1 round trip per person. The Gatlinburg trolley service will be the sole transportation mode for visitor access during this period; no private vehicles will be allowed. (See below for more details.)
The annual display of the synchronous firefly beetles in the Park has become so popular that Park officials began last year managing the number of visitors to the trailhead. This area has very limited parking spaces that were designed to accommodate day use for several trails. The dates that the mating behavior begins can vary each year due to weather and natural factors, but often starts around the second week in June and lasts for about two weeks.
The Elkmont area is an old logging town with remnant structures of a pre-park resort community. In this area, there is a 220-site campground and several trails that lead into the backcountry. A popular viewing spot for the fireflies is located along the Little River Trail which is surrounded by forest and the Little River. Park Rangers will be at the location to provide information about fireflies, provide tips on how visitors can make the best of the experience, and to pass out cellophane to cover flashlights. The cellophane helps to reduce the glare from the hundreds of flashlights carried by individuals which can disrupt the firefly synchronous flashing.
“The public who visit this area for the purpose of watching fireflies in the dark should recognize this is a natural environment with no other amenities and that the fireflies flashing synchrony becomes more apparent later in the night,” said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “So for those catching the early trolleys, there will be several hours before the fireflies come out,” he explained.
“Our main objectives,” Ditmanson said, “are to improve the experience by minimizing crowded conditions thereby reducing safety and traffic concerns and curtailing potential resource damage. These changes will also help to preserve a good experience for campers at Elkmont by diminishing the traffic in the campground and disruption of passing vehicles from the noise and headlight glare.”
In order to provide a safe and enjoyable experience, the following procedures will be in effect during the firefly managed viewing period June 9-18 in the Elkmont area:
1. Trolley service will be provided from the Sugarlands Visitor Center bus/RV parking lot on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 6 p.m. The last trolley to pick up visitors from the visitor center will be 9 p.m. After 9 p.m., trolleys will only be shuttling visitors back from the Little River Trailhead to the visitor center. The last trolley to return to the visitor center will be at 11 p.m. each night.
2. It is recommended visitors bring flashlights with red cellophane covers to reduce white light.
3. Coolers and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Visitors can bring lawn chairs, and carry food and water in backpacks which can fit on their laps in the trolleys; there are no services available. Dogs/pets are not allowed on the trolleys or on the trail.
4. “No Parking” at the Little River Trailhead will be enforced every evening between the hours of 5 p.m. and 12 a.m., June 9 – 18, during the trolley transportation. The Little River Trailhead parking area will be used to serve as a turn-around area for the trolleys.
* Hikers can park at this location during the day, but their vehicles will need to be removed by 5 p.m.
* Backpackers planning overnight stays in this area will need to park their vehicles at other locations.
5. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the public will not be allowed to access the Elkmont Entrance Road, except for those camping at the Elkmont Campground. Park Rangers will be stationed at the intersection of Little River Road and the Elkmont Entrance Road to manage this restriction.
Over the years, widespread publicity has been given to this area in particular because at the time it was believed to be the only place where the synchronous flashing behavior occurred. The synchronous firefly is native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains and does not exclusively occur in the Elkmont area.
“Based on field work conducted last year, the synchronous firefly species was found to occur in all of the major watersheds in the park,” explained park Entomologist Becky Nichols. “There are areas in the park,” she continued, “with nearly equal numbers of individuals displaying as at Elkmont. Therefore, people who may be looking for a less crowded environment to view fireflies can visit and explore on their own in other low elevation moist, cool watersheds. Some of the Park’s Quiet Walkways may prove to be a good choice for this activity too.” Later in the season, displays will occur at higher elevations as well.
There are at least a dozen other varieties of fireflies that are known to exist in the park. For a summary of the known Park firefly fauna (and their various flash patterns), visit the Discover Life in America website at www.dlia.org.
