Peak Fall Leaf Season in Cades Cove Part of the Great Smoky Mountains
There is no questioning that this weekend will be the peak leaf season for Cades Cove Tennessee, which is the most visited part of the most visited park in the United States: The Great Smoky Mountains national park. Yesterday when driving around and hiking in Cades Cove you can clearly see that there are a few days to go before all the leaves colors into brilliant shades from the mountain peak to the valleys and even before getting to the valley, brilliant fall color can be seen on any road or trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.  Cades Cove Fall Peak Color As you can see by the picture I just took in Cades Cove above, there is still plenty of green but also some very brilliant fall color! We have not had any real precipitation for quite a while in the Smokies and the next 2 days we are guaranteed to get some. This should make what leaves are very green last longer on the trees and as long as the winds stay low, only blow of the poorer colored brown leaves so we can see the brighter fall colors in the trees even better. Little River Road has some must see spots as soon as you leave the Gatlinburg Area on the way to see the fall color in Cades Cove. The fall color is at peak along the Laurel Falls Trail which is a very easy paved walkway up to a very pretty waterfall about 3 miles from the visitor center in the Sugarlands. Just before the Laurel Falls parking area are 2 pull out parking areas with spectacular long range and short range views of the fall color. Be sure to get some pictures here! When you leave Laurel Falls you go by Elkmont. While not quite yet peak in many areas of Elkmont, spots of the early fall color are already bare so while taking a few boulder shots here in the river would be nice, you do better to push on to Cades Cove where the color is much better. Past the Metcalf Bottom Picnic area which will be on your right will be a parking area on the left for the waterfall area known as the Sinks. Unless there is no parking left, be sure to spot here and take a few pictures of the leaves and the waterfalls and boulders. Watch for a rock wall on the left with parking about a 1/2 mile past the Sinks and you will be able to see Meigs Falls which I just took a video of yesterday. As you can see the yellows are getting brighter and so are the reds and oranges around it so by the weekend it will be stunning! You may want to park along the Townsend Wye on the way to Cades Cove. This very photogenic spot will let you have some great pictures of fall color reflecting in the water along with rocks in the river and the rock wall. As you continue toward Cades Cove you start to climb up to a Gap which has a pullout. The leaves are around here are just starting to hit peak fall color yesterday and should be great for the weekend. Once you are in Cades Cove I would suggest taking the Loop Road around all 11 miles. Many of the cabins and churches are past peak, but just look up around the mountains and you will be able to see breathtaking fall color at its finest. I would also suggest if your car can handle it to take Rich Mountain Road out of Cades Cove as you are then right in the best fall peak color of Cades Cove and can see great views when looking down into the valley. Labels: Cades Cove, Elkmont, fall color, Laurel Falls, peak leaf, Sinks
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Great Smoky Mountains Elkmont Firefly Watchers to Invade this June!
It happens every year in the Smokies and it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world like this. The invasion. It may not be the British invasion of the 60's, but beetles are involved in this one as well. The synchronous fireflies of the Smokies are coming…The synchronous fireflies of the Smokies are coming! To say that the sight of a Smokies firefly blinking in perfect harmony with thousands of other lightning bugs all around you is a true miracle of nature is not an exaggeration. Scientists have been coming here from around the world to study our extremely rare fireflies and though they know much about these little creatures, the ability to control the synchronized flashing lights is still a mystery. Other than a small area in Asia that has a different lightning bug that flashes in the trees synchronized, no other fireflies around the world can do this like ours in the Smoky Mountains can. The synchronous firefly Photinus carolinus is not alone in the Great Smoky Mountains as there are actually 18 other species that we know of, but only this one flashes in unison, thousands of them at a time! While this amazing firefly is so rare, it can be found in staggeringly huge numbers in section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee just a few minutes from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. So many people came to this small place every year for the 2 weeks that this display of flashing lights happens, that a shuttle service had to be arranged in order to fit as many people as possible safely and comfortably. Until last year if you wanted to see the fireflies in Elkmont during the peak mating season when they flash, you would have to park at the Sugarlands Visitor Center Parking area just outside the city limits of Gatlinburg Tennessee. You would then wait in line for hours hoping that there was space on the shuttle for you. Many people were turned away everyday as only about 1,000 people per night could be accommodated. Last years in 2012 the system changed so that you must reserve a parking pass in advance for $1.50 a car and then up to 6 people from that car are able to buy a round trip ticket to see the fireflies in Elkmont for $1 a person. While the new reservation system for the firefly shuttles worked far better, a problem last year was that the fireflies were just about done with their mating a full 2 weeks earlier than normal when the shuttle were running. Wildflowers were also blooming about 2 - 3 weeks earlier than normal as well due to exceptionally warm weather in the winter. This year the wildflowers, trees, migrating birds and insects in the Great Smoky Mountains are about a week behind normal so the shuttles are scheduled to run from June 6th through June 13th a time right in line with previous peak flashing seasons. The early reservations sold out within hours and now the only parking passes so you can ride the firefly shuttle are being sold on a first come first served bases the day before departure. With only 85 passes a day to be sold, we expect them to be sold out in minutes every day they become available. If all this sounds like too much of a hassle, or if you missed out and the tickets are gone, all is not lost. There are a few places where the fireflies can be seen before, during and after the main display in Elkmont. As a matter of fact, there are even cabins that you can rent where you will be able to see the synchronous fireflies right from your deck or just a short distance on private property you and other guest have access to. No crowds, no lines and no fees! The Brothers Cove Log Cabin Resort community happens to be one of those magical places in the Smokies where you can find the synchronous fireflies because it has everything the little critters like: a very wooded natural environment with small creeks and even large open fields. Brothers Cove is also tucked in a mountain far away from the lights of Pigeon Forge which makes the firefly show that much better. Besides Brothers Cove, there are other places in the Great Smoky Mountains national park where you can catch the fireflies away from the crowds. If you are willing to hike in for a distance, park your car at the Cades Cove orientation shelter and walk right in. Fireflies can be seen in the fields, on Sparks Lane, by the Abrams Falls Trailhead and Hyatt Lane. Don't feel like walking far? They can be seen in Tremont which is between Townsend and Cades Cove also at around the same time of the year. Coming later? Mid to late June they can be found if you park your car at one of the pull outs along Clingmans Dome Road. Since it is up higher the season starts later. There are other places outside the park in Wears Valley, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge that these true miracles of God's creation can be found! Labels: Elkmont, firefly, Great Smoky Mountains, Photinus Carolinus, shuttle, smokies, synchronous firefly
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Fireflies, spring wildflowers, and other Great Smoky Mountains goings on for June.
The 2 major peak months for people to take vacations in the Great Smoky Mountains are July and October. However, June has become more and more popular every year as people have discovered that besides the great late spring early summer weather, there are less crowds, lots to do and nature shows us some spectacular events taking places in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains national park during June (pictured below) is filled with plenty of deer, wild turkey and black bear foraging around with a backdrop of mountains and a foreground of lush green fields with wildflowers still blooming. Drive, bike or hike this 11 mile outdoor cultural museum and nature preserve.  Spring wildflowers and flowering bushes can found throughout various elevations during June even though the season started in April and in many places peaked in May. Mountain laurel are still blooming throughout the park and the 2 native species of Rhododendron and now blooming as well.  To celebrate the great weather, find food and interesting culture found in the Smokies, there are plenty of events going on during spring such as the Cosby In Park Celebration, the Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival in downtown Sevierville, the Smoky Mountain Pottery Festival in Townsend, Dollywood's KidsFest taking place at Dollywood, and 2 true miracles of nature: the synchronous fireflies and peak flowering of hybrid azalea bushes on Gregory Bald overlooking Cades Cove. One of the most amazing sights the Smokies has to offer tales pace in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park just outside of Gatlinburg. During the 2nd and 3rd weeks of June, one of our fireflies performs a natural light show second to none in Elkmont. These fireflies flash on and off in a pattern which allows them to synchronize with thousands of other lightning bugs in sight. The flashing goes on and on and then all at once – darkness, then it starts all over again. Since the discovery of this phenomenon only a few short years ago, the firefly show in Elkmont has become incredibly popular. So popular in fact, the Elkmont section of the GSMNP closes to motor vehicles. To get there you must take a trolley from the Sugarlands visitor center to Elkmont from June 4th to the 12th. The Trolleys to the Elkmont firefly show cost $1 per person round trip and start departing at 7 pm. The parking lot and the trolleys fill up fast so it is wise to get there early. No pets allowed and everything you take on the trolley must fit on your lap. While the synchronous fireflies, which are lightning bugs that all flash and go dark simultaneously can be enjoyable by anyone with little effort, the 11 mile road trip hike up to Gregory Bald to see the heath bald consisting of hundreds of flame azaleas naturally hybridized in a rainbow of colors with stunning 360 degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina requires considerably more effort and should only be tackled by those in good shape. If an 11-mile hike is too much for you, but you still want to see great views and flame azalea bushes from a bald, Andrews Bald with its trail-head at the Clingmans Dome parking area is much more reasonable at less than 4 miles round trip. Whether you choose to take a trolley into Elkmont to the spectacular fireflies of the Smokies, or sit in a mountain stream or river to cool off, or take an extreme hike the mountain peak where you will find the flaming azaleas blooming at Gregory Bald, you are sure to a have a great time in the Great Smoky Mountains during June. Related Smokies Blog Stories:
Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.
Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies Labels: Andrews bald, azalea, Cades Cove, Elkmont, fireflies, Gregory bald, lightning bugs, National Park, smokies, trolley, wild flower
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Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.
The synchronizing firefly in the Southern Appalachian Smoky Mountains is a rare sight to see when it is flashing its mating signal - a yellowish green pulsing light that breaks the darkness of the night. Found and confirmed by scientists less than a dozen years ago, the lightning bugs special light show has amazed and delighted visitors and residents of the Smoky Mountains for years. The most popular place people come to see a large gathering of the synchronized firefly flash its special light that sends waves of lights up and down mountains, trees and then will plunge into darkness, is the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Conditions have to be right to support the rare lightning bug that will emerge from beneath the ground when the temperature is just right and in search of a mate will flash its amazing light. For safety's sake and transportation convenience, the 2nd week in June at Elkmont was the best place to bring visitors to see the light show. While well coordinated, safe and a great place to see the Smokies fireflies do their thing, standing in line for a long wait to take a shuttle into the park, dealing with 1,000 other visitors that night on a small area and waiting in line to take a shuttle back to your car is not an ideal way to view the fireflies - especially with small kids. What could be more fun that to come to the Smokies and see the special fireflies from your cabin without any hassles? Well it sounds easier than it actually is. While you can find the synchronizing fireflies in many areas of the Southern Appalachians, it is hard to see them in large numbers in the developed areas where most cabins are. The best place to observe the fireflies are not in wooded areas, but more open places where they can see each other to stimulate the flashing, and you can see in turn see them as well. Most cabin rentals are often fairly close to one another so light from one cabin can be seen by the cabin next door. This makes it harder to see the fireflies flashes and the ambient light discourages fireflies to flash on their own. Last year, after much searching the perfect conditions for lightning bugs were found in a small area between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee near large fields and a small stream, at the right elevation and way down a back road with very limited ambient light. After watching the area for the optimum time, lighting bugs did synchronize and they do in fact inhabit this area and put on quite a show! The only problem is that there are only 3 cabins for rent where you could see the fireflies in that small area. Well obviously 3 cabins is not enough to cover the demand to see such a spectacle in the Smoky Mountains so the search was on to find another area where the lightning bus synchronize and they can be seen from a cabin as well as within the property of a development. After 4 years of searching for a great new place outside the Great Smoky Mountains national park that you can rent a cabin and get to see the special firefly show from the property, the best place was just found to see the rare lightning bugs! Brothers Cove a premium private log cabin resort community tucked off Walden Creek in the Wears Valley area outside Pigeon Forge turned out to have all the right conditions: the correct elevation range, water sources, ground cover, great topography, lack of excessive ambient light and of course plenty of the Photinus Carolinus - the synchronizing firefly! The past three weeks they have been observed in large numbers in the Brothers Cove Resort - home to more than 40 log cabins for rent! They have been found around many of the cabins located in this private gated community as well as up toward the top of the community in the large field / play area next to the in-ground swimming pool, the outdoor gazebo and the huge lodge. An even greater concentration of the fireflies have been discovered in the lower field by the Brothers Cove Rental office - also on private property that the guests staying at Brothers Cove can use! They have been observed in the huge field, as well as in and up the treeline on the Brothers Cove Mountain. If you are in this field at Brothers Cove and you look up a clear night, you can see actually see the Milky Way! And guess what? No crowds making noise or people bumping into you! At night all what you can hear are the whippoorwills, the crickets and frogs chirping and owls - what a private way to experience the most interesting natural phenomena in the Smokies! So, what are the best places, ways and times to observe the Smoky Mountains synchronized fireflies in the Brothers Cove resort? Well the best place with the highest concentration of mating fireflies that light up in June will depend on when they emerged from the soil. Since the lower field is at 1,130 feet the field near the swimming pool is at 1,650 feet looking out over the valley and the top ridge of Brothers Cove is 1,950 feet and all 40 plus cabins for rent are located between the lower field and the top ridgeline, there can be an almost full weeks difference between firefly activity at the bottom of Brothers Cove verses the top.  Wherever you decide to watch the fireflies, you should bring along a flashlight with a red led or get a red lens cover or red cellophane so you can move around safely and still not throw off the light show or reduce your night vision. If you are going down to the lower field, you may want to bring folding chairs so you can sit. There are chairs at all the cabins and plenty of seating around the pool area. If you staying at the cabin to watch the fireflies, turn off all the lights so it is as dark as possible. Pick a spot to sit with the widest panorama and if you can away from other cabins that have lights on. Do not forget to look up at the beautiful stars! There are some many weather and other natural conditions that will dictate when the light show will reach peak and how many fireflies will be out that year. The one thing you can count on is that they will be there during the month of June and the best time to see them is at least half hour after sunset and the show is over by around midnight. Best all round time is should be the 2nd and 3rd week of June from 10 pm - 11 pm. Just spending time in the peace and quiet of Brothers Cove is an amazing experience, but to be able to enjoy one of the Smoky Mountains most impressive natural treasures in privacy and without crowds.  Brothers Cove is an amazing custom built private neighborhood of luxury cabins on more than 400 acres much of which is unspoiled forest. Each cabin is unique and every cabin has a spectacular view of the mountains or a secluded wooded view or both! More than half of the almost 80 cabins that have been built in this private resort are for rent through BrothersCove.com. Only guests of cabins rented through Brothers Cove or American Mountain Rentals who owns BrothersCove.com are entitled to all of the amenities maintenance, housekeeping and services offered at the on site office in Brothers Cove. Only registered owners, renters or their guests are allowed in Brothers Cove for firefly viewing as well as entering Brothers Cove property including the fields and natural areas, roads, swimming pool and gazebo. So what are you waiting for? Start looking for the cabin you want so that you can see the fireflies in peace and privacy! Rent a Brothers Cove cabin now before the one you want is gone! Related Smokies Blog Stories:
Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.
Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies Labels: Brothers Cove, cabin for rent, Elkmont, fireflies, Great Smoky Mountains., lightning bug, National Park, peak, resort, smokies, synchronize, Synchronizing, Wears Valley
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Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
If you have been in the Smokies the past few weeks, you would have seen that the lightning bugs have been flashing brighter and glowing more and more every night and in the Great Smoky Mountains national park synchronized firefly season has begun! While all fireflies are a miracle of God's creation, one of the firefly beetles found in the south Appalachian Smoky Mountains are even more amazing compared to any other firefly and will delight everyone young or old. What has been a well-kept secret has grown to become one of the huge tourist attractions each spring in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Not only has firefly watching in the Smokies become a huge happening drawing in about 10,000 visitors to watch a light show that lasts about 3 weeks, other events have sprung up around the synchronous lightning bugs and the fantastic experience of watching them in the GSMNP. The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project going on in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a project performed by scientists, researches and volunteers that are searching for every species living in the park for the world's largest research program called "Discover Life in America". This project has already identified more than 17,000 species in the park, 6,500 of which we did not know they were here and an astonishing 900 of which are brand new to science! The great folks at "Discover Life in America" will be hosting a firefly event this year to coincide with the peak firefly season. The Smokies Firefly Events will take place in Gatlinburg Tennessee on June 12th at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Great Outpost just outside the GSMNP entrance. There will be firefly information, an insect zoo, kids activities, music with Captain Firefly, art, a secret "dark" room to "bioluminate" and food and drink vendors. However, the big questions remain such as: What makes the fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains so special? While all of God's creatures are special, 13 of the 14 species of fireflies that inhabit the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the surrounding southern Appalachian mountains and foothills are more run of the mill creatures that can through a miracle in nature produce their own light in various shades of yellow, green and even blue to attract a mate, 1 species is even more unique. The most unusual firefly named Photinus Carolinus is able to synchronize its light with other lightning bugs around it. The light it the firefly gives off called bioluminescence is a chemical reaction occurring in its abdomen with a self-produced enzyme and oxygen. The Photinus Carolinus synchronized light starts as random pulses and builds up to where large groups of beetles all flash together and then suddenly, everything goes black. Just as quickly as it stopped, the whole process starts all over again. Where can you find the synchronized fireflies in the Smokies? The firefly beetles that synchronize can be found over much of Smokies as long as the conditions are correct, but to be really impressive, you need to have large population densities of fireflies which means that you need the right conditions. The best conditions where the fireflies thrive is along slow moving water with lush plant growth. The perfect conditions where fireflies thrive is along one of the most popular hiking trails located in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This hiking trail is also large enough to accommodate the 1,000 people a night that show up to see the event and smooth enough for people to be safe walking the trail in the dark. When is the best time to see the fireflies in the GSMNP? Obviously, the best time to see the fireflies is at night, but the peak of the firefly season in the Smoky Mountains is around the second week in June. Since soil temperature dictates when they will emerge from the ground and thus when they will be ready to mate, each year the exact best date to see the lightning bugs in the Smoky Mountains changes. Since so many people come to the firefly show in the GSMNP, the park service closes Elkmont for a year and takes visitors in by trolley from the Sugarlands Visitors Center near Gatlinburg starting 7 pm for a $1 per person round trip. Once the parking lot fills, or it is 9 pm, the trolleys stop running to Elkmont. This year the trolleys will run June 5th 2010 until June 13th 2010. If you miss the trolleys because you came to the Smokies a week or so late, do not despair, you still will get a great free light show along the Little River Hiking Trail! Related Smokies Blog Stories:
Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.
Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies Labels: Appalachian, Discover Life in America, Elkmont, fireflies, firefly, firefly beetle, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, light show, lightning bugs, smokies, synchronized
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Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains
No one would believe an old time resident of what was to become the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park when he claimed that he could sit on his porch a see the fields and mountainside light up with synchronized fireflies in the spring, after all this phenomenon was only recorded by scientists in Asia on the other side of the world. Scientists came to the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in the 1990's and saw for themselves that 1 of the 14 lightning bugs which lives in the park does in fact synchronize its flashing with the surrounding firefly beetles. The flashing from the fireflies which is used to attract a mate slowly grows in intensity as one by one the fireflies see each other flashing and attempt to be the brightest prettiest flasher. As fast at the flashing increases in intensity, suddenly the flashing from the lighting bugs will stop for a few seconds and darkness envelopes the area only to be broken by the beetles flashing which start flashing all over again. Coming back year after year and studying the fireflies in Elkmont the experts discovered that though the Asian lighting bugs synchronized in the trees, the lightning beetles in the Smokies flashed for their mates up in the hills and higher up in the bushes and trees and as the night progresses the males move closer and closer to the ground where the females have been sitting flashing to attract a mate. Once the word got out about the beautiful light show the synchronized fireflies in Elkmont put on in late May and into June, the crowds started to come. At first it was manageable but then as people saw the amazing light show and told others the crowds that came to the Elkmont area in the Great Smoky Mountains national park were soon just too much to handle. The national park service in cooperation with the City of Gatlinburg Tennessee decided to have visitors who came to see the fireflies in Elkmont park their cars in the national parks Sugarlands Visitor Center and take Gatlinburg trolleys as a shuttle to Elkmont to alleviate the crowding. While this system worked for a while and everyone was happy, more than 1,000 people a day attempt to take the trolleys which can no longer add on more shuttles due to space and time limitations as well as the environmental and safety issues of too many people in such a small area. Each year as more people know about the synchronized fireflies in Elkmont, the available seats on the trolley shuttles which are only $1 round trip, sell out faster and faster leading to a disappointment for many who have come to the Smokies to see the lightning bugs perform the fantastic mating light show. Further studying of the lightning bugs in the Smokies shows that once the temperature reaches around 50 degrees the lightning bug emerge from the ground in a few other places in the Smoky Mountains other than Elkmont if the conditions are just right. These special lightning bugs can't just be seen any place in the Smokies, the water, soil, elevation and surrounding area has to be just right. While most areas where these synchronized fireflies can be found are remote areas of the national park inaccessible by most and unsafe at night to wander around in, there are a few places where they can be found outside of the park. Amazingly, they can be found in a small valley outside of the park just off the section of the Foothills Parkway called the Spur located between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Here for now the conditions are perfect and the fireflies can be found right by 3 cabins for rent in a field around a small creek! Just imagine in the last week in May when the fireflies start to emerge (Exact time is dependent on previous weeks soil ambient temperature) that you will be able to see the nightly light show gain in intensity which remain strongest for about 21 days and finishes by the end of June. Of course the other 13 species of firefly beetles found in the area will still put on a show for you throughout the summer while you sit out on the deck, sipping a cool glass of iced tea and enjoying nature's beauty and the peace and quiet of this secluded area of the Smoky Mountains. The cabins where you can see the synchronized fireflies range in size from 1 bedroom cabins that accommodate a couple in comfort to huge 4 bedroom family friendly log cabins for rent that can hold many! Imagine enjoying the best of the Smokies all day and the synchronized fireflies at night without ever having to leave your vacation rental! Year round these cabins for rent in the Smoky Mountains are a great choice given their fantastic location - close to Dollywood, Splash Country, Ripley's Aquarium and the other Ripley's attractions, the Great Smoky Mountains national park, hundreds of great restaurants and tons of outlet stores and quaint shops around the area. Related Stories:
Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies Labels: beetle, cabins for rent, creek, Elkmont, Great Smoky Mountain national park, Pigeon Forge, smokies, Smoky Mountains, synchronized fireflies
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Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
You can't come to the Smokies in spring and not see the synchronized firefly show in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park near Gatlinburg Tennessee. No one is really sure why the lightning bugs are only synchronized here in the Smoky Mountains, in small areas in Kentucky and Asia. There are more than a dozen species of lightning bugs but only one of these fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Photinus Carolinus, gives us the light show that attracts thousands of visitors a year. The peak of the lightning bugs synchronized light show is happening right now so shuttles are running from the Sugarland's Visitor Center off Newfound Gap Road to firefly viewing area in Elkmont in order to accommodate the almost 1,000 people a day who may come to see lightning bugs along the Little River flash in unison for hours. The green light called bioluminescence the synchronized firefly uses to attract its mate is caused when an enzyme produced by the beetle is mixed with oxygen. As long as you stay away from bright lights you can see the fireflies light up from quite a distance and in various shades of from light green to blue. While the lights from the lightning bugs will seem sparse and random at first, slowly the lights start to flash and roll up and down the mountainsides and fields in waves and at times in patterns, then huge sustained flashes and then total darkness. Random light flashes from the fireflies start again and then the whole light show begins all over. You can't bring a cooler on board the shuttle tram which is the only way to get into Elkmont until Monday the 15th of June but you can bring a picnic in a carry on bag or backpack. Many people who come to the firefly show in Elkmont take along a blanket and enjoy a picnic dinner near the Little River, or along the hiking trail. Since the beginning of the firefly viewing area is a hiking trail on an old road bed which is paved, it is accessible for people of all ages and levels of mobility. The trail is miles long and though most people who come to the lightning bug show stay close to the trail head near the parking lot, there is plenty of room for everyone to stretch out. If you walk further down the trail there are plenty of boulders to sit on along the Little River and enjoy the fireflies, and a few log benches as well. To enjoy the light show look to the right side of the trail away from the river. You can bring along a flashlight but you need to use one with a red lens cover or if it has a red led. Dark red cellophane works well too. If the light is not covered it can disrupt the fireflies from flashing and will make it harder for you and those around you to see well in the darkness. The shuttle trams start running at 6 pm from the Sugarland's Visitor Center parking area for a $1 a person round trip to the Elkmont Firefly light show viewing area. The trams return back with the last tram arriving back to the Sugarlands around midnight. Want to avoid the crowds? Check out the light show on your own next week starting next Monday. Until then the only way to get into Elkmont during the evening will be with the shuttle. The firefly light show will still be fun for all of next week too. If you are staying in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or Sevierville the firefly light show in the Great Smoky Mountains national park should not be missed! Related Stories:
Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.
Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg
Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies
Labels: Elkmont, fireflies, Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, lightning bugs, Photinus Carolinus, shuttle, Sugarlands visitor center
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Winter Heritage Festival celebration of Cades Cove, Tremont and Townsend in full swing
Townsend Tennessee is the place to be this weekend of for historical, musical and education fun along with guided tours of Cades Cove, Elkmont and Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Experience the people of the Great Smoky Mountains national park, their music and all about their lives and have a great time doing it! Listed below is the schedule for Saturday February 7th. Programs at Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center - 9:00 am -ll:00 am: "Growing Up in Cades Cove , With the Park" presented by Ruth Caughron Davis and Judy Myers Johns
- 1l:00 am -1l:30 am: "Growing Up" presented by questions and answers
- 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Dulcimer Music" presented by Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Hiking the AT" presented by Debbie Way and Pam Reddoch
- 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "North Carolina Smokies, the Other Side" presented by Allen Coggms
- 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm: "Peace of Ground" Video
Programs at Cades Cove (Meet at Primitive Baptist Church) - 1:30 pm - 3:00pm: "Cemetery Stroll" with GSMNP Ranger Ann Schlichting
Programs at Cades Cove Heritage Tours - 1:00 pm - 4:00pm: "Trip around the Loop with Special Guest, to be announced" Meet Cades Cove Heritage Tours at depot. Call (865) 448-8838 for reservations.
Programs at Hemlock Hall. Dancing Bear - 9:00 am - 10:00 am: "Tuckaleechee Cove Archeology" presented by Dr. Boyce Driskell
- 10:00 am - 11:00 am: "Native American Flute Music" presented by Randy McGinnis
- 11:00 am - 12:00 pm: "Early History of Great Smoky Mountains National Park" presented by Steve Cotham
Programs at Little River Railroad Museum (All programs begin at the Museum) - 10:00 am - l:00 pm: "Elkmont Tour" presented by Raymond Palmer
- 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "Tremont Walking Tour" presented by Ron Briggs
- 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: "Townsend Walking Tour" presented by Don Headrick
- 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: "Whistle Over the Mountains" presented by Jim Thurston
Programs at Look Rock - 4:00 pm - 5:30pm: "Photography from the Foothills Parkway" presented by Ann Froschauer. Meet at Look Rock Parking Area. (Inclement weather which is doubtful, meet at the gate at the Walland end of the Parkway)
Programs at Talley Ho Inn - 8:00 am - 9:00 am: "Winter Stretch and Warm-up", Yoga/Pilates Class for all levels with Maria Talley.
- 10:00 am - ll:00 am: "Traditional Mountain Remedies" presented by Ila Hatter
- 1l:00 am - 12:00 pm: "Early Bird Gets the Worm" presented by Kim Hainge
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Hills, Hollers, and Harmonies, Music of the Smoky Mountains" presented by GSMNP Ranger Lisa Free
- 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "Founding of a National Park" presented by Tom Harrington.
- 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: "This Land of Change" presented by Mike Meldrum
- 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: "Mountain Tunes and Tales" performed by, The Woodpickers
Programs at Wesley Woods - l:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "History Hike in Capshaw Valley" with Bill Hayes. Meet at Tipton Lodge
Labels: Cades Cove, Elkmont, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, Tremont, Winter Heritage Festival
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Fall color report for late October 2008 in the Great Smoky Mountains national park
Late October in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is peak for color in the higher attitudes in both Tennessee and North Carolina and the fall color in the leaves are working their way down from the mountain peaks slowly down to the valleys. There a many reasons why the Great Smoky Mountains national park is so fantastic in the autumn to see the leaves change color in October and November. 2 reasons are that there are more than 100 species of trees in the park and that there is more than 4,000 feet in elevation range from the mountains tops the valleys. The result of all of the species of different trees all in one place that change color sis that they will all change colors at different times, in different shades and with different intensities. Add into this great diversity of color and timing of the peak of each type of trees leaves and add in the major changes in elevation and you have a leaf season that starts in early October and you can find great color until mid or late November.  Cades Cove in the picture above taken yesterday is not even close to having peak beginning on the valley floor. The deer and coyote are sporting their winter coats and the bear are busy collecting acorns and eating as much as they can to take them through the winter. The Great Smoky Mountains has many other sections in the park and we will take you through the best place to see the fall colors right now on the Smokies and where they will be.  Once of the best places to take a hike right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to see the fall colors is in the higher elevations by Cove Mountain, Wear Valley and Round Top trail that will take you all the way to the Townsend Wye, of course you don't have to hike in far to see great sights. As you can see by the picture of the bright red leaves on the tree the colors are already stunning. There are also bright yellows and mixes of orange, light yellow and still plenty of deep green of trees which have not changed yet, rhododendron and some yellow pine. Get off Little River Road at the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area and take the bridge over the river and keep going uphill until you reach the trailhead parking on either round top on the left or the Hiking Trail to Little Greenbrier on the right. Both trails will be great for weeks.  Another section of the national park close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is Elkmont section pictured above where a lot of the logging operations took place prior to the formation of the national park. Since the bottom of Elkmont is one of the lower elevations on the park you are just going to see the start of the color changes here right now. Elkmont has many great hiking trails and they will all take you to higher elevations where the color is better. One of the nicest and easiest hiking trails to take in Elkmont to see the fall colors is along the Little River Trail. Here you will see the yellow and golden brown leaves already on the trail floor and floating on the river alongside the trail. Giant rock boulders in the river form many small waterfalls and the higher up you hike the better the color becomes. This is a very easy smooth trail that was a railroad grade and logging road so it is very easy to hike. You do keep on climbing though the further you go in and if you take the Goshen Prong branch of the trail you will reach the peak of the park on the Appalachian Trail where you will find amazing fall colors.  Between Elkmont and Cades Cove just after the Townsend Wye you will find the turnoff to taker you to Tremont - another section of the park that used to have large logging operations. In the lower elevations of Tremont you will also find most of the trees have not started to change colors but there are some very pretty patches of yellows and reds that are growing more intense by the day. The gravel road in Tremont travels along the river. Get out on some of the pull outs and just soak in the beauty of this area. The gravel ends up at a trailhead parking area. Even if you don't want to hike far, just go in 15 minutes and sit at the bench and take in one of the nicest waterfall cascades in the park. Again this is a relatively smooth trail that keeps climbing and the higher you go the better the color is. Expect this trail to be great until mid to late November! Labels: Cades Cove, change colors, Elkmont, Fall Color Report, Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, leaves, North Carolina, November, October 2008, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Tremont, Wears Valley
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Close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg the Elkmont Section of the national park has yearly visit by synchronized fireflies
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