Grandfather Glows: Firefly Viewing

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Research on Grandfather Mountain has confirmed the presence of 10 species of fireflies or luminous insects, including synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus), blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata) and glowworms (Orfelia fultoni). Synchronous fireflies are habitat specialists and thrive in northern hardwood forests, such as those found at Grandfather Mountain.

These glowing wonders only appear for a few weeks each year. Our annual Grandfather Glows events open our nature park for three nights during mid-June to mid-July, the forecasted peak times, for special bioluminescent evenings, weather and conditions permitting.

Grandfather Glows Events

Each of the three event dates have the same schedule, lasting approximately four hours (7 – 11 p.m.).

Grandfather Glows begins in MacRae Meadows with educational programs led by the park’s naturalists and then transitions up to the viewing area in the park before dark. This evening is a “viewing” event, so please expect to find a spot in the designated viewing area and plan to be there for the event. It is understood that you may need to use the restroom (we will have porta potties onsite) and you may be encouraged by staff to visit certain areas to see something interesting at times – but, in general, the less movement people make, the better the chances to see a good show from the fireflies.

Red-light flashlights will be provided, and guests should come prepared for cool weather and with appropriate footwear for an evening on the mountain. Guests are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets and to be prepared for a variety of the mountain’s weather conditions.

Pets are not allowed, and flash photography is prohibited. Attendees will be provided with a more detailed set of rules and firefly viewing etiquette prior to their event.

Important Info for 2027

Grandfather Glows has received a lot of attention since the event began in 2022. Once again, Grandfather Mountain will be instituting a lottery system for tickets, similar to what is done at national parks for this natural phenomenon. Different from other parks, though, we will sell tickets to the event to lottery winners at a per-person rate rather than per vehicle. Lottery “winners” will able to purchase a maximum of six tickets.

Lottery details will be announced in the spring of 2027.

Our general process: After event dates are announced in the spring, the lottery is open for seven days (see more about the lottery below), then a first round of winners are selected and have the ability to purchase actual event tickets by a deadline date, then we move to a second round of winners a few days later and those folks have the ability to purchase actual event tickets by a deadline date.

Please note: There will be no waiting list for this event. Once the lottery is over and the above steps have concluded, there will be no remaining tickets. We advise that people do not purchase tickets from a source other than Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation as we cannot verify the validity of those tickets.

Rain Dates – Please Read and Make Sure You Understand This Important Info

We will once again offer a “rain date” for each event date. If Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation cancels an event due to adverse weather or conditions, a rain date will be provided immediately following the event date.

For example, if you are interested in a (hypothetical) July 1 Grandfather Glows event, you need to make sure your schedule is open both July 1 AND July 2. The event will be scheduled for July 1, and we will make every effort to have the event that date.

However, if a forecast of adverse weather conditions threatens the event, we will make the call (by noon the day of the event) and move the event to the July 2 rain date. No refunds will be issued if you purchase a July 1 ticket but aren’t able to attend the event when it is moved to the July 2 rain date.

Refunds will be issued if Grandfather Mountain has to cancel both your original event date and your rain date.

When event dates are announced in spring 2027, we will clearly communicate each date and its corresponding rain date.

Wheelchair Accessibility + Viewing Area for Those With Limited Mobility

We are excited to share that the event is accessible for those in a wheelchair. Once shuttled up to the viewing area, individuals in wheelchairs are allowed to go as far up the park road into the viewing area as they would like. Please note, the road is on an incline, so wheelchairs may need some assistance to move up the road. There will be an area designated for those with limited mobility at the bottom of the viewing area, near where shuttles drop off and pick up.

Event participants will have the option of walking to the viewing area from MacRae Meadows (approximately 150 yards of walking) or taking a shuttle. The firefly viewing area is located on a half-mile section of the park’s roads. Staff will be roving the viewing area to provide additional educational opportunities.

Lottery Details

The lottery allows us to generate winners in a completely random fashion. All lottery entries will be run through software that provides an equal opportunity for selection. This year, we have made the decision to not limit the number of lottery entries within the seven-day time period, though we do have some parameters set up for individuals (one entry per email address). We are limiting the number of tickets available for each of the three events to ensure a great experience for our guests and protect our firefly species and their habitat.

Photo at the top of this page taken by Jim Magruder | Magruder Photography