Townsend, Tenn. – Cades Cove Heritage Tours, based at Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, will again offer a special evening tour to see the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont on June 6-13. 

Reservations for the Firefly Tours are required. Reservations by phone (865-448-8838) or in person at the Heritage Center begin Wednesday, May 1, starting at 10 a.m.  No reservations will be taken prior to this date.

A total of 18 seats are available for each date, and the cost is $1 per person for the round trip. The Firefly Tour is made possible through the generosity of Blount Partnership and the Firefly Cafe.

The tour will begin with a roll call at The Firefly Café in Townsend, at 6:45 p.m. each evening, and leave Townsend at 7 p.m., with return trip planned between 11:00 p.m. and midnight.

Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) are one of 14 species of fireflies that live in Great 

Smoky Mountains National Park. They are the only species in America whose individuals can  synchronize their flashing light patterns. Visit http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm for more information on synchronous fireflies, including “Light Show Etiquette.”

Regularly scheduled Cades Cove Heritage Tours are available for just $10 per person every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The Heritage Center is located between the Townsend traffic light and the national park entrance, on Scenic Highway 73.