Every year, around the middle/end of May, a rare phenomenon appears in the southern Appalachians. Blue-ish lights hover above the floor of the forest, appearing by the thousands in undisturbed, high-moisture areas. The annual return of the blue ghost fireflies is a very special occasion; loss of pristine forest has shrunk the suitable habitat for the blue ghost down to just a small area around DuPont State Recreational Forest in North Carolina, and on top of that, the fireflies only appear for about a month each year!
🔵What to Expect When Exploring DuPont for Blue Ghost Fireflies:
- A few weeks in late spring, blue ghost fireflies turn the southern Appalachian forests into a forest of blue lights hovering silently above the forest floor.
- They come out late, after the other fireflies have faded – find a moist, sheltered trail near water, get there before sunset, and be patient.
- Go carefully – crowds are already threatening this fragile habitat, and the forest service has had to close trails to protect it.
What’s a blue ghost firefly anyway?
Although DuPont has become synonymous with blue ghost fireflies, there are many public lands in nearby counties where this night marvel can also be seen, including the Nantahala & Pisgah National Forests (NC) and the Mountain Bridge Wilderness right here in the Upstate. And it’s actually not so very difficult to see the blue ghost; you won’t need special night vision equipment, nor do you have to venture far from your car to see them.
Prime Viewing Time for the Blue Ghost
Mid-May through mid-June is prime viewing time. Choose a high-moisture destination in or near DuPont (a trail that is close to a river, a sheltered cove…), and head out before sunset to scout. (Tip: this is the perfect time to visit one of the dozens of waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Escarpment and enjoy a popular destination without the crowds!) Finally, once the sun sets, use the last bit of light to hike a short distance out on your pre-selected trail, and then wait… and wait a little more. Be patient! The blue ghosts come out late, after sunset, and not at twilight like all the other fireflies.
Our Experience Searching through DuPont for Fireflies
One May, we headed to DuPont on our annual blue ghost excursion. We took along a picnic, and enjoyed dinner outdoors while we waited for the sun to set. Other species of fireflies appeared around dusk, fireworks against the dark forest that had the boys standing still in silent awe. We had just about given up on seeing the ghosts and were set to begin the journey home when we walked out one last time – and there they were!
As our eyes adjusted, we saw more and more of them, glowing for up to a minute at a time, hovering above the forest floor in an eerie scene that had us all captivated. The blue ghosts are notoriously hard to photograph, and I didn’t even try – we just soaked in the scene before us, marveling at the rather spooky scene.
Protect the Fireflies! NC Forest Service Boundaries
As thousands flock to DuPont to search for the elusive lightning bug, the NC Forest Service has had to take steps to protect the blue ghost populations within park boundaries. We have seen temporary trail closures in response to an overwhelming number of visitors during blue ghost season, and forest officials observed a high level of habitat disturbance and disruption by the large nighttime crowds, which could have long-term impacts on local populations of fireflies. Forest officials ask that the public observe trail closure signs and stay out of closed areas.
Double-check to see what trails are closed before your visit. Over the past year, especially, Dupont Forest has seen an explosion of visitors, and they’ve had to close trails more often for maintenance.
Plan Your Trip to See the Blue Ghost Fireflies in DuPont
In your quest to find the blue ghost firefly, I hope you’ll respect the work that forest service employees and other public servants are doing in preserving the habitat of this seldom-seen insect.
Please stay on the trail, visit during official hours, park in designated areas, and obey posted signs & trail closures (and make sure to pack a flashlight!). The fireflies are a wonderful opportunity to instill in our children an awe of the beauty of nature, but if we’re not careful, their light will blink out forever.
If you’d like to take a guided tour to see the blue ghosts, we’d recommend this incredible experience in Pisgah Forest.
You can see what the blue ghost fireflies look like in this photo. Find more information about DuPont State Recreation Forest’s blue ghost fireflies from the Friends of DuPont.
This article was originally published on Femme au foyer.
Has your family ever visited the blue ghost fireflies?
Amazed when I saw blue lights in the tree in my back yard, while waiting for my dog to go the bathroom, not sure what they were, I researched and believe they are fireflies,
However, I live in Woodstock Georgia,
They closed the trails at DuPont last years and it looks like this year too. I guess it’s to protect them because people step on them on the trails and then the flashing lights mess with their matting.
So can we attempt to see them this year?
We have them in some areas of northern Greenville County as well, but they come out in mid-to-late April here. Their emergence is ground temperature dependent, so we are a little ahead of western NC.