You Don’t Want To Miss This Fireflies Festival in South Carolina

Growing up in India, I was fascinated by fireflies wandering around my backyard on warm summer nights. Over time though, I have seen fewer and fewer fireflies, not just back home, but even in the U.S. Many of my friends agree that they don’t get to see as many fireflies now that they used to. Increased light pollution, use of pesticides, and even mosquito repellants, have decreased firefly populations in urban areas.

But the good news is that there is an amazing firefly festival in South Carolina, where you can see thousands of fireflies at one place.

There are over 2,000 species of fireflies found in the world, but only three species of synchronous flashing fireflies are in North America. Every year, Congaree National Park is home to thousands of synchronous fireflies for approximately two weeks between mid-May and mid-June. During this time visitors can experience an awe-inspiring and rare display of synchronous flashing. 

Congaree national park South Carolina
Boardwalk at Congaree National Park. Photo by Sucheta Rawal.

Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park is located near the state capital of Columbia in central South Carolina. It has one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world, boasting old growth bottomless forests that are ideal habitats for fireflies. You can hike the many trails and boardwalks in the park, canoe or kayak on the Congaree river, and even camp overnight. The UNESCO biosphere reserve is an important bird area and one of the best places in the world to see fireflies.

photo of fireflies
Fireflies through a camera lens. Photo by Fred Huang/ Flickr.

Why do Firefly Synchronize?

Firefly flashing is a sophisticated form of animal communication, especially when there is a higher concentration of fireflies gathered in an area. During mating season, the male firefly hover two to four feet higher than the females, sending information such as sex and species to other fireflies. Female fireflies typically view male displays from a stationary location and respond with their own species-specific flash pattern. The exchange of light displays between male and female fireflies, called a photic dialog, occurs between two fireflies, but sometimes more than one male can court the same female. This photic dialog continues until male and female meet and ultimately mate.

Flashing typically begins shortly after sunset and lasts for approximately one hour before the display dissipates. Smaller displays can also be viewed shortly before dawn.

Fireflies at night
Fireflies soon after sunset. Photo credit: National Park Services.

Planning Your Visit To The Firefly Festival

In previous years, approximately 2,000 people visited Congaree National Park every night to see the rare firefly synchronization. But since the 2020 pandemic, the park is allowing only limited viewing through a lottery program. This also helps protect critical firefly habitats and provides a safe and enjoyable experience to visitors.

Only 25 vehicles, plus a few researchers and campers are allowed inside the park during the firefly festival. The night I visited, there were no more than a handful of people on the trails and boardwalks, which made it very special. I could hear the stillness of the night and see the fireflies up close, without having to rub elbows with other viewers. I could even hear the owls!

Since the firefly synchronization takes place only for 10 days in a year, it is hard to plan your visit too far in advance. If you book a camping site inside Congaree National Park between mid-May and early June, you have a good chance of seeing the fireflies. Check back on the Congaree National Park’s website about the next lottery announcement and firefly festival dates. Often times, Columbia Food and Wine festival takes place around the same time, so plan to spend some extra time in the city.

Fireflies festival
Fireflies at night. Photo by: Vic McCord, National Park Services

How To Take Photos of Fireflies

Taking photos of tiny flashlights that blink for 1-2 seconds in the dark, can be especially tricky. Point and shoot cameras won’t even come close. I used my iPhone on tripod and set it to long exposure. Nothing! My video recording did display the lights, but it wasn’t very good quality. You really have to know what you are looking at to get context.

If you have a DSLR or a manually adjustable camera, you may be able to take some photos by following these photography tips. Note that the park may not allow photography, unless you have prior permission. The light emitted from the phone screen (not just flash) can be disorienting to the fireflies.

The best thing, though, is to enjoy the magical moment with your own eyes!

Columbia South Carolina
Walk along Congaree River in Columbia.

Things To Do Columbia

Congaree National Park is located about 30 minutes from Columbia, so unless you are planning on camping in the park, book a hotel room at The Graduate or Hotel Trundle in town. There are lot of fun things to do in Soda City, including the newly opened Reconstruction Trail, The Columbia Museum of Art, Soda City market, historic homes and gardens, the state house, and much more.

A Luxurious Treehouse To Stay At This Summer

Looking for a fun way to spend a weekend or special holidays? Check out the newest trend in glamping – modern, high tech and sustainable treehouses. The Dove Men+Care Elements 360-square-foot treehouse includes a private bath, climate control, high-speed Wi-Fi and a stocked refrigerator. It truly is a “spa in the sky.”

What’s The Inspiration?

The Elements Treehouse is located at the base of Lookout Mountain near downtown Chattanooga, TN. With its inspiration by Dove’s Elements product range, it stands out for its state-of-the-art bathroom constructed of natural elements and sweeping forest views.

The treehouse is the second house for rent at a treehouse resort – Treetop Hideaways in Flintstone, GA, which local entrepreneurs Andrew Alms and Enoch Elwell founded. Treetop Hideaways was an idea to allow childhood memories to flourish. Moreover, families can experience sustainable living close to the city.

Elements Treehouse
A luxurious treehouse that’s perfect for any occasion.

What To Expect?

Pete Nelson, a world-renowned treehouse architect, host of Treehouse Masters and owner of Nelson Treehouse and Supply, designed the Dove Men+Care Elements Treehouse. In addition, it features modern architectural designs surrounded by nature and utilizes the most efficient and sustainable systems.

In the treehouse, a wooden staircase leads you to the living sage wall entryway and Japanese Shou Sugi Ban-style charcoal wood. Will Taylor, founder of Bright Bazaar, interior designed the treehouse. It is done in a nature-inspired style, with sage bedding, charcoal-etched wall art, and sandalwood accents. Also, green, white and grey Earth tones create a rustic yet contemporary ambiance for the treehouse. This is matched with some great wall lights that give the treehouse the light it needs without having too much shining down on you. It allows you to feel calm without giving the room a dim feel. In fact, if you’re coming to stay here and you fall in love with the ambience, how about wall lights from Pagazzi? This website, alongside many others, shows a selection of wall lights similar to those in the treehouse.

What To Do

First, sip on local MayFly coffee while lounging on the private deck. To relax, feel the cool morning mist, listen to the sounds of birds chirping and the flowing stream on property.

Treehouse View
Enjoy the canopy views from your private deck.

Then, connect to Alexa to play your favorite music as you nap in the Tuft and Needle queen mattress. If you want to sightsee while lounging, climb to the two-bed loft to see the tree canopy through the skylights. There is something romantic about staring at the scenery through a skylight that makes you feel so relaxed and at home. If you’re inspired by the sights and want to take a piece of the treehouse with you, make sure to look for a skylights dealer near you, so you can always have that vacation feeling – but in your own home! It really does make the treehouse something special, along with the other features within the vacation spot. In addition to the aroma of sage, enter a cozy sitting area with furniture made of reclaimed wood. If you want to know more about how reclaimed wood gives a rustic look and the whole process behind it, go through blog pages of firms like Manomin Resawn Timbers.

Treehouse Room
Comfortable bedding, AC and modern comforts in your treehouse.

To further relax, freshen up in the spa-inspired Elements bathroom, which is the focal point of the treehouse. Features include charcoal wood paneling, clay sink, heated floors, temperature-controlled 5-head shower, linen robes, Dove Men+Care Elements toiletries, and a glass-enclosed tree in the bathroom with skylight and see-through flooring. Here you can feel like you are showering in the forest, yet have your preferred water heat set on the digital keypad.

This treehouse has every luxurious amenity you can think of.

If you want to soak in the great outdoors, grab a cold beer from the refrigerator and get some steaks or hot dogs started on the outdoor grill. The fireplace is perfect for roasting marshmallows under the stars, enjoying nature and reminiscing about good old campfires.

Warm up by a cozy fireplace in the middle of the forest.

What To Know

Voted ‘Best Town in America’ by the readers of Outside magazine, Chattanooga is quickly becoming a top travel destination in the USA. With surrounding forests, Treetop Hideways is located within minutes of world-class climbing, mountain biking, trail running, caving, and more. Nearby attractions include Ruby Falls, Rock City Gardens, Tennessee Aquarium, Cloudland Canyon State Park and North Chickamauga Gorge.

If you’re looking for a getaway, the Dove Men+Care Elements Treehouse is the perfect family friendly retreat to spend summer holidays in nature and comfort.

Into the Wild: The Yogi’ Who Ventured Into the Outdoors

There exist several well-documented examples demonstrating that one week of camping sans electronics, not only resets our biological body clock but also synchronizes Melatonin (a hormone) production with sunrise and sunset.

Armed with the knowledge of these studies, ventured into the outdoors, and into the very lap of nature. Though I am an avid Yoga enthusiast, the decision overall was prompted by a very dear friend of mine, Andrea, coupled with my own notions of the universe, and its role in life was compelling enough for me to take up this challenge of a camping trip. So, we found the best value camping gear, packed everything up, and started on ur new adventure.

A Tent from when the Yogis Ventured into the Outdoors
Setting Up Camp on the Venture Outdoors

Venturing Into the Outdoors

We decided to camp at The Desoto Falls located off Highway 129. The drive itself urged me to readily surrender to the bounty of nature and the wilderness which nourished my soul. I believe that camping is a silent form of adventure, which brings clarity to mind as well as allows the soul to soak in the positivity around. For me, it is a stress buster, wherein I can be myself while enjoying my surroundings without worrying about everyday mundane tasks.

Divya Sarin and friend on the Yoga Camping Trip
Divya Sarin and friend on the Yoga Camping Trip

Setting Up Camp

When it comes to planning a camping trip, a lot does go into it, especially with all the equipment you’re going to need. With that being said, if you have the basics like a sleeping bag, a tent, and cooking utensils, that’s a great start. Some people who are camping for a long time like to ensure they take a power station, perhaps supplied by jackery dealers or other generator dealers, to power their appliances. While camping is fun, it isn’t so fun being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no phone. While we briefly mentioned tents, if you’re not someone who likes to spend time putting each pole together and attempting to build a tent, it may be worth checking out something like this Top 10 Best Instant Tents (1 To 8 Person Pop-up & Quick Setup) guide. This may help you make your decision about finding a new tent a lot less stressful.

Luckily, we drove up with a trailer so we could take quite a lot of stuff with us. I don’t think we would have fit all of our stuff in the back of an ordinary car! A friend of ours recommended looking at campingfunzone.com so that we would know all of the trailer components. It was useful to know about the axles and storage, just in case we need to sleep in it. Deciding the campsite, setting up the tents, arranging food, and starting the campfire, requires immense strength. Yet, despite the strenuous tasks, our bodies oozed energy like never before and our quest for adventure grew by leaps and bounds. When at last, we did start to feel at home, we spent time making smores and talked our hearts, not mention that some of us were also strangers for one another.

Building and Rebuilding

By the time, the day lapsed into the night we had cemented that awkward relationship into a budding new friendship – our hearts were lighter, the summer became cooler and our energies were higher. We had the best sleep in years with just the sounds of crickets and the nearby creek as lullabies. To further quench our thirst for adventure we started our second day with yoga, in the company of trees by the creek and followed up with a staggering 4.8 miles hike from Neel Gap to Blood mountain along the Appalachian Trail.

It rained while we hiked, which was soothing, and the majestic view from the top raised our spirits to an unknown level of ecstasy and elation. The trip concluded three days later with quality time spent with friends and most importantly nature. Our zeal for adventure has reached a pinnacle, not to mention our inquisitiveness to know more about nature. I now know that mountains are my calling, for I have left a piece of my heart there.

Yogis doing yoga at camp in the wild
Yoga While in Nature

A Continuing Tradition

Every year, Andrea and I, take the interested yogis amidst nature to make them disconnect from the daily routine. Camping once in a year helps in relaxing the mind. It sets the natural alarm clock for the body, helps with mood swings, and also engaging with nature by turning off the mobile phones/laptops lowers the stress levels and is believed to be equivalent to meditation.

I urge each one, my reader, to venture into the outdoors, go camping, and hiking, at least once in life and I promise you will not be able to stop yourself from doing it again. Let loose and for a change, party with nature. Smell the moist earth and take home the fragrance you would love to wear.

~ By Divya Sarin, a yoga enthusiast who can’t sit idle, and wants to create some magic in each person’s life.

Budget-Friendly Romantic Vacation to Amicalola Falls, GA

Traveling to far off places to experience fun, happiness and peace is a passé.We don’t have to rush through life to book that ticket for Europe or to save money for a luxurious trip to the oceans. Lately, I have realized that all we need to do is to open our eyes wide, sit back and relax; we are not in a race to visit the world first. If we try to look around, we will find so many places in and around the city we dwell in, which are still unexplored and are exceptionally beautiful.

countryside Amicalola
Beautiful Green Countryside in Amicalola, GA

Amicalola Falls State Park

Amicalola Falls State Park is one such place. My husband and I have always thought of visiting different countries to experience the newness of traveling but driving through the countryside to a nearby water-fall is also an equally overwhelming experience. The journey to a destination sometimes is more beautiful than the destination itself. Located in the heart of Chattahoochee National Forest, Amicalola Falls are the perfect weekend gateway for those looking for an escape from the daily hustle-bustle.

romance in amicalola
A perfect weekend getaway for you and your loved one

We did a day trip and hiked the 720-foot tall falls. The trees became our shelter, and the ground was the dining table, every moment spent there made me realize that we don’t need to travel miles to feel the beauty and magic of nature, the gateway like these, the moments spent singing songs under the trees, walking the trails and drinking the mineral rich water straight from the rocks make the journey called life more beautiful.

Soak in the Nature Around You

A perfect weekend into the lap of mother nature. Eat under the trees, play guitar, sing songs, or camp. Anyone can hike the famous Appalachian Trail. This place is a refreshing change for those who like to get lost in the striking beauty of the mountains. For those who want more comfort, there are cabins and full-service hotel rooms available around the state park. While returning, back don’t forget to make a halt at the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall for some shopping from the best of the brands.

Life is beautiful and once in a while romancing with the nature add tons to its beauty.

Amicalola
You’ll have to make a trip to truly be in wonder of the view

~ By Divya Sarin, a yoga enthusiast who can’t sit idle, and wants to create some magic in each person’s life.  Follow her on divyasa11.blogspot.com

Book your stay at the Amicalola Falls Lodge now with TripAdvisor!

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