Updated Great Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Lottery Dates

Updated Great Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Lottery Dates. The dates for the 2019 Synchronous Firefly shuttle operations calendar will be announced April 22, 2019. Evening access to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Elkmont campground will be restricted to those possessing parking pass confirmation. Elkmont access will be limited to those utilizing the firefly shuttles and campers.

The parking passes will be awarded via lottery. The lottery opens Friday, April 26, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. and closes on Monday, April 29, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. The parking confirmation passes lottery can be participated in at Firefly lottery. Parking passes are only valid for a specific date. You will be allowed to enter your preferred date and one alternate date on your lottery application.

All applicants will be notified if they were successful (winning a lottery pass) or unsuccessful (not awarded a vehicle parking confirmation) in the lottery. Lottery winners will be charged a $25.00 reservation fee that is collected on Recreation.gov. This fee will help cover the overhead of awarding the parking confirmation passes, viewing supplies, and daily personel to oversee the viewing opportunities at Elkmont. A nominal $2.00 fee, cash only, will be collected for each round trip to Elkmont when boarding the shuttle at Sugarlands Visitors Center. National park officials plan to release more information on the lottery in the coming weeks.