Past Event

Blue Ghost Firefly Tour

Alert
Blue Ghost Tour tickets for 2023 dates have not been released. Tickets will only be available for purchase online. You CANNOT purchase tickets on site at the Cradle.

There is NO waitlist for this event.

The Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) is a secretive, hard-to-find native insect that calls our area home, and for a very short amount of time in early summer, they inhabit our surrounding woodlands of Transylvania County.

Location

Cradle of Forestry in America 
Located at 11250 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768.
 

Cost

General Admission – $30 
Youth – $15 (Ages 4-12) 
America The Beautiful Passholders- General Admission Ages 13 and older-$15 
America The Beautiful Passholders- Youth Ages 4-12-$7.50 
Cradle of Forestry Annual Passholders- General Admission Ages 13 and older-$15 
Cradle of Forestry Annual Passholders- Youth Ages 4-12- $7.50 
*Passholders must present pass in-person during check-in 

Dates

There are no active instances of this event.

Program Details

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to a very unique creature that some say resembles a tribe of fairies carrying blue candles through the forest. 

The Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) is a secretive, hard-to-find native insect that calls our area home, and for a very short amount of time in early summer, they inhabit our surrounding woodlands of Transylvania County. 

You’ll experience an educational presentation at our outdoor amphitheater starting at 9:00pm and then use the cover of darkness and special flashlights to go in search of the Blue Ghost fireflies while hiking on a paved trail through the forest. Cradle of Forestry staff will be stationed at key locations around the trail to provide further information about this amazing natural phenomenon. Please feel free to congregate near these areas with your fellow firefly enthusiasts, or go explore on your own! We require everyone to stay on the trail to prevent habitat damage, and staff will clear the trail and require everyone to depart by 10:30 P.M.  

 Pre-registration is required. This is a light rain or shine, family-friendly event!
In order to maximize our participant experience while minimizing our impact on the resource, we limit each night to 115 participants. 

Interested in taking part in another FIND program? Take a look at what else is happening!