A Congaree light show

The evening sky was cloudy, and I knew that the darkness would come a little earlier to the woods. Ginger and I sat under the picnic shelter at the start of the trail. I could look over my shoulder and see a steady stream of cars arriving on the entrance road behind us. While we waited on the night to come, we watched as people passed by and entered the trail, into the nearby woods. Finally, it was time, and we got up and started down the trail.

On the trail ahead, the crowd stood eerily silent. Even the whispers were muted. There were perhaps hundreds of people standing and milling along the trail in the evening dusk. There was no sound from the magnificent hardwood forest. The only sound was from the soft tread of feet on the trail. Darkness crept in slowly, and fireflies began twinkling in the darkening woods.

Congaree National Park is one of the few places in the country where synchronized blinking is part of the mating behavior of fireflies. During the spring and summer, fireflies will light up at different times, creating a twinkling effect in the nighttime woods. But at Congaree, beginning in mid-May and lasting into June, fireflies will light up at the same time, performing a luminescent dance.

The park has a designated Firefly Trail to give visitors access to prime viewing areas. The short, one-way trail starts at the picnic shelter and winds around through the forest, under an elevated boardwalk and ends at the Harry Hampton Visitors Center. The boardwalk is reserved for visitors with special mobility needs.

Due to the large number of visitors, strollers, wagons, chairs, headlamps, smoking, vaping and flashlights are not allowed. The trail is closed to dogs between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Flash photography is not allowed. Visitors are advised to apply insect repellant before entering the park. Viewing etiquette requires participants to keep noise levels to a minimum, stay on the designated trail, and don't try to catch the fireflies. The best time for viewing is just after dark, usually between 9 and 10 p.m.

Out on the trail, we found an open spot in the crowd of visitors, near the elevated walkway, and stopped to watch the show. Fireflies blinked throughout the forest here. We noticed two near the trail, blinking at the same time, then a few more. Soon the woods were full of fireflies, all blinking at the same time. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands. It was amazing.

Most of the fireflies were near the ground, but some were scattered up into the canopy. All blinking in unison. I noticed that Ginger had a great big smile on her face, and I leaned over and whispered, "This is one of the natural wonders of the world." She smiled again and nodded. The atmosphere was quiet, reverent and most unusual. No one spoke out loud. Small children sat spellbound. We lingered.

A soft sound caught my attention, and I looked up. I could see a gentle sway in the towering pines overhead. Then I noticed that the firefly numbers had suddenly diminished. The wind was picking up, and Ginger said, "It's going to rain." We started down the trail toward the visitors' center. We could hear a heavy rain now in the canopy overhead. Only a few drops fell through to the trail.

A big crowd was gathered now at the visitors' center, waiting out the rain. We recognized a small group of folks from Sumter, and Roy Creech walked over and greeted us. I've leased land from him in the past but had never met him in person. We had a nice visit.

The rain had slacked off, and we made a run for the car. On our way out of the park, we were amazed to see cars parked along the entrance road for a mile.

The firefly show will end soon, but go if you can. It is a light show like no other.

Reach Dan Geddings at cdgeddings@gmail.com.