Viewing of synchronous fireflies will be available at Congaree National Park in May/NPS file

Congaree National Park in South Carolina plans to welcome the public back to watch the park's synchronous fireflies in May.

Public viewing is set for May 20-22 and May 27-29. To protect critical firefly habitat and provide optimum visitor experience, viewing will be limited to 120 vehicles per night. Tickets will be required to enter the park in the evenings on those dates and will be available through a lottery system hosted at www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/300008.

The lottery will open at 10 a.m. EDT on March 31 and will remain open until 10 a.m. EDT on April 6, with results announced on April 14. A non-refundable service fee of $1 will be charged by Recreation.gov to enter the lottery. Participants selected through the lottery will be required to pay a $19 non-refundable event fee to secure tickets ($20 total). Tickets will only be issued for passenger vehicles up to two axles that can fit in standard parking spaces (i.e. no motor homes, vehicles with trailers, buses or mini-buses). Lottery details, rules and additional firefly viewing information may be found at www.nps.gov/cong/fireflies.htm.

To further protect critical firefly habitat, the park entrance road will be closed to all visitors at 4 p.m. nightly beginning on Sunday, May 15 through Sunday, May 29. On those dates, visitors will not have access to the Harry Hampton Visitor Center, frontcountry trails or the boardwalk after 4 p.m. However, the following areas of the park will remain open to the public on those evenings: Cedar Creek Canoe Trail, downstream from the South Cedar Creek Canoe Landing, Bates Ferry Trail, Fork Swamp Trail and all the park's backcountry east of Bridge “J” on Kingsnake Trail.