Though the 2022 Blue Ghost firefly season has come to a close, we have a full menu of fun summer adventures to consider and would love to see you in Asheville.
To be the first to know when 2023 Blue Ghost tour dates are announced, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light show as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost firefly species!
The evening begins with a gentle, guided stroll through private farmland into a peaceful forest, returning to an open meadow where we’ll settle in as the sun sets and sparkling fireflies emerge. While we cannot guarantee a showing, we hope to see the elusive Blue Ghost fireflies and will surely enjoy the forest at twilight.
Unplug in a peaceful, private setting with a series of nature connection invitations led by a certified forest therapy guide. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses as we sink into the heightened awareness of this special evening experience. Together, we’ll deepen our connection with nature, community and ourselves. The best part: there’s no right or wrong way to forest bathe; just bring an open heart, adventurous spirit and be yourself. All is welcome in the forest.
This special offering takes place on private farmland property with group sizes limited to 15 for a more intimate experience.
Public walks are available on select Fri & Sat evenings at the height of Blue Ghost firefly season. 2022 dates are below. From May 27 – June 11, you may also request a private walk with advanced notice. If the date you’re hoping for isn’t listed on the calendar, call us!! We’ll always accommodate if we can.
Regularly Scheduled Firefly Forest Bathing Tour:
Custom Departure Firefly Forest Bathing Tour: (private groups)
This magical Firefly Forest Bathing experience takes place on private property where you and your fellow adventurers will enjoy exclusive access to a peaceful forest and adjoining meadow frequented by fireflies each year. No need to worry about jostling and moving alongside a crowd of firefly peepers. This space is all yours for the evening!
To protect this special place, we release the exact location to registered guests only. So you can plan ahead, the location is approximately 35-45 mins to the SE of downtown Asheville. If you’re coming from Black Mountain, plan on a 25 min drive and if traveling from Hendersonville, plan on 35-45 mins.
Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a forest environment, forest bathing walks led by certified nature and forest therapy guides invite guests to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. During this gentle walk, your guide will share mindfulness practices and invitations designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you.
This is essentially a mindful, rejuvenating walk in the forest…no actual “bathing” required. For more information, visit our blog: All Things Forest Bathing.
Mobile Massage: Relax, we’ll come to you! Unwind at your vacation rental.
Tarot Reading: Connect through the cards and cultivate deeper bonds.
Private Chef: Let us bring the restaurant experience to you!
Book more than one experience and enjoy a package discount! Get in touch to benefit from this deal.
This special experience takes place on private land. To protect the Blue Ghost habitat there, we share the location of these walks with registered participants only. So you can plan ahead, the location is approximately 40 minutes to the SE of downtown Asheville. If you’re coming from Black Mountain, plan on 25 mins. If you’re coming from Hendersonville, plan on 35 mins.
With the help of a certified guide, guests are led through a series of nature invitations during a leisurely walk on a gentle trail or pathway. The focus will be on mindfulness practices and opportunities to slow down, unplug, and soak up the magic of our wild places. The experience typically lasts 2.5-3 hours and culminates in a tea ceremony with snacks.
Bring/wear:
And an open heart and mind and anything else you need to be comfortable on this short, gentle stroll. Be sure to wear weather-appropriate clothing and remember that layers are your key to comfort. Rain protection is essential. Please remember that temperatures in higher elevations can be significantly lower than in town and rain is always a possibility.
Nope! We’ll be immersing ourselves in the restorative forest atmosphere and aren’t bathing in the traditional rubber-ducky-in-the-bathtub sense. Though we highly recommend wearing shoes that you feel comfortable getting muddy, you can otherwise expect not to get wet.
Your guide is certified as a forest therapy guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and holds current certifications in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. They look forward to sharing the practice of forest bathing with you! For our current roster of guides, visit our team page.
Due to the special nature of this experience, tickets are non-refundable. We plan to hold these walks (light) rain or shine. If AWT cancels due to weather or any other reason, you will be offered a back up tour date or a full refund.
NOTE FOR PRIVATE GROUPS: Group size decreases will be accepted up to 72hrs prior to your scheduled experience without penalty as long as minimum group size thresholds are met. Out of respect for your guide’s time, group size decreases between 72-0 hours prior to your scheduled experience are non-refundable and no store credits will be issued within that window.
These minimums and policies ensure all experience providers, guides, instructors, etc are paid a living wage for their work. Thank you for your understanding as we strive to remain as flexible as possible.
You are responsible for getting yourself to/from the meeting point. It is important to note that, while an Uber/Lyft are unreliable in rural areas.
If you do not have transportation, we recommend reaching out to AVL Ride several days in advance of your arrival to pre-arrange round trip transportation.
Though we’ll walk less than a mile along a gentle, easy path, please bear in mind that you’ll be navigating the trail at night and will need heightened awareness of roots, uneven terrain, and obstacles. If you or members of your party need to be driven to the final firefly viewing area, please reserve a private firefly tour and let us know in advance.
Photography and videography are not allowed on Firefly Forest Bathing Tours. Any small light or flash disturbs the fireflies and disrupts the experience for others in your group.
Note that this tour lasts until approximately 10:30pm. If this isn’t too late for your littles, we welcome children 12+ for both public and private firefly tours. The Blue Ghost habitat is very fragile so children unfortunately won’t be able to roam freely but must instead stick very close to the group. Please keep this in mind when deciding if this tour is right for your family.
Pets are not allowed on Firefly Forest Bathing Tours. Thank you for understanding.
Sadly, nope, we cannot guarantee the fireflies will show themselves. It’s all up to Mother Nature and the Fireflies themselves! To set expectations realistically and prepare ourselves for a lovely adventure, we can say that we are sure to have a magical time experiencing the forest at twilight and we’ll hope to spot fireflies along the way.
Fireflies are sensitive to cold weather and rain which can disrupt viewings. Throw in other elements like the light of a full moon, a delay or early onset of “high season”, and other unknowns and we never know for sure what we’ll see. Please bring an open mind and leave expectations behind. We’ll step into the unknown together!
Your safety and the safety of our facilitators and community is of the utmost importance. To that end, we’ve taken a close look at our policies and procedures and have updated protocols for each tour, service, and experience we offer.
You can review all of our Covid-19 policies for full details. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have further questions or concerns. We’d love to chat with you!