The sight of a ribbon of “fire” off a cliffside is something you would imagine seeing in a Lord of the Rings film. And as such, the “legend” of the annual formation of the Horsetail Fall as Yosemite’s natural Firefall has become a global phenomenon. With that being said, here’s the scoop on Horsetail Fall.

Like many natural phenomena, everything needs to align for it to become a reality. First, the setting sun must be at the right angle which happens to be around the second week of February. Second, the snowpack needs to be deep enough to generate enough water flow over El Capitan. Third, the sky needs to be crystal clear. We’re talking not a single cloud or haze even near the horizon. And if everything aligns for that perfect moment, it lasts for only a few, fleeting minutes.

With such a short time window and many elements intersecting, it’s a tough sight to see. The popularity of this event has skyrocketed in recent years, from only a few keen observers to hundreds and possibly thousands of spectators each year. If you are traveling to attempt to see this attraction, be aware that there will most likely be weekend reservation requirements.   Requirements are usually announced about 4 months prior to the event, so make sure to check back here for more information.

The event continues to be increasingly popular, with hundreds of intrepid viewers gathering at the viewing areas on some days. As a result, safety issues and damage to viewing areas have occurred. To address this, the National Park Service has placed viewing and parking restrictions and requires reservations to enter the park for three weekends in February.

• February 8-9
• February 15-17
• February 22-23

On November 18, 2024, 50% of day-use reservations will open for all three weekends. The remaining 50% will open at 8:00 AM Pacific time, two days before a required reservation date. For example, reservations will open at 8:00 AM on February 6 for the February 8 - 9 weekend.

Tours are a fantastic option for travelers looking to guarantee their access to Yosemite during the reservation requirements for February weekends. Discover Yosemite Tours has a private Horsetail Fall Hike and Tour that will drive you to the park, pack a delicious picnic, and help guide you to the viewing area. After that, it's up to you and Mother Nature! 

Parking and viewing restrictions:

To view Horsetail Fall, park at Yosemite Falls parking (just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge) and walk 1.5 miles (each way) to the viewing area near El Capitan Picnic Area. If this parking is full, park at Yosemite Village or Curry Village and use the free shuttle (which stops at both) to get to Yosemite Falls parking/Yosemite Valley Lodge. In addition to the regular shuttle, an express shuttle will operate between Yosemite Village and the Yosemite Falls parking/Yosemite Valley Lodge.

Vault toilets, trash, and recycling dumpsters are available at the El Capitan Picnic Area. Northside Drive will have one lane closed to vehicles so pedestrians can walk on the road between the viewing area and Yosemite Falls parking. Bring warm clothes and a headlamp or flashlight. Parking, stopping, or unloading passengers between Camp 4 and El Capitan Crossover will be prohibited. Vehicles displaying a disability placard will be allowed to drive to the El Capitan Picnic Area and park in turnouts on the north side of Northside Drive. On busy weekends, Northside Drive may close completely for about a half hour immediately after sunset.

Southside Drive will be open to vehicles, but parking, stopping, and unloading passengers will be prohibited between El Capitan Crossover and Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. Pedestrians will also be prohibited from traveling on or adjacent to the road in this area. From Cathedral Beach Picnic Area to Sentinel Beach Picnic Area, the area between the road and the Merced River (including the river) will also be closed to all entry.

El Capitan Crossover (the road connecting Northside and Southside Drives near El Capitan) will be open to vehicles, but parking, stopping, and unloading passengers will be prohibited.

Reservations will also be required for Upper Pines, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, or Wawona Campgrounds (normally operating on a first-come, first-served basis throughout February). Reservations will be released on December 15 at 7:00 AM Pacific time at Recreation.gov. You don't need an additional entrance reservation if you have a campground reservation.

Horsetail Fall lights up.  Photo by Darvin Atkeson

While the natural Firefall event of the Horsetail Fall that happens in February has been around for as long as Yosemite has existed, no one really knew about it until Galen Rowell took the first-known color photograph in 1973 for National Geographic (Interesting aside - in or around 1952 Ansel Adams did capture what was known at that time as El Capitan Fall. But since it was black and white, the unique colorful and fiery event we know of today was not conveyed). Now with the advent of digital photography and social media, this helped propel the ephemeral event into stardom.

For almost a century nightly bonfires created at  Glacier Point that were pushed over the cliffs toward spectators located in Curry Village below. The idea originated inadvertently in 1872 with James McCauley, the owner of the The Mountain House at Glacier Point.. Every night during the summer, he would build a campfire to entertain his guests. To extinguish the fire, he would kick the smoldering embers over the cliff. It didn’t take long for the visitors 3000 feet down below in Yosemite Valley who saw the embers tumbling down the cliff to request the Yosemite Valley Lodge to see the “Firefall.” And thus, the Yosemite Firefall was born.

Long exposure of Glacier Point Firefall from Ahwahnee Meadow

The “natural” Firefall, is much more natural and of course, rare, depending on a good stream of water flowing over Horsetail Fall, a clear sky and the right light hitting the cliffs at the right time to produce the desired effect.

Over 25 years, McCauley kept this tradition until he was evicted from Glacier Point. As the years passed, the Yosemite Valley Hotel owner, David Curry, kept hearing visitors fondly remember that activity. So, he brought it back for special occasions. This continued until 1913, when the park service banned it due to a possible leasing dispute with Mr. Curry. Reinstated in 1917, the display continued again with a break during WWII and was finally ended in 1968 by the director of the National Park Service, George B. Hartzog. His thought, and rightly so, was that it was an unnatural spectacle that was more fitting for Disneyland than a national park.

Old poster of Camp Curry Firefall - courtesy of Yosemite Archives

While long gone, its memory is still deeply embedded in Yosemite’s history. It's as if you can still hear the master of ceremonies, the Stentor, in Camp Curry bellowing out the following exchange with the firemaster at Glacier Point…

“Hello, Glacier Point!”

“Hello, Camp Curry!”

“Is the fire ready?”

“The fire is ready!”

“Let the Fire Fall!”

“The Fire Falls!”

With Yosemite being the showcase of waterfalls, the definition is important. The difference between a waterfall versus waterfalls is that if the river or creek flows off a cliffside in one unique movement or drop, it’s considered a “fall.” While “falls”, also called "cascades", generally means there are several distinct drops or falls in a particular section of a stream. A great example to illustrate the differences - Yosemite Falls which is actually made up for three sections; Upper Yosemite Fall (a single drop), the middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall (another single drop).

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