Horsetail Falls Firefall — Yosemite February USA
The Horsetail Fall on El Capitan's eastern edge in Yosemite National Park — for approximately two weeks in mid-to-late February when weather conditions align perfectly (the waterfall must be flowing, the sky must be clear at sunset, and the temperature must allow snow to melt to feed the fall), the setting sun's angle illuminates the falling water at exactly the correct wavelength to create the appearance of a river of lava flowing down the cliff face. The 'firefall' effect (the water glowing orange-red from base to top for 10 minutes around 5:30pm) and its precise meteorological requirements create a photography pilgrimage event that fills the El Capitan meadow with thousands of visitors on successful evenings. The phenomenon's combination of its complete unpredictability (even in February, cloud cover, lack of snowmelt, or wind can prevent the effect) and its absolute visual impact when it occurs (the 300-metre waterfall appearing as a flowing lava fall on the world's largest monolith) creates one of North America's most specifically timed natural light events.
About this spectacle
For roughly two weeks each mid-to-late February, visitors to El Capitan Meadow in Yosemite gather in hushed anticipation as the setting sun angles precisely onto Horsetail Fall — a 300-metre waterfall tumbling down El Capitan's eastern face. When conditions align — the fall flowing, skies clear, and snowmelt active — the last ten minutes of sunlight around 5:30 pm transform the cascade into what appears to be a river of molten lava, glowing deep orange and red from top to base. The meadow fills with thousands of photographers, tripods packed shoulder-to-shoulder, all trained on the same cliff. When clouds roll in or the fall runs dry, nothing happens. When it works, the enormous granite monolith becomes a canvas for one of the most dramatic natural light effects in North America: a brief, blazing apparition that is over in minutes, leaving the meadow in blue dusk shadow.
When to go
Jan — Dec, peak Feb
Getting there
Nearest airport: FAT. Nearest city: Fresno.
Booking options
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