Yosemite’s famous firefall is fading fast. Here’s how to catch the final days.

Yosemite prepares for its most popular winter event

Every February, a small waterfall on El Capitan catches the sunset at just the right angle and glows bright orange, like liquid fire.

It only lasts about 10 minutes. This year’s viewing window ends Feb. 26, so there are only a few days left. A big winter storm hit the park last week and blocked the view for days. Park officials said the glow was “very unlikely” while the clouds hung around.

Now the skies have cleared, and the forecast looks sunny through at least Monday.

No reservations needed this year

Getting into the park is simpler this year. Yosemite dropped the reservation requirement it used in past seasons, so visitors can show up without booking ahead.

The standard entrance fee is $35 per vehicle, good for seven days. The park expects the open-access policy to bring larger crowds than usual, so planning ahead still makes sense.

Three things have to go right

The firefall does not happen every night. Three conditions have to line up at once.

Horsetail Fall needs enough snowmelt to flow, the western sky must be clear at sunset, and the sun has to hit the waterfall at exactly the right angle. That angle only occurs during this narrow February window.

If any one piece fails, the glow will not appear. The park recommends out-of-town visitors plan for multiple evenings to improve their chances.

What a good night actually looks like

About 5 to 15 minutes before sunset, sunlight begins to hit the waterfall and the granite wall behind it.

The water shifts from gold to bright orange and eventually deep red before fading as the sun drops below the horizon. The whole show lasts roughly 10 minutes.

Horsetail Fall flows only in winter and early spring, fed entirely by snowmelt. For most of the year, it runs dry and is nearly invisible on El Capitan’s face.

Parking rules are strict this year

Visitors must park at Yosemite Falls parking, near Yosemite Valley Lodge, and walk 1.5 miles each way to the viewing area near El Capitan Picnic Area.

One lane of Northside Drive closes to vehicles so pedestrians can walk safely between the lot and the viewing area.

Parking, stopping, and unloading on Northside Drive between Lower Yosemite Fall and El Capitan Crossover is not allowed. On busy weekends, the park may close Northside Drive entirely for about 30 minutes after sunset.

Overflow lots and shuttle options

If the Yosemite Falls lot fills up, visitors can park at Yosemite Village or Curry Village. A free shuttle runs from both overflow lots to Yosemite Falls parking and Yosemite Valley Lodge.

An express shuttle also connects Yosemite Village directly to Yosemite Falls parking during firefall season. Vehicles with a disability placard can drive to El Capitan Picnic Area and park in designated turnouts.

Vault toilets, trash cans, and recycling bins are available at the picnic area.

The park plans for thousands of visitors

The park added extra staff and a traffic management plan for the firefall period. On Feb. 19, 2022, more than 2,400 visitors packed the viewing areas in a single evening.

In past years, crowds spilled onto riverbanks, increasing erosion and damaging plants. In February 2017, a section of riverbank collapsed under the weight of spectators.

Additional park personnel will be on hand to manage traffic and keep visitors on designated paths this year.

Safety tips before you go

Bring warm layers and a headlamp for each person in your group. The walk back to the car after sunset is cold and dark.

Expect snow and ice on the ground, and wear footwear with good traction. Stay on marked trails and out of meadows, which support most of the valley’s plant and animal life.

Avoid burned areas and watch for scorched trees that could fall without warning. Fenced areas are off-limits and protect sensitive ecosystems.

The original firefall used actual fire

The name traces back to a human-made tradition that ran from around 1872 to 1968.

James McCauley, who owned the Glacier Point Mountain House, started it by kicking campfire embers off the cliff for his guests.

The glowing embers fell roughly 3,000 feet toward the valley floor, looking like a waterfall of fire from below. His sons later turned it into a business, charging tourists to build bigger fires and watch the spectacle.

How the old firefall became a nightly ritual

After McCauley was evicted in 1897, David Curry, founder of Camp Curry, brought the tradition back in the early 1900s.

Every summer night at 9 p.m., a master of ceremonies would call up to Glacier Point, and the fire tender would shout back before pushing the embers over the edge.

The spectacle ran for decades, paused during World War II, then returned by public demand. In January 1968, National Park Service Director George Hartzog ended it.

A photographer put the natural firefall on the map

In February 1973, photographer Galen Rowell spotted sunlight hitting Horsetail Fall while driving through the valley. He raced to the base of El Capitan and took the first known photograph of the natural firefall.

His image became one of the most celebrated landscape photos ever taken. For years, few others tried to replicate the shot.

The rise of digital photography and social media in the 2000s brought the natural firefall to a worldwide audience, turning it into the annual event it is today.

Worth the wait, but not guaranteed

The firefall is free to watch and needs no special equipment beyond warm clothes. That said, conditions are never guaranteed.

Some visitors wait for hours only to see clouds roll in. The park encourages people to enjoy the valley’s other winter scenery if the firefall does not appear.

Visitors can check the El Capitan webcam on the Yosemite webcams page to see whether Horsetail Fall is flowing before making the trip.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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