Yosemite Valley is mind-blowing enough on any given day or month, but when annual Firefall season arrives it becomes a spectacle within a spectacle. At sunset during the last two weeks of February, rays of light hit the precipice of Horsetail Fall on El Capitan at just the right angle—turning the water fire red. The event, slated for February 10 to 28 this year, will be drawing the usual thousands of Firefall crowds and Yosemite traffic jams to a scene that (like the Valley itself) photos can only hint at. That is, if it happens. It’s nature, so even at the optimal time, there are no guarantees. In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
The Best Time to See Firefall in 2022 I live in the area and was in Yosemite this past weekend. Though I didn’t see the elusive Firefall, I did see El Cap at sunset, and the formation glowed gold in the light. Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall were flowing and gorgeous. From what I observed, it’s too soon to tell if the upcoming light event that turns Horsetail Fall into an illusion of flowing lava will occur.
Vitaliy Musiyenko “It’s the proverbial crapshoot,” says Evan Russell, curator at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley. “Conditions right now don’t look as good as they could be. We’ve had a very dry January and whatever is left is water from the storms before. It’s not going to be a great year for it as it stands now.” If it does happen, he continues, “between Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and President’s Day (Feb. 21) is the best window.”
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Photographer and longtime Yosemite resident Dean Fidelman has been capturing that moment for years—and it never gets old. “It’s quite beautiful—just epic,” he says, adding that most modern cameras can do the job, from a cell phone up to a DSLR with a 70mm lens or more. “Bringing a tripod allows you to get a slow shot where the water looks milky,” he adds. How to Beat the Crowds to See Firefall Due to overcrowding, road restrictions are in place. Plan your visit ahead of time and check out the free shuttle schedule. “We’re suggesting people park in the lots and either walk or ride a bike instead,” recommends a spokesperson from the Park Service.
Most Scenic Trail Runs in Yosemite National Park
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There are ample paved paths that connect the Valley loop. When biking or walking, it’s wise to bring warm layers and gloves, a headlamp, bike lock, reflectors and lights, and warm drinks.
Vitaliy Musiyenko Many credit the late photographer Galen Rowell who captured the event in 1973 with popularizing the Firefall. The name is a nod to the original—and environmentally damaging Yosemite Firefall—which started in 1872 when James McCauley of the Glacier Point Mountain House Hotel poured embers over the edge of 3,200-foot Glacier Point. In the 1960s, Director of the National Park Service George Hertzog argued “the Firefall was an unnatural spectacle more appropriate for Disneyland than a national park,” and it “attracted huge crowds that damaged local meadows,” per Yosemitefirefall.com. The spectacle ended on January 25, 1968.
Vitaliy Musiyenko Some Advice When Navigating Yosemite National Park Present day crowds to the Firefall on El Cap unfortunately come with trash issues. To keep the park clean, “the Ansel Adams Gallery does a mini Facelift for Horsetail Fall viewing areas,” says Evan Russell. “We’ve found clothing, toilet paper, and even a painting someone had done and left out in the woods.”
Why Is There So Much Trash on Top of El Capitan?
What happens to all the trash when the only people who can get it are climbers? Read article
For nearly 20 years, the Yosemite Climbing Association has hosted the annual Facelift in the fall, where visitors and locals alike pick up garbage. To date, they’ve removed more than one million pounds of it. Do your part and take everything out with you. And remember: There’s more to the park than Firefall. “The truth is, you see so many things in Yosemite that are amazing,” says Fidelman. “It’s never just one thing.” Use our complete guide to Yosemite National Park to plan your visit.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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Yosemite Valley is mind-blowing enough on any given day or month, but when annual Firefall season arrives it becomes a spectacle within a spectacle. At sunset during the last two weeks of February, rays of light hit the precipice of Horsetail Fall on El Capitan at just the right angle—turning the water fire red. The event, slated for February 10 to 28 this year, will be drawing the usual thousands of Firefall crowds and Yosemite traffic jams to a scene that (like the Valley itself) photos can only hint at. That is, if it happens. It’s nature, so even at the optimal time, there are no guarantees.
In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
The Best Time to See Firefall in 2022
I live in the area and was in Yosemite this past weekend. Though I didn’t see the elusive Firefall, I did see El Cap at sunset, and the formation glowed gold in the light. Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall were flowing and gorgeous. From what I observed, it’s too soon to tell if the upcoming light event that turns Horsetail Fall into an illusion of flowing lava will occur.
“It’s the proverbial crapshoot,” says Evan Russell, curator at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley. “Conditions right now don’t look as good as they could be. We’ve had a very dry January and whatever is left is water from the storms before. It’s not going to be a great year for it as it stands now.” If it does happen, he continues, “between Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and President’s Day (Feb. 21) is the best window.”
15 American Waterfalls You Should See Before You Die
Read article
Photographer and longtime Yosemite resident Dean Fidelman has been capturing that moment for years—and it never gets old. “It’s quite beautiful—just epic,” he says, adding that most modern cameras can do the job, from a cell phone up to a DSLR with a 70mm lens or more. “Bringing a tripod allows you to get a slow shot where the water looks milky,” he adds.
15 American Waterfalls You Should See Before You Die
Read article
15 American Waterfalls You Should See Before You Die
How to Beat the Crowds to See Firefall
Due to overcrowding, road restrictions are in place. Plan your visit ahead of time and check out the free shuttle schedule. “We’re suggesting people park in the lots and either walk or ride a bike instead,” recommends a spokesperson from the Park Service.
Most Scenic Trail Runs in Yosemite National Park
Read article
There are ample paved paths that connect the Valley loop. When biking or walking, it’s wise to bring warm layers and gloves, a headlamp, bike lock, reflectors and lights, and warm drinks.
Most Scenic Trail Runs in Yosemite National Park
Read article
Most Scenic Trail Runs in Yosemite National Park
Many credit the late photographer Galen Rowell who captured the event in 1973 with popularizing the Firefall. The name is a nod to the original—and environmentally damaging Yosemite Firefall—which started in 1872 when James McCauley of the Glacier Point Mountain House Hotel poured embers over the edge of 3,200-foot Glacier Point.
In the 1960s, Director of the National Park Service George Hertzog argued “the Firefall was an unnatural spectacle more appropriate for Disneyland than a national park,” and it “attracted huge crowds that damaged local meadows,” per Yosemitefirefall.com. The spectacle ended on January 25, 1968.
Some Advice When Navigating Yosemite National Park
Present day crowds to the Firefall on El Cap unfortunately come with trash issues. To keep the park clean, “the Ansel Adams Gallery does a mini Facelift for Horsetail Fall viewing areas,” says Evan Russell. “We’ve found clothing, toilet paper, and even a painting someone had done and left out in the woods.”
Why Is There So Much Trash on Top of El Capitan?
What happens to all the trash when the only people who can get it are climbers? Read article
For nearly 20 years, the Yosemite Climbing Association has hosted the annual Facelift in the fall, where visitors and locals alike pick up garbage. To date, they’ve removed more than one million pounds of it. Do your part and take everything out with you.
Why Is There So Much Trash on Top of El Capitan?
What happens to all the trash when the only people who can get it are climbers? Read article
Why Is There So Much Trash on Top of El Capitan?
What happens to all the trash when the only people who can get it are climbers?
And remember: There’s more to the park than Firefall.
“The truth is, you see so many things in Yosemite that are amazing,” says Fidelman. “It’s never just one thing.”
Use our complete guide to Yosemite National Park to plan your visit.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
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The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program
Ocean Rower Fiann Paul Completes Most Grueling Expedition
Snowmobile-accessed Ski Touring in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana
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The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
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The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
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