Firefall 2024: How To Experience Yosemite’s Glowing Phenomenon in 1 Day
Last Updated on March 2, 2024 by Audrey
What is Firefall?
Firefall is an event in Yosemite National Park that happens exclusively in February, when the conditions of the sun, clouds, and water is just right. The sun has to be able to shine and reflect off of the water, so there cannot be clouds at that moment. Horsetail falls, a seasonal waterfall that forms off of El Capitan, has to have enough water present. If the conditions are all met, Horsetail Falls on El Capitan will change color to glow a beautiful orange/red at sunset, almost as if it were lava or fire. It is an amazing natural phenomenon that brings thousands of visitors to the park every February! It typically occurs only during the last two weeks of February, and can be a hit or miss depending on the weather’s conditions. I was able to go myself two years ago and saw the stunning Firefall for myself.
Why did I decide to go?
In 2021, I decided to make the trip to Yosemite. Despite being a Bay Area native, I had never visited the national park before. I heard from a close friend that this phenomenon was a once in a lifetime experience, so we decided to leave our weekend open and attempt to win a reservation to enter the park. Don’t think that you have to dedicate a lot of time to go to the park. We drove from San Francisco to Yosemite and back in one day! It is definitely do-able as a day trip from the Bay Area.
Obtain a Parking Reservation to Enter the Park
For anyone entering the park during the last three weekends of February, a vehicle reservation/permit is required. So no impromptu missions to see the Firefall during the weekend, make sure you get a permit first! Yosemite releases 50% of parking permits to guests in December, 2 months before the season starts. The other 50% of the permits are released two days before the reservation time at 8 am. When I went, I woke up bright and early at 7:50 am on 2/19 to apply for the permit to enter the park on 2/21. Have each member of your party apply for the permit if you can, to increase your chances. My friend didn’t win the permit, but I did! And so, we prepared for our day trip to California’s most famous national park.
Parking
Hop on to Yosemite’s website to see the best places to park. It’s recommended to park at the Yosemite Falls Parking Area near Yosemite Valley Lodge. If those spots are all full, you can try Yosemite Village. There is a free shuttle from Yosemite Village to the Valley Lodge.
Obviously, the earlier you are, the higher your chance of getting a good parking spot. Either way, it is quite a long walk from the parking lot to the viewing areas. Anticipate to walk around 1 mile to 1.5 miles back to your car. It will be quite safe, as everyone else who came to see the falls will be walking back with you. However, on the other side, everyone will be leaving at the same time after the “show” is over, so leaving is a very slow process. Also, you might see some visitors at the parking lot! I saw a large coyote wandering the lot during the day time. Make sure not to disturb our friends at the park!
what to bring:
Basically, you’ll want a good camera to capture the moment, plan for snow, and quite a long time of sitting and waiting.
- camera with a zoom
- sunscreen
- water/camelbak
- blankets
- chairs/picnic sheet
- Food/Drinks/snacks
- music/speaker
- flashlight
- heat packs if desired
- layered jacket
- hiking boots/socks if doing trails
- mittens
Our Daytrip to watch the Firefall
We departed San Francisco at 6 am, to arrive at Yosemite by 9 am. You don’t have to come quite so early, but this was important for us because we weren’t planning to stay the whole weekend, so we wanted to get some hiking done as well. If you are coming to Yosemite only for the intention of snapping a seriously killer photo of the Firefall, then aim to be in your photograph position by 3 pm. If you are a casual viewer, 4 pm should be fine. The actual Firefall event occurs around 5:30, when the sunlight hits Horsetail Falls just right. However, since we were just staying for one day and weren’t professional photographers, we decided to do a trail in the morning.
While waiting for the sun to set, we chose to do the Four Mile Trail that leads from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point. Despite the name, it is actually a 9.7 mile moderate-strenuous hike with 2000 feet elevation. Listen to me when I say this, do not do this hike in February! It was covered with snow, and I kept stepping deep into the snow. You won’t even have time to complete the hike and get back down in time for the viewing. Assuming that you are also taking a day trip to Yosemite, I would advise to do a short hike that will take less than 4 hours to do, so that you can get a good spot for the viewing.
The best viewing spots
The best areas to view the Firefall are the El Capitan picnic area and the Northside Drive area. The El Capitan picnic area requires a 1.5 mile walk to get to, but provides a spectacular view to gaze up at the falls. The Northside Drive area is the main viewing area and is not too far from Yosemite Lodge. You will see many people set up on the snow along the main road. Not directly on the road, of course, but anywhere else is fair game as long as you don’t impede traffic. Most of the ground will be covered in snow, so bringing a chair would be a gamechanger! We only brought a waterproof picnic blanket and a couple of blankets. We were freezing our little booties off sitting on the snow, in the cold, waiting for the glowing waterfall to show up.
As the sun started to set, everybody became excited in anticipation. All eyes were glued to the little waterfall up in the distance of El Capitan. You really should get a zoom lens for this kind of thing, the fall is so high up that it looks so small! However, when Horsetail Falls began to change color, the blazing orange was hard to miss. For a few minutes, everyone was raptured by the beauty of the phenomenon while the waterfall glowed. It was truly a beautiful sight.
The Aftermath
After the spectacular sight, you’ll make your way back to the parking lot as the sun continues to set. Nightfall comes pretty quickly after the Firefall. Luckily, every one else is going the same direction you are, and there are park rangers as well to help guide you. The walk back to the car will be long, around 1-1.5 miles, but it is very safe. On the other hand, when you leave the parking lot, everyone is leaving just like you! So it will take an hour or more to exit the lot. The rangers will direct the cars one at a time, so it doesn’t feel like a bloodbath trying to leave the park.
Ready to View the Firefall?
So, what do you think, are you ready to head out and see the Firefall this month? I definitely think it is a special experience, and worth the trip out to Yosemite. I would love to make a return trip next year, and bring my friends and partner who haven’t witnessed it yet. When else will you ever get to see a waterfall glow like lava off of a huge cliff? In addition to that, you get to take a breath of fresh air and explore the beauty of mother nature at Yosemite while you’re at it!
No matter if you are a professional photographer or a park lover, whether you’re coming by yourself or with a family, this event is fun for any age and expertise. It is a must-see, especially if you are a California native. Even if you are a casual viewer like I was, it is absolutely amazing.
