When
When to see the Firefall
Peak window: mid-February to late February.
This year
Exact dates and any day-use reservation rules shift year to year, and it's never guaranteed on a given evening. Confirm the current year's rules and road conditions on the official park page before you build a trip around it.
Where to watch
Finding the Firefall
Horsetail Fall, on the east face of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley — viewed from the El Capitan Picnic Area and the marked roadside viewing areas along Northside Drive.
What makes it happen: For about two weeks in mid-to-late February the setting sun strikes Horsetail Fall at a low angle that lights the falling water orange and red. It needs two things at once: enough snowmelt or recent rain to keep the fall flowing, and a clear western sky at sunset. Many evenings in the window fail on one or both, so it is never guaranteed on a given day.
Plan around it
How to time your visit
Arrive hours ahead — the viewing areas and nearby parking fill by mid-afternoon, and the light only holds for about ten minutes near sunset. Day-use reservations have applied in some past Februaries; confirm whether they're in effect for the year you're visiting, along with road conditions, before you drive in. To catch the two-week window at all, you have to be in the Valley for it — book a stay early.
Find a Valley stay for the Firefall window →Save on Entry
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