Horsetail Falls

By the way, the firefall was a spectacle that took place back in Yosemite's early days. It consisted of people getting up to Glacier Point, setting dead branches on fire, and throwing them over the cliff to the valley over a thousand feet below. Obviously this delighted summer holiday-makers at what was then Camp Curry (now Curry Village). But eventually this practice was discontinued as it didn't fit the National Park principle of natural beauty.

To get to perhaps the best spot for photographing the falls, drive 1.7 miles west of Yosemite Lodge on the Northside Drive. There is a picnic area on the right hand side where you can find parking. There are also other pullouts along this unsigned stretch of road yielding views of Horsetail Falls above and between pine trees, but since the road is one-way, it’s worth slowing down so you don’t miss any pullouts and have to drive a large loop just to get back to this point.

To maximize your likelihood of seeing the falls in its firefall state, you'll need two things to work for you. One, the falls needs to be flowing. This generally occurs when the snowpack above El Capitan is melting (which can be as early as December or January but is strongest in the March-April timeframe). Two, the sun needs to set in the right position to make the falls' profile glow red. This occurs around January until the last week of February. To get the best of both worlds (i.e. flow and light), you'll want to be here in February assuming the weather cooperates.

Below are some photos of the ephemeral waterfall in its non-firefall state - which you're more likely to encounter if you happen to see it.

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No firefall effect in this photo, but it certainly looks ghostly.


The wispy waterfall in morning light