This Yosemite Waterfall Looks Like Its Pouring Fire for 10 Minutes a Year

It doesn’t look real. For a few minutes in late February, a waterfall in Yosemite National Park turns the color of molten lava. The sun hits just right, the light catches the mist, and Horsetail Fall goes up in flames—visually, anyway. It’s one of the most elusive natural phenomena in the U.S., and it’s drawing bigger crowds every year.

The Firefall only shows up if nature cooperates. There has to be enough snow. It has to be warm enough to melt it. The western sky needs to stay perfectly clear. If even one thing is off, the waterfall stays gray and anonymous, and thousands of people with cameras go home disappointed.

It’s been happening forever, but the Firefall didn’t go viral until fairly recently. Photographer Galen Rowell took the first known image in 1973, but it wasn’t until the social media era that it exploded into a full-on pilgrimage. Now, over 2,000 people will cram into a narrow section of Yosemite Valley on peak nights, setting up tripods and hoping the weather doesn’t ruin everything.

And yes, you need a reservation—like, now. Because this isn’t a casual stop on your national park road trip. You can’t just roll up and hope for the best. Yosemite National Park now limits access during peak Firefall weeks, and the 2026 dates will inevitably fill up fast. Mark your calendar for the release date and get ready to hit refresh.

Horsetail Fall Turns Into a Firefall Once a Year

Presidents’ Day weekend is usually the busiest, but the Firefall is stubborn. In October, the light hits the same angle, but there’s no water. If it’s too cold? No melt. Cloudy? Forget it. Even if you get a reservation and make the trip, there’s no guarantee the waterfall will deliver.

Still, people go. They go because every once in a while, it all comes together: snowmelt, clear sky, golden light. And for ten minutes, a waterfall looks like liquid gold pouring off a granite wall. No filters, no tricks, just physics doing something weird and beautiful.

If you’re thinking about it, don’t wait. Nine months out isn’t too early to book your accommodations. Yosemite’s Firefall is unpredictable, overhyped, and overcrowded—and absolutely worth it.