• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

Horsetail Fall

Firefall (left) and Horsetail Fall glowing (right)
Firefall over Glacier Point (left) and Horsetail Fall illuminated by sunset (right).
Firefall photo (left) courtesy of the Yosemite Archives. Horsetail Fall photo (right) by Bethany Gediman
 
Horsetail Fall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. It's a small waterfall that many people don't notice, but it has gained popularity as more and more people have noticed it can glow orange during sunset in mid to late February, in a way reminiscent of the Firefall that occurred historically from Glacier Point.


The most popular place to see Horsetail Fall seemingly afire is El Capitan picnic area, west of Yosemite Lodge and east of El Capitan (see map below). The "firefall" effect generally happens during the second half of February. A clear sky is necessary for the waterfall to glow orange.

Below, you'll find an episode of the park's video podcast, Yosemite Nature Notes, that focuses on Horsetail Fall (Episode 14).

 
 
Map showing El Capitan picnic area

Did You Know?

Low intensity fire in Yosemite

Natural fires in Yosemite are often no more than a single burning snag (standing dead tree) or a slow moving, low intensity fire that cleans underbrush from the forest floor. These fires prevent unwanted fires by removing accumulating forest debris that can fuel a larger fire in hot, dry conditions.