Every year from mid- to late February, the setting sun hits Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall along the eastern edge of the soaring El Capitan at just the right angle, creating the illusion that the 1,575-foot waterfall is on fire. This year, the National Park Service estimates that this Yosemite National Park phenomenon, aka “firefall,” will happen between February 8 and February 23, 2025.
For the firefall event to be visible, conditions have to be nearly perfect: clear skies so that the sun can hit the waterfall and enough melted snow for the waterfall to flow. Although the area experienced heavy snowfall before the 2024 event, that hasn’t been the case for 2025 so far; the first half of January saw 31 inches of snow on the ground leftover from December and 8 inches of fresh powder; as of January 15, no snow has melted, but no snow has fallen, either. Snow on the ground is a step in the right direction. Given that the high on January 10 was 53 degrees, there’s a good chance of the temperatures rising high enough to melt the snowpack and produce enough water for the fall to flow.
Best time to see the Yosemite firefall in 2025
Although it will be possible to view the firefall between February 8 and 23, 2025, prime viewing is expected to be between February 18 and 23. The best time to see Yosemite’s firefall will likely be between 5:28 p.m. and 5:40 p.m. on Friday, February 21, according to forecasts from photographer Aaron Meyers, who has shot the event many times and releases annual recommendations for photographers hoping to catch the falls at their most brilliant. Generally, the phenomenon appears just before sunset on clear days, right as the sun hits the waterfall at a particular angle.
The firefall may look like a stream of molten lava, but it’s really an optical illusion.
Photo by Shutterstock
How to plan a trip to Yosemite to see the firefall
Due to the increasing popularity of the event, reservations will be required for anyone driving into Yosemite on the weekends of February 8–9, 15–17 (Presidents’ Day weekend), and 22–23, 2025. This reservation needs to be made in addition to paying the usual park entrance fee. For those able to visit on a weekday—which includes the date Meyers expects the phenomenon to peak on Friday, February 21—reservations will not be required.
Yosemite is also implementing additional restrictions to control the crowds (which can pose a risk to the environment around the falls) closer to the peak dates of the firefall. Between February 8 and 23, 2025, El Capitan Crossover and Southside Drive in Yosemite Valley will be closed to pedestrians, and stopping and parking will also be prohibited.
During that same timeframe, visitors will only be able to gather to view the falls in the El Capitan picnic area on Northside Drive. One lane will be closed to vehicles, allowing pedestrians to safely walk 1.5 miles from the Yosemite Falls parking lot (near the Yosemite Valley Lodge) to the viewpoint. Visitors will be able to leave their car in the parking area and take a free shuttle the five to six miles from Yosemite Village or Curry Village to the viewing point.
Winter is a great time to visit Yosemite. If you plan to visit the falls in person, park officials recommend bringing warm clothes, boots, and a flashlight or headlamp, as the sun will have set by the time you leave the viewing point and average temperatures in February range between 28 and 53 degrees.
Rush Creek Lodge & Spa, and nearby sister property Evergreen Lodge, both located near Yosemite National Park’s western entrance, are offering a Firefall Express shuttle to witness the phenomenon. Guests who book the properties’ Yosemite Firefall Express do not need to obtain a separate firefall reservation through the park (but they will need to pay the park entrance fee separately). The shuttles will depart from Rush Creek Lodge on February 8-9, 15-16, and 22-23; and from Evergreen Lodge on February 15-16 and 22-23. The shuttle service is priced at $110 per adult, and $80 per child (ages 8–15).
To camp, you’re going to have to plan ahead. A number of campgrounds require advance reservations during the upcoming firefall season. If you plan on staying at Camp 4, Wawona, or Hodgdon Campgrounds, head to recreation.gov to reserve your spot. If you do manage to grab one of the campground reservations, you won’t need to make an additional reservation to see the firefall.
The original Yosemite firefall
This firefall illusion has become more and more popular in recent years, but there used to be another version made of actual fire. Up until 1968, the remains of campfires would be pushed over the edge of Glacier Point in Yosemite on a nightly basis, creating a stream of embers that eventually became known as “the Firefall.” (You can see video footage of the event from the 1960s.)
The practice started in the 1870s back when the owner of the former Glacier Point Hotel would kick embers from the lodge’s campfire over the edge each night. The event became so popular to watch that it continued into the 20th century. After the National Park Service was created in 1916 and Yosemite fell under its protection, the NPS tried to stop the Firefall several times, but it wasn’t fully outlawed for fire safety concerns until nearly 50 years later.
It was after the original Firefall was banned that the natural version was discovered. In the early 1970s the wilderness photographer Galen Rowell captured the firefall-like illusion off the eastern edge of El Capitan and shared his photos. The phenomenon has continued to attract increasing attention and visitors in the years since.
This article most recently appeared online in 2024; it was updated on January 21, 2025, to include current information.
