Firefall at Yosemite  Feb. 21, 2024

Fancy witnessing a fiery waterfall? What might sound like an oxymoron can be found at Yosemite National Park! Horsetail Fall is a seasonal waterfall that flows during the winter and early spring months when there has been ample snowfall and a subsequent temperature warm enough to melt it. For a couple of weeks in February, if the skies are clear, the water is flowing and the sun shines at just the right angle, the long, slender waterfall takes on a glowing, flame-hued appearance. Hundreds gather in Yosemite Valley to observe this mesmerising natural occurrence, to the point where finding a space to watch from can be a challenge. This phenomenon has earned the moniker "firefall," a homage to the historic Yosemite Firefall, a manmade event that was organised in the park from 1872 to 1968. Eventually, park rangers decided that dumping embers over a cliff onto the land below wasn"t the brightest idea.

© Gregory B Cuvelier/Shutterstock

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