Yosemite's Famed 'Firefall' Will Ignite This Friday

Stacey Leasca
Updated

For a few short days a year something magical happens in Yosemite National Park: A firefall.

As Travel+Leisure previously explained, the natural phenomenon is a sight you simply have to see to believe. For just a few days a year, always in mid-to-late February, Horsetail Fall, located on the eastern edge of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley, appears to be on fire.

View this post on Instagram

Fire Fall! I’ve waited 4 years to get this shot. I can’t describe how mind blowing it was to witness this. ________________________________ Sony ?7iii Sony 24-70 2.8 G-Master Tripod: @mefototripods

A post shared by Felipe (@the_lost_coast) on Feb 17, 2019 at 9:20pm PST

However, it’s important to note it’s not actually on fire, but rather it’s simply a visual trick by Mother Nature. The event occurs because the fall only flows in the winter and early spring when rain is still abundant in the region. When the sun begins to set, and the light hits the fall just right, it engulfs the water in an orange glow making it appear as though it’s on fire.

But, if you want to see this event in real life you better hurry, because it’s expected to happen on Friday, February 22.

"The 'firefall' effect happens during the second half of February when there is a clear sky and enough snow for the waterfall to flow. Even some haze or minor cloudiness can greatly diminish or eliminate the effect," Yosemite National Park reported. According to AccuWeather, the best possible evening to witness the event is expected to be this Friday starting around 5:28 p.m. PST and ending around 5:40 p.m. PST.

View this post on Instagram

Yosemite Firefall Magic. Looking forward to visiting Yosemite again next weekend. This was my first time chasing the Firefall back in 2017 and was fortunate to see this rare phenomenon with a stunning sunset. As the firefall started burning from the tail, echoes of cheers erupted from people down in the valley. Not sure if we’ll get the firefall again this year because of the cloud cover, but it’s still one of the best times to visit this winter wonderland. Swipe left to see a close up view and I’ll post a video time-lapse in my stories. Have a great week everyone.

A post shared by engel (@heyengel) on Feb 10, 2019 at 9:06am PST

If you happen to have a few days this week you could always head up to Yosemite early, as AccuWeather explained visitors may be able to see the firefall on evenings earlier in the week, or even over the weekend. However, none of those firefall events will appear as spectacular as Friday’s expected showing.

View this post on Instagram

Rented a lens and snowshoes, woke up at 4 am, drove 4 hours, hiked 2 miles, waited 2 hours, shot 20 minutes, drove back 4 hours ?????? #firefall2019 . . . . . #liveoutdoors #canonfanphoto #lifeofadventure #stayandwander #wildernessculture #modernoutdoors #mthrworld #welivetoexplore #awakethesoul #roamtheplanet #theearthoutdoors #folkgood #moodygrams #folkscenery #earthfocus #bevisuallyinspired #earthpix #visitsacramento #discoverearth #livefolk #tentree #ourplanetdaily #theglobewanderer #moodnation #earthofficial #yosemite #yosemitenationalpark #visitcalifornia #firefall

A post shared by Glenn Lee Robinson (@glennleerobinson) on Feb 19, 2019 at 7:55am PST

Luckily, AccuWeather is reporting mainly clear conditions for the Yosemite Valley for Friday's firefall event, meaning it may be as close to ideal as possible. Saturday evening, the weather service said, will be the next best day to view the event, however, clouds are expected to roll in and could disrupt the view. So, if you can, make your way to Yosemite to experience 12 glorious minutes of Mother Nature at her finest.