Yosemite firefall is about to peak as sun ignites California cliffside

"It literally looked like lava" was one person's reaction after seeing the famed firefall in Yosemite National Park, and the ingredients are coming together for another spectacular show by Mother Nature this year.

During the second half of February, the light from the setting sun illuminates Horsetail Fall in California's Yosemite National Park at just the right angle to make it appear like the waterfall is on fire.

Photographers from around the world flock to the park every year with hopes of capturing the eye-popping phenomenon.

The horsetail waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California as the Fire Fall during winter. (Getty Images/Jorge Villalba)

The peak of the firefall is around Feb. 21, but the evenings leading up to and immediately after the peak date can also offer enchanting views of the viral sensation. However, people will need more than a cloud-free forecast to see the event.

The National Park Service (NPS) will require reservations for certain dates in February when the firefall is near its peak.

"In recent years, visitation around this event has increased dramatically," The NPS explained on its website. "On February 19, 2022, 2,433 visitors viewing Horsetail Fall gathered in areas mostly lacking adequate parking and other facilities. Some undeveloped areas became littered with trash, and the lack of restrooms resulted in unsanitary conditions."

Details on reservations and restrictions can be found on the Yosemite National Park website.

The natural fiery sight of Horsetail Fall in February is reminiscent of a human-made firefall during the early decades of Yosemite National Park.

Between 1872 and 1968, people would stoke a large fire atop Yosemite's Glacier Point late in the day then push the red-hot embers from the fire off a cliffside after nightfall to the amazement of crowds gathered below. The event was eventually discontinued as it was deemed an unnatural spectacle by the director of the NPS.

Footage of the human-made firefall in Glacier Falls in the 1960s. (Yosemite National Park)

People planning a trip to Yosemite to see the natural firefall should check the AccuWeather forecast first, as clouds could prevent the waterfall from igniting into a one-of-a-kind light show.

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