Where is horsetail falls in yosemite

The sun will be in the right spot for a couple of weeks in February regardless — there just needs to be a waterfall in place. In the late 19th century with James McCauley, owner of a small hotel atop Glacier Point, just one of the enterprising businesses that sprang up during the early days of Yosemite tourism. They gave the boys money to pay their father to do it again. And so began the tradition. For two weeks in February, the setting sun striking the waterfall creates a deep orange glow.

Explore This Park. Yosemite National Park California. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts. Horsetail Fall. Firefall over Glacier Point left and Horsetail Fall illuminated by sunset right.

Viewing Horsetail Fall in Late February Due to the popularity of the event, restrictions are in effect during mid- to late February each year February 12 through 28 in daily from noon to 7 pm. Why are these restrictions in effect? Every night during the summer, he would build a campfire to entertain his guests. To extinguish the fire, he would kick the smoldering embers over the cliff.

Making a "Y" for Yosemite at Glacier Point. As years went by, the Yosemite Valley Hotel owner, David Curry , kept hearing visitors fondly remembering that activity. So, he brought it back for special occasions.

This continued until when the park service banned it due to a possible leasing dispute with Mr. His thought and rightly so was that it was an unnatural spectacle more fitting for Disneyland instead of a National Park. It's as if you can still hear the master of ceremonies in Camp Curry bellowing out the following exchange with the firemaster at Glacier Point….

Like many natural phenomena, everything needs to align for it to become a reality. First, the setting sun must be at the right angle which happens to be around the second week of February. Second, the snowpack needs to be deep enough to generate enough water flow over El Capitan. Third, the sky needs to be crystal clear. And if everything aligns for that perfect moment, it lasts for only a few, fleeting minutes. Horsetail Fall all aglow as the last rays of the setting sun light it up.

As we said above, the popularity of trying to feast your eyes on this wonder in person has skyrocketed. From once only a few keen observers to now hundreds and possibly thousands of spectators for If you do travel to attempt seeing this attraction, be aware of the new rules. Note - starting February 8th, Yosemite is requiring all guest to have reservations to enter the park.

More information can be found here. The event has become popular over the last few years, very popular in fact.

C rowds have burgeoned with h undreds of intrepid viewers gathering at the viewing areas on some days and both safety issues and damage around viewing areas have occurred. To address this, Yosemite National Park has implemented some key restrictions for which will be in effect from February 13th through the 25th, noon to 7pm. From the park:. To see Horsetail Fall glowing blood red is an almost supernatural experience. The discovery of the natural Yosemite Firefall is not well documented.

The Awahneechee Indians, who lived in Yosemite Valley for hundreds of years, most likely knew of its existence, but there is no evidence they passed this information on to white settlers.

Yosemite Valley was first seen by white explorers in Although its natural wonders were heavily promoted in the following decades, the natural Firefall was never mentioned. Even John Muir, who lived in Yosemite for several years and explored the park in obsessive detail, never mentioned the Firefall at Horsetail Fall.

In photographer Galen Rowell took the first-known photograph of the natural Yosemite Firefall. As dramatic images of the Firefall spread around the world, more and more people came by for a look.