document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This year a reservation is not needed to enter the park, and masks are required. If there is heavy cloud cover then sunset rays wont fall on the horsetail falls and it means no Firefall that evening; so keep 2 days of your schedule aside for Firefall in case you miss it one evening. Refer to the image below. By Jessica Stewart on March 2, 2022. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Every year, Horsetail Falls at Yosemite National Park produces a natural spectacle that attracts thousands of visitors to the area. Chasing the Yosemite National Park Firefall - New York Times Called the Firefall, this summer event became a major tourist attraction that lasted until it was banned by the National Parks Service almost 100 years later. The best way to see Firefall is to park at the Yosemite Falls parking area, and then walk 1.5 miles each way to the viewing area near the El Capitan picnic area, the NPS advises. For Firefall to happen, the phenomenon first requires significant snowpack in the mountains. An optical illusion created by sunlight hitting Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park creates a firefall for a few days each February. Visitors spilled onto riverbanks, increasing erosion and trampling vegetation. Yosemite announced Friday that reservations will be required to enter the park starting Feb. 8 and will be needed at least through the end of that month. Whether its a short vacation or theyre jetting off to begin their career, show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? Its unclear what the And at higher elevations, the park experienced its highest snowpack ever recorded, which many translate into heightened flooding throughout May and June. It's certainly challenging to stand out creatively in an event like this, which has been photographed for years by thousands of photographers and where the light conditions and viewing points are very specific. However, previous years have presented a logistical challenge to the National Park Service for those looking for parking and trying to get to the best viewing area. Over the course of numerous trips, Jim has driven an RV through West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Yosemite Firefall: How to Experience A recent survey showed that Yosemites snowpack is 240% of average. Of course, Zafra was not alone. Firefall Due to Firefalls growing popularity, Yosemite National Park implemented some new rules for people who wished to experience it in 2022. Click here to see a map with those details if you plan to go. The annual 'Firefall' at Horsetail falls CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Wearing a mask is required. The firefall is created every in mid to late February when the setting sun hits the waterfall at just the right angle to create a flow of orange and red, making it seem like a waterfall made of fire. These restrictions are in effect every day from noon to 7 p.m., from mid- to late-February. Yosemite says the dazzling effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing. Fall is usually dry, and there is usually no waterfall flow at Horsetail. Yosemites annual Firefall to return in February First, although reservations are not needed, face masks are required regardless of vaccination status while in all NPS buildings and crowded outdoor spaces. Firefall February 05, 2022 5:00 AM. That said, parking, stopping, or unloading passengers on Northside Drive between Camp 4 and El Capitan Crossover will be prohibited. Heres whats Yosemite Firefall is a natural phenomenon that occurs in Yosemite National Park in California, United States. Yosemite firefall Yosemite National Park's "firefall" has returned in February 2022. Yosemite