The Phenomenon
Firefall is rare event that may occur starting third week of February. When there is enough snow melted to form Horsetail falls, perfect clouds over El Capitan, no cloud cover in front of the sun, no gusty winds near the waterfall then & only then, there is a chance to experience the remarkable waterfall.
Now that we know, what’s desired from the mother nature, how does this happen?
During sunset, the sunrays from the west side hit the El Capitan through a small slit between the mountains lighting up just the Horsetail falls & that’s about it.
What to expect
Expect traffic, crowd, struggle to find parking, & last but not the least, disappointment on the actual event. Now stay tuned to minimize the struggle.
- Check whether park is Open. Are any reservations required on their website.
- View the live cams, keep an eye on Instagram #firefalls to see if there have been any occurrences in past 1 or 2 days. This will confirm that there is enough snow.
- Road blocks. Please ensure that the desired route is open.
- Enter park as early as 6:30am to avoid long waits at the entrance.
When to Watch
The peak is between Feb 18th & Feb 25th. Although, you might get lucky as early as Valentine’s day.
Best Conditions
The ideal day is Feb 21st based on the sun’s angle to earth (azimuth).
About 30 mins before sunset, you will experience the yellow effect.
The lava like illusion is typically less than 10 mins only during certain conditions. If there is slight cloud cover over El Capitan, it might darken the surrounding enhancing the effect.
Now, one big rule. DO NOT GIVE UP.
It might seem that the show is over but there is a chance that the sun is just behind another layer cloud.
I have seen numerous people leaving in hurry to get out of valley to avoid traffic. They get stuck anyways & lose the actual fire fall visual.
Where to watch
- North side drive.
- There are plenty of locations on this patch. There are no parking spots for general public. There may be few handicap spots at designated areas. Map Link. The best I liked was from El Capitan Picnic Area.
- 4 mile trail
- Typically only the first 1.5 mile is open. Do not attempt to go beyond that. Also, check the latest condition for this trail as it experiences avalanches.
- It is hard to find opening through the tree line to get a clear shot. There is only one off trail path that leads to the most scenic. Since, it is off trail, I won’t encourage to visit as it can be dangerous.
- Sentinel beach is closed to protect the delicate river banks.
Preparation
Firefalls happen during the month of Feb, which makes it unfavorable in terms of weather. Along with that, if you’re planning to spend about 7 hours at one place, you need to be over prepared to make the experience enjoyable.
Check if park requires any kind of reservation. Due to Covid-19, park could enforce restrictions last minute. Booking a room at Yosemite Park Lodge or Ahwahnee hotel could be considered as an entry ticket to the park.
What all things to carry?
- Warm Clothes, Blankets, Gloves, Beanie, Muffler, Hand Warmers.
Waterproof pants are recommended as there will be snow & ice in the valley. - Chair.
- Food / Coffee / Water / Propane Gas & Burner to heat food or water.
- Things required to pass time for 5 hours before firefalls. Usually any board game or a book would do the job.
- Cart to carry all these things from parking lot to picnic area of your choice. Typically, the walk from parking lot to any viewing area is a 1.5 miles and there is no stopping for cars near any viewing areas.
- Umbrella in case it rains during the day. If it is raining the whole day, do not visit, there won’t be a firefall.
- Headlamp, Hiking sticks, Micro spikes (in case you are hiking).
For Photographers
- A full-frame camera is preferred.
- You need at least 70mm lens. I’ve used 70-200mm f/2.8 or 200-500mm f/5.6.
- Tripod, weight hook, Ball Head
- Extra batteries. Cold weather deteriorate performance of batteries.
- Memory cards (have at least 2).
- Waterproof tarp to cover bag.
- Lens Wipes, Microfiber cloth.
- Intervalometer with Remote
Photography
Ideally, find a spot 7 hours before firefalls & do not let it go. Usually, all the good spots are gone 2 hours prior to sunset. If you have creative compositions that you have planned, please time it appropriately. Firefall effect usually lasts for 5 to 7 mins.
I usually go and take time lapses. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few time lapses.
Please share yours in the comments below.
10 Things to Remember
- Do not Give Up
- Check Park Entry & Reservations, Weather Conditions, Instagram for #firefalls
- Book for multiple days to increase chances.
- Enter early, decide your spot prior to entry & find the spot to park.
- Due to increasing crowd, keep this as the only agenda.
- Get a cart to carry your stuff. Bring chairs.
- Enough Food & Propane Gas to heat the food
- Blankets / Winter Clothing
- If you’re hiking, then get micro spikes for shoes.
- For photographer’s, charge your batteries (more than 2), a functional intervalometer with remote, appropriate lenses & memory card.
Take the Detour 