This Natural Event Makes February One of the Most Enchanting Months to Visit Yosemite

Despite cold temperatures, Yosemite National Park can be a magical time to visit in February. Much of that magic appears in the form of a glowing waterfall nicknamed the winter “firefall.” Though the spectacle looks like a stream of glowing lava pouring down the wall of El Capitan, it’s seasonal light hitting the water at just the right angle. And it only happens for two weeks in February.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “The phenomenon became popular in 1973 after National Geographic photographer Galen Rowell snapped a startling image of the glowing light. The firefall name harkens back to an old Yosemite tradition in which park employees would tip glowing embers off Glacier Point to create what looked like a man-made “firefall.” That practice ended in 1968, but the name stuck (though the park avoids calling it that).”

Frequent firewall photographer Aaron Meyer predicts this year’s window to be February 12-28.

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