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

Get ready for the glow.

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.

Get tips on visiting here.

More Stories

Life Outside

Heading to a Monterey Racetrack to Test Out High Performance Vehicles

During what many car enthusiasts call the glory days of Formula One motor racing, I worked alongside the sport’s British mastermind, Bernie Ecclestone, for numerous years while teams globetrotted across time zones and oceans vying for coveted championship points. The late legendary Brazilian race car driver Ayrton Senna and other notable competitors of that era […]