Firefalls and What to Know for First Time Viewers!
I didn’t know too much about the Firefall until I randomly saw on Yosemite’s instagram page that it was happening in February and you needed a reservation. If you need a reservation, it must be pretty cool I thought. So I booked a campsite, called a few friends, and got the trip going!
Photo from my friend Jason! WOW! Look at how small Horsetail is, the actual fall only looks to be about 1/5th of the actual fire fall (majority is the mist of the fall) and can be hard to see when you get to the viewing spot before the sun sets!
History
Okay, so the beginning of the Firefalls is pretty weird. Back in 1872, James McCauley (owner of the Glacier Point Mountain House Hotel) ‘started’ the Firefalls by building a campfire at the edge of Glacier Point and putting it out by kicking the embers over the edge of the cliff to entertain guests. This came to an end in 1897 when McCauley was evicted from Glacier Point by the Washburn brothers (owners of the Wawona hotel)—Drama? Unsure.
Anyway, several years later David Curry (yet another hotel owner), started the spectacle once again. But it was brought to an official end in 1968 by the director of the National park Service, George Herztog, for obvious health and safety concerns.
The ‘original’ Firefall
Random right? And I say ‘started’ in quotations because the modern Firefalls are all natural, not started by some hotel owners.
Galen Rowell, a photographer, ushered in a new era for the Firefall phenomenon when he shared a photo of Horsetail Falls lit up like fire in 1973. Soon, this natural Firefall became as popular as the man-made one.
I think it is funny that this man-made phenomenon was replaced with a natural one—a natural phenomenon that must have been happening for many many many years before the manmade one was even conceived. Would it have been so popular so quickly without the history of the embers?
Firefall from James Gabriel Martin (Lonely Planet)
Visiting the Yosemite Firefalls
So you’ve seen the photos and now you want to see he real deal? Here is what you need to know:
Timing: The Firefall only is viewable for about 3 weeks in February. Be prepared for chilly temps given the season!
Reservations: You can get reservations 2 weeks in advance and are only required Friday - Sunday (you do not need reservations to go during the week and there will be less crowds!). One reservation is active for 1 week (so if you get a reservation that starts on Saturday, you can also go the following Friday). Come January, check Recreation.gov for reservations. The reservations are only $2 and the purchaser of the reservation must be in the car and the reservation can only be used for one vehicle
Our campsite! I glamped it up with some cute fairy lights <3 Justin looks very cozy with his blanket poncho and his hot chocolate
Lodging: Luckily here are plenty of lodging accommodations to look into. If you have the right gear, I would definitely recommend camping. We stayed at Hogdon Campground with two large tents (for 6 people). The campsite is right inside the park past the Big Oak Flat entrance (about 30 minutes to the valley). There are closer campgrounds (like Camp 4) but as you get closer, the sites will fill up quicker, so plan ahead! Next year, I would like to look into Camp 4 ASAP because you can walk to the viewing areas from that campsite (about 1 mile, and the closest parking)! Camping is ~$35/night. If you plan on camping, bring lots of layers, because it can drop below freezing at night! Another pro for camping is that if you camp inside the park, the reservation counts as your entrance reservation so you do not need to bring a second reservation from recreation.gov. Most campsites also allow for two cars (just share the reservation and the purchaser’s license with the second car so they can get into the park!) If you want something a bit more comfortable, there are many Airbnb / VRBOs outside the park you can look into. These are a good bit more expensive obviously, but you also get to cook in a kitchen and use a shower :-)
The El Cap picnic area (where most will view the fire falls from), is about 1 mile east of Camp 4
Parking / Navigating the Park: The closest parking will be next to Camp 4 (there are closer handicap accessible spots). Once you pass Camp 4, you won’t even be able to stop to drop people off. We noticed that the parking filled up by around noon, despite the Firefall happening closer to 5PM / 6PM. If you can’t snag a spot in Camp 4, head back to Yosemite or Curry Village and catch a bus to Camp 4 (not even the bus stops closer to the viewing area).
Viewing Spots: Walking east from Camp 4, you’ll start seeing pockets of big crowds of people. We found the best spot to be 3 / 4 pockets down but if you see a break in the trees and can see the Horsetail Falls, set up camp because everyone has a different eye for these things :-) Looking to get a little farther away from everyone? Take the 4-mile hike to Glacier Point. If you do, plan ahead—there will likely be snow and ice and you will need to hike back after sunset.
This was my view the first night. Don’t let it get your hopes down!
Don’t get your hopes up: The conditions really need to be just perfect to get the famous view of the Firefalls. Plan your trip around clear weather, no storms and no clouds. I would also recommend giving yourself a few days of potential viewing. Keep in mind that over the course of an entire year, it is only viewable for 15 minutes! Also, have you seen Horsetail falls? It is tiny in comparison to Yosemite or Bridal veil, but don’t give up when you see it before its time!
