The Yosemite Firefall was inadvertently started in 1872 by James McCauley, owner of the Glacier Point Mountain House Hotel. Each night in the summer, McCauley built a campfire at the edge of Glacier Point to entertain his guests. He then put out the fire by kicking the smoldering embers over the edge of the cliff.

Firefall, Horsetail Fall For two weeks in February, given the right conditions, the setting sun hits Horsetail Fall at the perfect angle, illuminating the waterfall and making it glow.

Firefall occurs at Horsetail Fall, which flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, according to the National Park Service. It's a small waterfall, and it normally flows only...

Yosemite's Firefall generally appears in mid-February for about 10 minutes at a time under very specific conditions — Horsetail Falls must be consistently flowing off El Capitan, which is contingent on February's snowpack and the weather, because temperatures must be warm enough for the snowpack to actually melt.

Horsetail Fall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. This small waterfall usually flows only during winter and is easy to miss. On rare occasions during mid- to late February, it can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset. This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Thousands of people from around the globe flood Yosemite National Park each February for a chance to see the fleeting "firefall" phenomenon, where a trick of the sunlight...

A seasonal event known colloquially as the Yosemite Firefall is perhaps the most impressive natural phenomenon to occur in a National Park that already hosts a plethora of nature’s greatest marvels. This natural event is NOT to be confused with the original “Yosemite Firefall”, which began in 1872 and lasted almost a century.

Horsetail Fall is a small waterfall, one that pales in comparison to Yosemite Falls, an iconic waterfall that is one of the biggest attractions in the park. During dry winters, Horsetail Fall may...

Horsetail Fall is a small waterfall, one that pales in comparison to Yosemite Falls, an iconic waterfall that is one of the biggest attractions in the park. During dry winters, Horsetail Fall may...