Glowing and luminous lava forcefully descends from the wall of the majestic El Capitan rock. The FireFall show is magnificent.
There is something extraordinary that happens every year, or almost every year, inside one of the most extraordinary parks in California and the whole world. This is a show that enchants the eyes and warms the heart because it steals all the colors, intensity, and charm from the fire, even if it is not actually a question of fire.
Have you ever heard of the FireFall?
We are located within the Yosemite National Park, nestled like a precious treasure within the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Famous for its ancient redwood trees, Tunnel View, and El Capitan and Half Dom granite rocks, this place is a must for any nature-loving traveler.
It is in this wonderful place, where human intervention has respected the authentic and wild nature, that the phenomenon of the Firefall occurs, which is a waterfall of fire that flows from the mountain. But be careful, because when this happens nothing is as it seems.
Firefall: the fire that descends from the rocks
The very name of the phenomenon anticipates in some way the spectacle that we can observe and that occurs every year in the month of February. A cascade of fire flows along the majestic El Capitan wall within Yosemite National Park. The sensation is that of being in front of kilometers of lava that flows from the rock and that forcefully falls downwards.
In reality, it is not lava, nor fire, but water. Firefall is a natural phenomenon clearly visible to the human eye that creates the illusion that lava and fire flow along the walls of El Capitan instead of water. Usually, the show signed by Mother Nature occurs in February, starting on the 10th of the month, although it is not always visible.
It is understood that the cascade of fire represents one of the most sublime and fascinating visions of nature, it is necessary to reveal the mystery that makes it so. It happens that, once a year, the orange and red hues of the fiery sunset are reflected on this small waterfall on the eastern edge of El Capitan, creating a unique spectacle.
For Firefall to be visible in all its beauty, the sky must be perfectly clear. February is the perfect month because it is during this time that the small waterfall of El Capitan, which is called Horsetail Fall, flows from the rock.
How to reach the waterfall of fire
Horsetail Fall, which prepares to become Firefall in February, is located within Yosemite National Park. To admire it, it is necessary to walk about two kilometers starting from Yosemite Falls and reach the observation area of El Capitan.
From mid to late February, it begins to be tinged with all shades of red and to shine because it is backlit by the sunset. This unique light effect attracts thousands of visitors every year, which is why access restrictions apply from the middle of the month.
