Here's How to Get a Reservation to See Yosemite's 'Firefall' This Month
A natural phenomenon at the national park has become a viral sensation for its photo-worthy "flames."
Is there anything better than the great outdoors? Probably not if you require cell service and Wi-Fi at all times, but on the off chance you don't, there are 63 gorgeous US National Parks for you to explore.
Chief among them, settled in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, is Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is home to many eye-catching natural wonders, from its giant, ancient sequoia trees, to the towering granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.
There's plenty to see and do year-round, but one natural phenomena can only be seen for a few weeks this month (though sometimes it also occurs in the fall).
Every year at that time, Yosemite's Horsetail Fall creates an illusion so bright that it appears the water teeming down from the cliffs has caught fire. It's a gorgeous sight to behold, and has gained viral fame (and led to more crowding) in recent years for its Instagram-friendliness.
Yosemite announced last year that it was reinstating the reservation process for park visits in anticipation of crowds hoping to catch the "firefall" phenomena. Reservations are now required for the weekends of February 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26, and they can be obtained by visiting this link.
As of this writing, advance reservations to Horsetail Fall are currently full, but additional batches of reservations will continue to be released at 8 am PT two days before each reservation date (on February 10 for February 12 reservations, February 15 for February 17 reservations, and so on). The reservations are valid for a seven-day period following the arrival date, but do not include entrance fees, which will have to be paid at the entrance station.
If you want to avoid crowds and reservations to try and witness the "firefall" altogether, you're in the clear if you're visiting Monday through Thursday. If you already have lodging reservations at Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Foresta or Yosemite West then you won't need an additional reservation.