Horsetail Fall
Horsetail Falls is a seasonal waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California that only flows in winter and early spring. If Horsetail Falls is flowing at the perfect time in February, the sunset will light up the waterfall, making it a vibrant orange and magenta color. The word "Firefall" is often used to describe this phenomenon in honor of the Yosemite Fire Disaster, a man-made event that once occurred here.
A clear sky, enough snowfall to form the fall, a warm enough temperature to melt the snow, and the appropriate angle for the sun's rays to illuminate the fall are all necessary conditions for Firefall occurrence, and not every year can observe this phenomenon.
Rain or snowmelt serves as the waterfall's primary water supply. It divides into two streams that run side by side, the eastern cascade dropping 1,540 feet (470 meters), and the western cascade plunging 1,570 feet (480 m). At certain times of the year, the waterfall often drops another 150 meters (480 feet) over steep rock formations. As a result, this waterfall can reach heights between 2,030 and 2,070 feet (630 m). You may see and take pictures of it from a little clearing next to the picnic area on the north road exiting Yosemite Valley to the east of El Capitan.
In sum, Horsetail Falls:
- A seasonal waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California.
- "Fire Falls" is the phenomenon of sunlight that lights up a waterfall, making the waterfall a vibrant orange and magenta color.
- Rain or snow melt serves as the waterfall's main water supply.
