As for the thousands of visitors who flock to Yosemite every year to witness the firefall, the projected viewing window for the firefall lasts until February 26. But if the skies don’t clear by then, visitors may have to wait until February 2027 to see El Capitan glow again.

Between February 10 and 26, for a few minutes at sunset, Horsetail Fall glows like molten lava or cascading fire spilling down El Capitan. It is called the Yosemite "Firefall".

Firefall was a bust. Then all the national park's campgrounds had to be evacuated.

For about two weeks in February, hikers in the park can see what looks like bright red and orange flames plunging over the side of the 2,130-foot Horsetail Fall

Firefall week is “one of the most challenging operation periods of the winter” for park rangers and search-and-rescue teams because large numbers of people and vehicles create the “conditions for a front–range country emergency surge,” Friends of Yosemite Search and Rescue said.

This year, the visitors can witness the 'firefall' without making any reservations, unlike the previous years.

Learn more about the science behind Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall, which glows like fire every February, and will return between Feb. 10 and Feb. 26, 2026.

Yosemite National Park won’t require reservations in 2026 for visitors hoping to see one of its most famous natural spectacles. For the last three years, the popular California park has required reservations during select weekends in February to see the ...