Every February, Yosemite National Park experiences a Firefall, a natural phenomenon that appears at Horsetail Fall (and one of the reasons winter is a great time to visit). When conditions align, the waterfall glows in vivid orange and red hues at sunset, making it look like the water is on fire. Yosemite needs clear skies, sufficient water flow, and the proper sun angle for this to happen. With this extraordinary event taking place next month, Yosemite National Park is once again implementing a reservation system during the weeks ahead to manage the influx of visitors and protect the park’s resources.
50% of these reservations were released back in November, with the rest set to trickle through in the days leading up to the event. However, if you’re unfortunate enough not to snag a reservation, here’s how you can experience the Firefall in 2025 without one.
The key is entirely in when you go. Reservations will be required on the weekends of February 8-9, February 15-17, and February 22-23, even if you’re not planning to swing by Horsetail Fall at sunset. This means that if you decide to visit any time from Monday to Friday, you will not need a reservation.
That said, if Monday to Friday won’t work for your schedule, you can always book a trip with the Yosemite Firefall Express! A shuttle will take you straight from the Lodge to Yosemite Valley, which means that you can skip the reservation.
Even if you go on a weekday, you will, however, still need to pay the entry fee to Yosemite. This will provide access to the park for seven consecutive days with unlimited re-entries. If you expect to be visiting Yosemite or another national park frequently, you could also upgrade to the America the Beautiful pass, which will cover your national park entry fees for the entire year.
