Iconic ‘firefall’ returns — briefly — at Yosemite as sunlight turns waterfall blazing red

An optical illusion dubbed “firefall,” in which sunlight turns Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park blazing red for a few days each year, has visitors crowding in to see the phenomenon before it vanishes once more, CNN reports.

“My reaction was complete amazement,” said photographer Vaché Geyoghlian of Fresno, California, the network reports. “I was overwhelmed with excitement to finally get to see it in person AND get some good shots of it too.”

The phenomenon, which many say resembles molten lava plunging off El Capitan, can be seen at sunset for only a few days in February each year and is expected to end this weekend, CNN reports.

“This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing,” says a National Park Service page on the event. “Even some haze or minor cloudiness can greatly diminish or eliminate the effect.”

Yosemite rangers have set aside special parking for visitors hoping to view the “firefall,” although no permits or reservations are required, the site says.

“Visitors should be prepared to walk at least a mile from their parking location to a viewpoint; remember to bring warm clothes, boots, and a headlamp or flashlight,” the site advises.

The “firefall” effect returned in 2017 following a “three-year hiatus” during the drought, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Some visitors report a laborious trek through heavy snow from the designated parking area to the viewing area.

“I’m not recovered yet and I’m in good shape,” said Ryan Fitzsimmons, a Bay Area photographer, the publication reported. He said a crowd to 200 to 300 people, including some from Canada and India, made the journey Monday to see the falls.

“If I had known how it was going to be, I would have trained for it,” Fitzsimmons added, according to the publication. “There were people there in jeans. I can’t imagine what they would have done if someone had a heart attack. My dad couldn’t have done it.”

This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Iconic ‘firefall’ returns — briefly — at Yosemite as sunlight turns waterfall blazing red."