Horsetail Fall

Horsetail Fall is a waterfall on the eastern side of El Capitan in Mariposa County, California, consisting of two narrow streams of water that drop from roughly 650 meters (2,130 feet) in height. The falls flow only during spring snowmelt and after heavy rains, with water plunging directly down the steep granite face.

The waterfall gained international attention in 1973 when Galen Rowell published photographs of its orange glow effect in National Geographic. Since then, photographers and nature enthusiasts return every February to observe the rare alignment of sunset, snowmelt, and water flow.

The waterfall draws visitors from around the world each February when late afternoon light turns the cascading water into warm tones. This rare visibility of the phenomenon has made the site a favored destination for nature photographers who gather at the picnic area and wait for the right moment.

Visitors should arrive several hours before sunset and walk roughly 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the Yosemite Falls parking area to the designated viewing spots. The best vantage points are from the meadows below the falls, where there is enough space to find a spot and observe the water from different angles.

The orange glow happens only on clear February evenings when enough snow has melted to feed the waterfall and the sunset directly illuminates the narrow fall zone. This combination of factors occurs only a few days each year, and even then clouds or wind can prevent the phenomenon from appearing.