Horsetail Fall

Horsetail Fall is a seasonal waterfall on the east side of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, flowing mainly in winter and early spring when rain or snowmelt feeds it. It drops in two side-by-side streams, then continues down steep slabs for a total height of roughly 2,030 to 2,070 feet. The fall is especially famous for the brief mid- to late-February effect called the Firefall, when clear skies, flowing water, and the right angle of the setting sun make it glow orange and red for a few minutes. Photographs by Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell helped make the phenomenon widely known.

California · United States