Horsetail Fall
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Horsetail Fall is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 1,875 m. Mount Clark stands 3,512 m to the east-southeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is El Capitan Picnic Area, a picnic site 0.5 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 6.2 miles off.
The story
Horsetail Fall, located in Yosemite National Park in California, is a seasonal waterfall that flows in the winter and early spring. The fall occurs on the east side of El Capitan. If Horsetail Fall is flowing in February and the weather conditions are just right, the setting sun illuminates the waterfall, making it glow orange and red. This natural phenomenon is often referred to as the "Firefall", a name that pays homage to Yosemite Firefall, the manmade event that once took place in Yosemite.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37385, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 470 m
- Elevation
- 1875 m
What to expect
- Seasonal
- Yes
How to reach it
- 6.2 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- View on Tenaya Lake · 10 mi
- Viewpoint for Giant Sequoias · 10 mi
- Lembert Dome · 19 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 21 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Split Pinnacle: 0.5 mi
- El Capitan: 0.6 mi
- K-P Pinnacle: 0.8 mi
- Lower Brother: 0.8 mi
- Middle Brother: 1.1 mi
- Ribbon Fall: 1.1 mi
- Bridalveil Fall: 1.4 mi
- Sentinel Fall: 1.8 mi
- Lower Yosemite Fall: 2.2 mi
- Middle Cascades: 2.3 mi
- Valley View Parking: 2.5 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 2.5 mi
- Indian Arch: 5.1 mi
- Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose Number 15: 9.5 mi
- Hetch Hetchy Railroad Number 6: 9.5 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 2.5 mi
- Indian Village: 2.5 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 2.5 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 2.6 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 2.7 mi
- Profile Cliff: 1.8 mi
- The Fissures: 1.9 mi
- Rockslides: 1.9 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 2.8 mi
- Glacier Point: 3.0 mi
- Black Spring: 2.0 mi
- Moss Spring: 2.0 mi
- Fern Spring: 2.3 mi
- Iron Spring: 4.1 mi
- Barrel Spring: 9.5 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 0.5 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 0.6 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 1.6 mi
- Summit Meadow: 4.2 mi
- Red Bud Picnic Area: 11.3 mi
- John Muir: 2.2 mi
- World Heritage Site: 2.5 mi
- Foster Curry Cabin: 3.1 mi
- Women's Club Building: 3.2 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 17.5 mi
- El Portal Park: 9.5 mi
- Midpines Park: 21.3 mi
- Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park: 24.8 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 8.8 mi
- Nelder Grove Historical Area: 21.0 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 20.7 mi
- Bennettville: 24.6 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 11.2 miles of Horsetail Fall. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Clark | ESE 102° | 3,512 m | 11.2 mi |
| Mount Hoffmann | NE 39° | 3,308 m | 10.2 mi |
| Quartzite Peak | E 95° | 3,182 m | 11.1 mi |
| Clouds Rest | ENE 72° | 3,028 m | 8.0 mi |
| Sunrise Mountain | ENE 66° | 3,026 m | 10.6 mi |
| Buena Vista Peak | SSE 147° | 2,956 m | 11.2 mi |
| The Pinnacles | ENE 74° | 2,885 m | 7.6 mi |
| Mount Starr King | ESE 108° | 2,767 m | 6.4 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:03 | 18:36 | 19:11 |
| June solstice | 05:38 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:47 | 18:22 | 18:57 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:03 | 16:44 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 41 | 45 | 50 | 58 | 66 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 56 | 44 | 37 |
| Precip in | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 5.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Yosemite Park HQ, 3 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Apr–Jul — fullest in May, leanest in Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 213 | 264 | 454 | 1,181 | 2,353 | 1,893 | 638 | 146 | 61.5 | 67.5 | 119 | 179 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Merced R A Pohono Bridge NR Yosemite CA, 2 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Inside the official boundary of Yosemite National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Aug.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/4848694621
Day trips start here
- Sierra Nevada · 3 mi
- Yosemite National Park · 4 mi
Take the scenic way to Horsetail Fall.
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