Horsetail Fall (Yosemite)
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. Descriptions The waterfall is fed by rain or snowmelt. It descends in two streams side by side, the eastern one being the larger but both quite small. The eastern one drops , and the western one , the second highest fully airborne waterfall in Yosemite that runs at some point every year (the highest being Ribbon Fall.) The waters then gather and descend another on steep slabs, so the total height of these waterfalls is to . It can be seen and photographed from a small clearing close to the picnic area on the north road leading out of Yosemite Valley east of El Capitan. The fall is sometimes referred to as an ephemeral fall because