Reservation will be needed to view Yosemite’s Firefall

Seeing the famous Firefall at Yosemite National Park not only requires perfect timing. It will require a reservation at peak times next year.

Park officials announced Friday that visitors will have to obtain a reservation for entry during the last three weekends of February, when crowds historically have flocked to Yosemite for the chance to see the illusion of fire flowing off El Capitan’s granite cliffs.

The Firefall only happens at certain times of the year, usually winter, when the angle of the sun strikes Yosemite Valley’s Horsetail Fall, making it appear orange just before sunset.

Of course, clouds and lack of water can blunt the spectacle, complicating efforts to see it.

Still, photographers and sightseers come from all over the world to witness the extraordinary, yet momentary, phenomenon. Its popularity has led to a surge in visitation that has packed roads in Yosemite Valley and overfilled parking lots.

To limit traffic, admission to the park will be capped and day-use reservations will be required Feb. 10-12, Feb. 17-19 and Feb. 24-26. Reservations also will be required at Camp 4, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds Feb. 1 through Feb. 28. The campgrounds are normally first-come, first-served.

Reservations will go on sale Jan. 13 at Recreation. gov.

The park announced last month that it was suspending a controversial day-use reservation system put in place over the past two years during the busy summer season, so reservations will not be required for entry next summer.

In 2021, reservations were an attempt to limit crowds during the pandemic. The system was activated for the Firefall that year.