February 26, 2013 5:02 pm
Photo Tweeted from the National Park Service:

Horsetail Fall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. It’s a small waterfall that many people don’t notice, but it has gained popularity as more and more people have noticed it can glow orange during sunset in mid to late February. The most popular place to see Horsetail Fall seemingly afire is El Capitan picnic area, west of Yosemite Lodge and east of El Capitan (see map below). The “firefall” effect generally happens during the second half of February. A clear sky is necessary for the waterfall to glow orange. Photo: Bethany Gediman, NPS
People living close to National Parks are lucky to do so; people who work in them luckier still, in the lifetime sweepstakes for seeing breathtaking sites. NPS employee (Ranger?) Bethany Gediman caught this image of Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park.
Be sure to see the video of Yosemite Nature Notes No. 14, posted here earlier. It shows Horsetail at sunset in full glory. Great photography.
How to get there:

Map of Yosemite National Park, showing Horsetail Falls and hiking trail to get to viewpoint in the photograph.
More:
Posted by Ed Darrell
Categories: History, National Parks, Natural history, Nature, photography, Travel, Yosemite
Tags: Bethany Gediman, National Parks, Natural history, Outdoor Recreation, photography, Travel, Yosemite National Park
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Thanks, Ed. And thanks for that article back in 2013 that made me aware of this lovely phenomenon.
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By Ellie on February 26, 2019 at 9:56 am
Link worked, it just trailed out of the margins a bit. Is that better?
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By Ed Darrell on February 25, 2019 at 6:58 pm
Oops…I really messed up that link. Sorry. Maybe you can clean it up?
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By Ellie on February 25, 2019 at 5:42 pm
Just read this on Snopes, and thought of you. I wish I could have seen this sometime. I’m glad others have, and have taken pictures.
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By Ellie on February 25, 2019 at 5:41 pm
I can’t remember if it was Ansel Adams or John Muir that referred to Yosemite as a cathedral. It truly is that – my heart is there. I love CA and Yosemite is ‘home’ for me. Thank you for sharing this…I have tears in my eyes, I miss it so.
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By Cairenn Rhys on February 26, 2013 at 10:17 pm