Firefall at Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California

© Gregory B Cuvelier/Shutterstoc

A natural oxymoron. Firefall at Yosemite

Fancy witnessing a fiery waterfall? What might sound like an oxymoron can be found at Yosemite National Park! Horsetail Fall is a seasonal waterfall that flows during the winter and early spring months when there has been ample snowfall and a subsequent temperature warm enough to melt it. For a couple of weeks in February, if the skies are clear, the water is flowing and the sun shines at just the right angle, the long, slender waterfall takes on a glowing, flame-hued appearance. Hundreds gather in Yosemite Valley to observe this mesmerising natural occurrence, to the point where finding a space to watch from can be a challenge. This phenomenon has earned the moniker 'firefall,' a homage to the historic Yosemite Firefall, a manmade event that was organised in the park from 1872 to 1968. Eventually, park rangers decided that dumping embers over a cliff onto the land below wasn't the brightest idea.