Firefall Permits

You have probably seen photos of the famous Firefall in Yosemite. No, it's not the one we remember from when we were kids, when the rangers would build a massive bonfire on Glacier Point and then rake the coals over the edge and down into the valley each night for a spectacular show. (For those of you who are younger, yes they really did this!)

On the left is the new firefall,. On the right is a version of the old one.

No, this is Horsetail Falls near El Capitan which turn a deep orange right at sunset if conditions are perfect for a few days in February. It's become such a major tourist attraction that last year the valley was inundated by cars and tourists hoping to get that "once in a lifetime shot" of something that happens every year, more or less,.

So now there is a reservation system for parking anywhere near the best spots to take this photo, with a limit of 250 people per day. It's just another example of how Yosemite is in a constant struggle to save itself from being loved to death.

And we wish it well in doing so...