Yosemite Fires: What to know when visiting in February 2025
It’s always a good time to visit Yosemite National Park, but the second half of February is an especially popular time to travel to California Most visited national park.
Reason? Yosemite’s annual “Firefall” – an eye-catching optical illusion that causes Horsetail Falls to burst into flames when certain conditions sync up perfectly.
The National Park Service estimates that your chance of seeing the lights is between February 8 and 23, 2025. For a flare to occur, the angle of light at sunset must strike in a certain way. perfect. This only happened during that period in February.
The weather should be very clear and there should be plenty of water flowing over the rocks. This process can be hindered by particularly dry weather. winter.
La Nina weather conditions are predicted to occur this winter, giving the United States a drier-than-average winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now predicts that California has “an equal chance of below-average, near-average, or above-average seasonal precipitation totals.”
If this connection occurs, the waterfall will turn into a river of fire.
Of course, like most weather-dependent events, there can be no guarantee that a fire event will occur in 2025. However, this time frame is based on NPS best prediction.
Reservations required for Yosemite
As you can imagine, this event attracts many visitors to a small area, leading to traffic, parking, and other safety issues while also disrupting natural and cultural resources .
To manage this, Yosemite will Reservation required for entry 24 hours a day on the following dates: February 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 22 and 23, 2025.
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Make a reservation also required at Wawona, Camp 4 and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds between February 8 and 23, 2025, as these campgrounds typically operate on a first-come, first-served basis .
When can you make a reservation?
Reservations for Yosemite for the affected dates in February will open on November 18, 2024, at 8 a.m. PST. NPS will release half of the reserved seats for each day in February.
The remaining half of reservations will open at 8 a.m. PST two days in advance. (So reservations for February 23, 2025 will open on the morning of February 21, 2025, etc.). Reservations will be available at Recreation.gov.
The non-refundable booking fee is USD 2. Reservations only need to be made once per vehicle and all occupants. Annual and lifetime pass holders still need to book in advance.
Vehicle passes are valid for seven days and require an additional $35 entrance fee for standard vehicles.
Reservations for Wawona, Camp 4 and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds on Recreation.gov will open at 7 a.m. PST on December 15, 2024. Two-night minimum stay required. Overnight guests who reserve a campsite do not need to reserve a car in advance.
Visit Yosemite to watch the fireworks
If you’re lucky enough to be in Yosemite when the fires occur, El Capitan Picnic Area is your best bet for great views. It’s about a 1/2 mile walk each way from the Yosemite Falls parking lot. If that parking lot is full, consider parking in Yosemite Village or Curry Village. From there, you can take advantage Free park shuttle to Yosemite Falls parking lot and Yosemite Valley Lodge.
For those coming from Yosemite Village, Yosemite Falls parking lot and Yosemite Valley Lodge, NPS says visitors should “park away from your viewing area” and “be prepared to walk to and from the area observation” in cold and dark weather.
No matter where you park, be sure to bring comfortable sneakers or hiking shoes, a camera, and maybe even a chair. You will also need a lot of patience to fight those crowds.
Bottom line
Fire or no fire, you can never go wrong with Yosemite. Whether or not you plan to visit Yosemite this winter during this natural phenomenon, there’s plenty to enjoy. hotel near Yosemite National Park you can book rooms with points. You can use it Hilton Title Points to book one Great getaway at AutoCamp Yosemite. Or, if you wait until the weather warms up this spring, you can go see brand new sights Under Canvas Yosemite opening May 2025. Prices start at $349 or 32,500 Hyatt World Points every night.
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