Yosemite Announces Reservation System for February Firefall
Yosemite National Park is taking steps to manage the growing popularity of the Horsetail Fall event, which draws thousands of visitors each February to witness a captivating natural phenomenon where the waterfall appears to be ablaze. The surge in visitation during this event has presented challenges, including overflowing parking lots, traffic disruptions, safety concerns, and harm to the park’s natural and cultural resources.
To address these issues, Yosemite National Park has announced that day-use entrance reservations will be mandatory for the last three weekends of February in 2024. The affected weekends are February 10–11, February 17–19, and February 24–25. Visitors arriving on weekdays (excluding Monday, February 19) will not require a reservation.
The entrance fee for each vehicle will be $35, valid for seven days from the date of entry, regardless of the arrival day. A similar reservation system has been employed for this event in recent years.
Starting on December 1 at 8 am Pacific time, 50% of the day-use reservations for all three weekends will be made available on the official Yosemite National Park website. The remaining 50% of reservations will become accessible two days before the reservation date, also at 8 am Pacific time. For instance, on February 23 at 8 am, day-use reservations for February 25 will be up for grabs.
Visitors with lodging reservations in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Foresta, or Yosemite West do not require an additional entrance reservation.
Additionally, campground reservations will be mandatory for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 9 to February 25, 2024. These campgrounds, which usually operate on a first-come, first-served basis in February, will have a minimum 2-night reservation requirement. Reservations will be available on December 15 at 7 am Pacific time on Recreation.gov. Those with campground reservations for Upper Pines, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, or Wawona Campgrounds will not need an extra entrance reservation.
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