Reservations Needed To View Yosemite Horsetail Event

Yosemite photo

Yosemite, CA – Those wanting to be thrilled by the illusion of fire cascading over Yosemite’s Horsetail Falls at sunset will need to get a reservation for next year’s event, and they are available starting December 1st of this year.

Yosemite National Park announces that day-use entrance reservations are needed for the last three weekends of February 2024. Park officials say reservations are needed to manage the Horsetail Fall event due to a surge in visitors wanting to attend this popular event. In past years, that has led to full parking lots, parking overflowing into traffic lanes, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts that caused safety issues, and damage to natural and cultural resources.

Park officials say that to manage visitor activity during the event, visitors will need a reservation to enter the park on the weekends of February 10–11, February 17–19, and February 24–25, 2024. They noted, “Visitors who arrive Mondays through Fridays, except Monday, February 19, won’t need a reservation.”

The $35/car entrance fee is valid for seven days, regardless of the day of arrival. Park officials advised that a similar system has been implemented for this event in the past.

Park officials provided these guidelines on how the reservations will work:

• Beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific time on December 1, 50% of day-use reservations will be available for all three weekends, click here.
• Beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific time two days prior to a day-use reservation date, the remaining 50% of day-use reservations will be available. For example, on February 23 at 8 a.m., day-use reservations for February 25 will be available.
• If you have a lodging reservation for Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Foresta, or Yosemite West, you don’t need an additional entrance reservation.
• Campground reservations will be required for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning February 9–February 25, 2024 (these campgrounds normally operate on a first-come, first-served basis in February).
• There will be a 2-night minimum reservation requirement.
• Reservations will be released on December 15 at 7 a.m. Pacific time at Recreation.gov. If you have a campground reservation for Upper Pines, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, or Wawona Campgrounds, you don’t need an additional entrance reservation.