Yosemite Firefall Itinerary

This itinerary of our weekend visit to Yosemite National Park was all about catching the firefall as it was one of the few things left that I didn’t try from The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye.

This trip happened during our very first time in the park in the Winter time, which was such a quiet and pleasant experience that we were even able to hear the echoes of our own voices from within Yosemite Valley near one of the firefall viewing spots.

Here’s some highlights and logistics behind how we made this trip happen…

Trip Map

Horsetail Falls – This was the very reason why we went to Yosemite National Park this early in the season. And to actually see what we came for, that was definitely the highlight of the trip. The rest of this weekend was icing on the cake.

Mirror Lake – Sometimes familiar sights take on a different look and in this case, we saw a combination of smooth reflective pond with some frozen over parts. Indeed, sometimes when you think you’ve seen it all in this park, she throws a few curve balls here and there to surprise you.

Bridalveil Fall – Normally in the Spring when we get to the base of this waterfall, it’s quite misty. So at this time of the year, we had to contend with ice instead. But the scene of this tall waterfall surrounded by snow and ice on its sides really made this experience different than something we’ve done before regarding this falls, and that made it memorable.

Yosemite Falls – Another thing that was different about visiting this waterfall in the Winter time was the crowds. But at this time of the year, it seemed like most of the crowds were not there. Plus, we happened to time our visit well for a rainbow as well as a snow cone appearance visible from a distance regarding the upper waterfall.

Day 1: Drive from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park

Overnight: Curry Village Cabins (Yosemite National Park, California, USA)

With an early start, we were able to make it to Yosemite Valley about a couple of hours before the sunset. That allowed us to stake out our spot on the Northside Drive near El Capitan and wait for Horsetail Falls to turn red.

Day 2: Day at leisure in Yosemite

Overnight: Curry Village Cabins (Yosemite National Park, California, USA)

Having witnessed the firefall yesterday, the rest of today was just enjoying Yosemite when it was quiet (quite a rarity). So we visited some usual spots like Yosemite Falls from Swinging Bridge and Cook Meadow, Vernal Fall from Lady Franklin Rock (though we had to watch out due to snow and ice), Mirror Lake, and Bridalveil Fall (also with some ice on the paved trail). We had a dinner in Curry Village while rocking out to a local band who called themselves “Rock Slide”.

Day 3: Drive Home

This was a day of driving home after some anxious moments of whether the car would start due to the cold.