Horsetail Fall
Horsetail Fall, located in Yosemite National Park in California, is a seasonal waterfall that flows in the winter and early spring. Its setting is 3 mi west of Yosemite Valley. Further out, Yosemite is 5 mi away.
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A waterfall, 3 mi west of Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is the nearest base
Yosemite Valley is 3 miles east, with 17 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Fresno
Fresno is about 66 miles south (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 75–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Highs and lows by month
Use the months below to time a visit to Horsetail Fall.
Horsetail Fall
Horsetail Fall, located in Yosemite National Park in California, is a seasonal waterfall that flows in the winter and early spring. The fall occurs on the east side of El Capitan. If Horsetail Fall is flowing in February and the weather conditions are just right, the setting sun illuminates the waterfall, making it glow orange and red. This natural phenomenon is often referred to as the "Firefall", a name that pays homage to Yosemite Firefall, the manmade event that once took place in Yosemite.
- Type
- Waterfall
- Wikipedia readers
- 8.8K a year
Rooms near Horsetail Fall
Rooms are nearest in Yosemite Valley (17) and Yosemite West (10).
Yosemite Valley
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
1,991 people
3 mi east of Horsetail Fall
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Horsetail Fall | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yosemite Valley | 3 mi east | 5 min | 17 8 hotels · 2 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds | 1,991 | — |
| Yosemite West 66% vacation homes | 8 mi southwest | 10 min | 10 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 7 lodges & cabins | 31 | — |
| Oakhurst | 27 mi south | 40 min | 44 22 hotels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 10 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 6,091 | $393K |
| Fish Camp 100% vacation homes | 17 mi south | 25 min | 13 5 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds | — | — |
| Wawona 36% vacation homes | 13 mi south | 20 min | 7 1 hotel · 2 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds | 125 | $750K |
| June Lake 70% vacation homes | 28 mi east | 40 min | 25 5 hotels · 1 motel · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 209 | — |
| El Portal | 10 mi southwest | 15 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 505 | $248K |
| Midpines | 20 mi southwest | 30 min | 7 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 160 | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Horsetail Fall
Other well-known places within 40 miles.
Big draw15 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
Big draw25 mi MountainHalf Dome
32 mi WaterfallYosemite Falls
39 mi LakeMono Lake
417 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
52 mi AttractionTaft Point
63 mi AttractionGlacier Point
34 mi Ski areaMammoth Mountain153 runs · 2,962 ft verticalPhoto credits
Yosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Half Dome: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Yosemite Falls: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mono Lake: File:Mono lake sat.jpg: created by NASA Rotation and crop: Hike395, Public domain · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Taft Point: Dave from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Glacier Point: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mammoth Mountain: Hike395 (talk · contribs), CC BY 3.0
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A visit to Horsetail Fall: questions
What town is Horsetail Fall near?
Yosemite Valley, CA, about 3 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Horsetail Fall?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 75–83°.
How far is Horsetail Fall from Fresno and Stockton?
About 66 miles south of Fresno and about 93 miles west of Stockton, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Horsetail Fall?
Mammoth Yosemite (MMH), about 44 miles away. The nearest big hub is Fresno Yosemite (FAT), about 66 miles.
Where should I stay near Horsetail Fall?
Yosemite Valley (3 mi, 17 places to stay), Yosemite West (8 mi, 10 places to stay) and Oakhurst (27 mi, 44 places to stay).
Advice from Yosemite Valley
People in Yosemite Valley have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.