Come mid-to-late February 2023, the annual "firefall" is expected to make its yearly appearance at Yosemite National Park and this time around, you'll need a reservation to witness it in person.
Horsetail Fall will be flowing on the eastern edge of El Capitan beginning on or around February 10th and it could last until February 26th. Visitors can catch the annual phenomenon at sunset when the orange glow of the water gives off the appearance of lava flowing from the mountain.
Yosemite officials noted that, "the surge in visitation has led to full parking lots, parking overflowing into traffic lanes, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts causing safety issues, and damage to natural and cultural resources." Thus, for 2023 reservations will be required on Fridays - Sundays during the Feb. 10th - 26th, but will not be required on Mondays - Thursdays.
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Reservations can be made at recreation.gov and some will be made available for the February Firefall dates on January 13, 2023 at 8AM PST while the rest will be made available 48 hours in advance of the date you'd like to attend. For further info, visit nps.gov.