Yosemite National Park has a wealth of astonishing sights, but among the highlights is Horsetail Falls. Especially at a very specific time of year, when the 2,000 foot cascade suddenly appears to catch on fire.
Photos that appear to show liquid magma spilling down the sheer cliff face are really just capturing a natural trick of light—at a certain time in February, at a specific time of day (around 5:30 PM), the setting sun strikes the face of the cliff in just such a way; according to visitors, it briefly becomes tough to even make out the waterfall—and then it illuminates, all at once and in startling fashion. So convincing is the effect that some visitors refuse to believe that it isn’t actually lava, despite having seen the falls with their own eyes just moments previous.
Strangely, a hotel owner in the late 1800s actually did push hot embers over the edge of the cliff on a regular basis, to create a night-time light show for his visitors—which was of course a ridiculous fire hazard, in addition to not being nearly as spectacular as the natural phenomenon.
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