Free Firefall

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The big announcement lately is that inflation isn’t a problem. I look at the news…then at my water bill, my gas bill, and my grocery bill…then back at the news and wonder what planet they live on! Let’s go somewhere awesome - and free - this week.
- Cris

Yosemite National Park

The Dream: Yosemite for Free

Imagine driving through the Wawona Tunnel and suddenly, bam - Yosemite Valley sprawls before you. Granite giants like El Capitan and Half Dome loom overhead, waterfalls cascade down, and meadows stretch wide with soft light dancing on every blade of grass. This awe-inspiring landscape, a mash-up of geological theater and timeless beauty, is yours to walk into, gratis, if you play your cards right.

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Free Days in 2025

Yosemite typically charges $30 per vehicle, but six golden days a year the National Park Service waives the entrance fee for everyone. In 2025, those dates are:

• January 20 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• April 19 – First Day of National Park Week

• June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day

• August 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

• September 27 – National Public Lands Day

• November 11 – Veterans Day Note:

Only entrance fees are waived. Fees for camping, lodging, guided tours, or special reservations still apply

Going Somewhere? Protect Your Trip (and Your Sanity)

Plan Smart: Reservations and Logistics

Yosemite isn’t just pretty - it’s popular! To keep things smooth, a reservation might be required to drive into the park during peak hours (6 a.m.–2 p.m. or 3 p.m.) between June 15 and August 15, and around Labor Day weekend. As of now, a proposed spring–summer reservation system (June 16–August 15 daily, plus weekends before and after) is in limbo thanks to political pushback even though it was drafted and partly planned.

Here’s how to stay ahead:

• Check the park’s official site or Recreation.gov for updates and reservation needs as free days approach.

• Plan to visit outside peak hours or grab that reservation early if needed.

• Arrive early for dramatic light, empty trails, and better parking.

Why It Feels Electric

There’s a visceral thrill in stepping into Yosemite for free - a place usually sealed behind a price, now flung open just for you. It turns a simple hike into a small rebellion against expectations, with granite cliffs, roaring rivers, and ancient groves cheering you on. Your tax money pays to protect this beautiful place and so it feels like justice to walk in without paying an entrance fee.

From the moment the sunlight touches Bridalveil Fall’s veil and the Merced River whispers by your feet, you’ll know: this is what the world looks like when it’s unfiltered, unsold, unforgettable.

You Need To See This

• Tunnel View: Drive through the dark Wawona Tunnel and the valley unfolds like a living postcard. Half Dome’s carved arch, Bridalveil Fall’s misty arc, and sweeping meadows appear all at once.

• Walk to Bridalveil Fall: Feel the sharp mist on your face, smell the granite, and laugh at how alive you suddenly feel.

• Meander by Merced River: Dappled sunlight through pines, water lapping smooth stones, the world slows just for you.

• Groves of Giants: Stand under ancient sequoias; their bark rough, their presence towering. History lives here - quiet, strong, eternal.

• Hike Mist Trail: Get drenched (in a good way) next to Vernal and Nevada Falls. Rugged, misty, heart-thumping terrain that whispers “keep going.”

• Firefall (Feb, if you time it right): When it works, the waterfall glows orange for a few magical minutes. Perfect for photographers and perfect for feeling like you’re inside a dream.

Uh Oh - People Are Getting Restless

In Feb 2025, Yosemite staff hung an upside-down U.S. flag near Horsetail Fall - the famed “firefall” phenomenon where the setting sun makes the waterfall glow like molten lava - to protest mass firings of National Park Service workers under the Trump administration. It was a bold, silent rebellion among nature’s grandeur - an act of visual protest that amplified Yosemite’s wild spirit in every sense. It was proof that people can protest peacefully and still be heard.

Photos of that simple act traveled the world, reassuring our friends in other countries that not all Americans have lost their mind. The military has a long tradition of hanging the flag upside down to signal “send help.” The message means that we are fighting back and welcome others to join us. Americans remain a feisty bunch who can’t agree on anything so don’t believe the message that all of us are now…(you fill in the blank).

Want your feet to hurry, your heart to race, and your spirit to crack open wide? Mark those free days, plan ahead, maybe hike through golden light, and let Yosemite remind you how thrilling this world can really be.

See you next Wednesday.

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