The Milky Way galaxy shines over a blanket of smoke in this gorgeous night-sky photo of Yosemite National Park in northern California.. Protected by the U.S. government since 1864, Yosemite ...

Yosemite National Park’s firefall — a yearly event in which the rays of the setting sun make Horsetail Fall glow like fire — is spectacular to behold from within the park.

The "firefall" usually begins around 5:30 p.m., said Dey, who was camped out at the waterfall by 2 p.m. on Monday to make sure she would have a good spot to take photos.

Luckily, finally seeing the “firefall” seems to be well worth the wait. “When the fall started glowing, I could not believe what I was seeing,” Dey said. “For 10 minutes, all of us sat ...