Tourists and nature lovers converge on California's Yosemite National Park in February to see an amazing optical illusion that only appears once a year for a couple weeks in February.

>> Read more trending news 

When the setting sun hits just the right angle, its rays strike the park’s Horsetail Fall, illuminating the falls and creating a stunning illusion of gushing lava or falling fire.

The appearance of the illusion depends on several conditions, including weather conditions and the water levels of the falls.

"The waterfall is bigger than it has been in a long time due to all the rain and snow we have received," national park ranger Scott Gediman told KTLA.

More people know about the stunning phenomenon these days,  Gediman said.

“It has gained in popularity the last few years die to social media,” he said. “People come from all over the world to see this.”

Yosemite, located in the Sierra Nevada, is known for its waterfalls and its vast 1,200 square miles of wilderness area.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Former Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman talks to her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, after she testified before the U.S. House Select Committee at its fourth hearing on its Jan. 6 investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS)

Credit: TNS