El Capitan

As iconic as it is from the bottom of El Capitan, you should try and hike up to the top and see how it looks from the top. The sunset and sunrise from the top is exquisite, and since not a lot of people high up to the top, it is barely crowded at any point of time. I’ll see if you’re a climber when you try climb it cause it’s one of the best climbs in the park.

With the number of people walking out into the road while I was driving I could only spare 1 look up at it. For such a beautiful park, the number of people there really ruin the whole experience.

I've always been fascinated with El Capitan mainly because of the documentary, Free Solo. It actually won an Academy Award for best documentary and was released in 2018. Alex Honnold is the first and only person to have free-soloed El Capitan's freerider route. He completed this climb without any ropes, harnesses, or safety gear, making it one of the greatest feats in adventure sports history. The first known ascenders were actually Warren Harding, George Whitmore, and Wayne Merry. The first known ascent was on November 12th, 1959. El Capitan is about 3,000 feet from base to summit along its tallest face and is a world-famous location for big wall climbing. Its location is in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

You look to the sky and you see one massive rock, so high you can’t believe it. For me, when I came back after 25 years still one of the most beautifull views in the world

We had an amazing time last October here. Waterfalls were still good and the park was not as busy as we had been told. You can follow us on our great adventures and more on YouTube at Somedaynowtravel. See you soon.

Visit to Yosemite national park with family in August 2025 was a great experience. El Capitan (Spanish) is a huge monolithic granite formation at Yosemite valley of Yosemite national park, California. It towers around 3000 feet vertically from the base. Visit to this national park is covered under the "America is beautiful" card. Costed 80 dollars (in 2025) for a car (not per head), valid for a year.

El Capitan….. it’s big, it’s bold, it’s magical and it’s a world famous huge granite vertical face that crazy rock climbers seem to like to climb. This is a special piece of rock that just has to be seen and marvelled at. I once spent an evening with Andy Kirkpatrick a world famous climber who’s scaled El Cap over 30 times and his stories of tackling this beast have stayed with me for years. This made my visit to see El Capitan even more special. Go see this mammoth granite monolith…. It’s amazing and you’ll also see its partner Half Dome sitting a little further down the Valley. What a pair, what a sight to see…!!

A climber's dream. Just to gaze upon it makes you feel so small. One of the largest vertical drop in the world. And the easiest accessible one! Don't go so close to the nose without a helmet!

The view for El Capitan can all be done while driving - no need to hike to this one unless you prefer! If you'd like to park there is a small parking lot where you can park and walk closer to get a picture of this beautiful view. If you take the gps to tunnel view it will take you exactly to the spot of photos I have attached to this review. I'm sure there are opportunities to get closer to El Capitan but this is an easy way to get a view and some pics!

Stunning! Even in December. TIP: Wear comfortable ( and sensible) walking shoes and layered clothing.

I got straight As in Geology and then was told that Geology was considered the Kim Kardashian of Natural Sciences (in that, she's not really a celebrity). Now don't get your feathers ruffled Geology majors - I'm on your side!! 3,000 feet from base to summit, all gray granite and a formidable foe to all climbers (although I didn't spot anyone climbing that day). When you look at El Cap, it looks totally insurmountable. Which is why what Alex Hannold did - he free solo'd El Cap in a few hours is truly outstanding!! As you may know, free soloists climb alone and without equipment (they wear proper shoes and use chalk for their hands, that's all). Needless to say, there aren't too many free soloists walking around. So when you come here, slow down and just stare at El Capitan. Though not as breath taking as the Grand Canyon, It's a true, majestic Geological wonder. And finally, Geology is a true natural science and Kim is also a true superstar.

This is one of the most famous rocks in the country. That's somewhat thanks to the film Free Solo, but also thanks to beauty of its facade. It is a towering monument as you enter Yosemite Valley. There is a trail that reaches the base of the rock where you can begin scaling the wall, and there is also a trail to the top if you're willing to hike a very long way to it. It's a beauty no matter what angle you view it from.

Yosemite is an amazing place for everyone. We came on Friday, December 30, 2022 and it was raining, it wasn't too crowded, you could stop and take amazing pictures and walk to the woods but not el capitan or a few other places were closed to hike because of weather, regardless it was a great famiky

This granite gem is so huge that stopping anywhere along the side road will give you that awe satisfaction. I didn't personally climb this rock (it looks strenuous and scary) but sure did admire it from the bottom. Some do say that the best view would be from Bridalveil Straight because you can spot a heart shape granite on El Capitan. A must see and a sight that won't be missed. PS: Remember, that an advance booking reservation is required to visit this park due to COVID.

Words cannot describe... do it. Park off Northside and hike it right to the mountain. I loved it, it's beautiful and could only dream of climbing it although I did climb/boulder a little. This was my bucket list item, all of Yosemite is beautiful!!!

So you can't go to the Yosemite Valley without stopping at El Capitan. The awe inspiring granite monolith is a sight to be seen. I'm not a climber by any stretch of the imagination, I get dizzy climbing stairs so this monster is out of bounds for me, but gazing upon its massive face was not only breathtaking it was downright awesome! It takes a minute or so for your eyes to adjust so you can locate the climbers, if you have a telescope it's much easier to spot them. On this day a park ranger set up a couple telescopes that focused on climbers in various points in their climb. The statement "no mistakes" was at the forefront of my mind as I witnessed their endeavor. The sheer size of El Cap is appreciated when you compare it to the tiny climbers and their 3-5 day quest to reach the top (unless you're one of the super humans who have climbed it in under 3 hours!) Truly remarkable. But that's not all, there are loads of trails and hiking paths even one that will drop you at the top of El Cap if you're up for a difficult 16-20 mile hike (extra miles if you want stunning pics of the other granite giants like Clouds Rest, North Dome or the famous Half Dome.) Again, not something I'd do, but I absolutely appreciate those who call that trek a hobby. The Merced river, the flora and fauna and the wilderness is all around you so bike rides, picnics, hikes and simply enjoying the great outdoors and of course.....the silence are options. So much to do here, you can easily make an afternoon of it. If you've never been, you must go.

This is a stunning rock structure that you can get some great views of from the side of the road. We stopped at pull offs along the road both on our way into Yosemite Valley and our way out of the valley. You can also get good views from further away at Tunnel View and Sentinel Dome. This is one of the main iconic sites in Yosemite, so you definitely won't miss it and don't have to work hard to see it either.

This iconic rock is worth every mile I had to drive from LA. My rock climbing group said, "It'll be fun . . . " and it was. By far the greatest challenge I have had yet. While I did not climb even half of the face, I did take some amazing photographs We went to Yosemite at the perfect time. Cool breezes, sunny days and snowcapped mountains. We arrived before the summer tourists and crowds. Arriving right before sunrise offered us the most optimum viewing of the sun coming over the mountains as we drove through the tunnel. El Capitan in Yosemite are not only worth the trip, next time I think I'll stay longer.

What simple splendor! I went to Yosemite with a few friends, and one of them works for Apple. She's a little obsessed with El Capitan as a landmark... and I think as an iOS? The first day we were there, the sun was going down, and it was the perfect timing for photos. There's an open prairie on the way to Yosemite where you can stop and take gorgeous pictures of this monolithic rock. Mind you, the prairie CANNOT be found on the way back from Yosemite. We drove around for awhile and concluded that the hard way. I'm not sure if people scale El Capitan, but the idea sounds horrifying. Just looking at it from a distance is good enough for me. It was one of my favorite attractions on my Yosemite visit. Absolutely breathtaking. Photos don't do it justice, so go see it yourself.

Gorgeous views and beautiful sunsets. This place has it all. It's an easy walk to the actual mountain, which is surrounded by idyllic woods and lovely hikes. 10/10 definitely recommend.

El Capitan, a granite rock that rises 3,000 feet from Yosemite Valley, is one of the park's gems and its most famous feature. It's almost unimaginable that people regularly climb to the summit of El Cap. It's something that isn't for the faint of heart. In summer 2017, climber Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan without any ropes or other safety equipment, the first person to do so. His exploits were chronicled in the 2018 film Free Solo, from National Geographic. Two climbers, Jason Wells and Tim Klein, fell to their deaths on June 2, 2018. They were among 31 climbers who have died scaling El Capitan since 1905. We stopped and marveled at several climbers ascending El Capitan on one of the days we were in the park. On the south side of the road, several people with telescopes watched them and allowed others to gaze at them. It was spectacular. There are many places in the park to view El Capitan and we found it interesting to look at it from different angles.

One of the iconic scenery in Yosemite Valley. I hiked up here from Yosemite Upper fall trail and El Capitan Trail. Out and back 16 miles, 4000 feet elevation gain. It is possible to see other Yosemite's famous peaks, such as Half Dome and Clouds rest. The top is not as vertical as Taft point, but still nice to stand there.

The Mother Rock Of Yosemite! El Capitain is famous for its monolithic stance that makes Yosemite National park as famous as it is. Rock climbing that brings people from around the country and the world to scale these walls! There is a campground near the climbing area for climbers. It's pretty crowded but the place to be if you are there to climb! This is a must see if you love nature. it's fame is well deserved!

I hiked this on July 5. I looked like a goof wearing a mosquito hoodie but every single person commented on how they wish they had one. I wore it for about 85% of the entire hike and it was the best investment....my arms got destroyed by mosquitos but my head was mosquito bite free and I didn't have to wave my hands in front of my face like everyone else to get the buggers away. There was some smoke from a fire adjacent to North Dome but thankfully as the hike went on the wind shifted and the smoke went the other direction. I started a little after 6am and wish I started a tiny bit earlier...maybe 515 or 530. Thankfully I got to the top of Yosemite Falls before the sun was on the switchbacks. I did Eagle Peak and finally got to El Capitan. Yosemite Falls is a challenge but I had done it before and just prepared for it being brutal so this second time, it didn't seem as bad. I heard the hike between the Falls and El Cap was not that bad so I thought it was going to be more chill....it isn't straight up for switchbacks but it's still a challenge and not chill/easy. I did have some challenges in staying on trail a couple of times due to the winter storm putting tree debris and water on the trail itself. In taking the side-trail to Eagle Peak, it was sun, uphill, and switchbacks. It had great views - better than El Cap but not as good as Glacier Point in my opinion. On the hike from Eagle Peak to El Cap, there was quite a bit of downhill....but that means it's uphill upon the return. I was hiking alone and was told by some wildlife guy who was counting bears that there was a lot of bear activity on the trail to El Cap and to be sure to make noise as I walked. So, I played music off my phone and did not see one bear. I probably explored Yosemite Falls and Eagle Peak a bit to much because I didn't get to El Cap till 315....so don't be like me and explore too much. I had great water sources to fill up about half a mile after Yosemite Falls and then about a mile before El Cap. I'm not a pole person and did not use them until the decent of Yosemite Falls...definitely helped stabilize me on the downhill. I anticipated the entire day taking me 13 hours between breaks and picture taking but like I said, I explored a bit too much and got a tiny bit lost so I didn't get back to base until 8:45PM...so 14.5hr day and 24miles... I did have cell reception some of the time so although I downloaded the trail from alltrails, i was grateful to be able to get onto the app on those times when i got off track to see where I was and where the trail was....totally saved me!

This is the giant iconic "rock". You can't miss it. If you are entering from the westside it sits right off the main road and you'll know because everyone will be parking their cars and jumping out to take pictures.

It was breathtaking! The drive was beautiful despite the fire damage. The waterfalls and the raging water was beautiful. Go!

Looks like a huge rock but it's so gorgeous in pics lol Its massive and beautiful. Can not explain. Actually got the best shots on the road while driving with the top open. A must see and on the way out of Yosemite for us. Great ending.

This is a hike review to the top of El Capitan from the Yosemite Valley. December 2, 2017 Left Elk Grove at 3:30 am, arrived at Camp 4 campground 6:15 am. Started hiking at 6:40 am (sunrise), it was 27 degrees outside, but with no wind it was very nice. I took my beanie and gloves off within the first 10 minutes of hiking because my body was heating up and heart a-pounding. Reached the top of Upper Yosemite Falls lookout/overlook at 9 am. We took some photos there as well as on our way up at "Oh my Gosh" and other areas. This is my 3rd hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls this year that I didn't take but a handful of photos on the way up, though we did pause to take in the scenery. The only time we were cold was when we were at the falls lookout where it was extremely windy. After the lookout we refilled a water bottle across the bridge going towards North Dome and then hiked back across the bridge to continue the trail towards El Capitan. There was a lot of snow on the trail at this point from a previous light snowstorm that we had to hike through in different spots. Reached the top of El Capitan at 12:15 pm. Had lunch, took some pics and relaxed for about 30 minutes total. It's roughly nearly 8 miles to the top of El Cap, and the elevation keeps your heart motoring even when hiking downhill. Left the summit at 12:40 and hiked backed down and reached our car at Camp 4 at 4:00 pm! The hardest part of this hike in my opinion is the return downhill. It's a long day hike nonetheless, but without trekking poles it can be brutal on the knees. The good news is that once we started walking around on flat ground again in Campground 4 our knees felt much better. It's basically walking downhill for 3+ hours...it gets old and tiring, where your body just wants an uphill climb. I don't recommend doing this hike late in the season due to the low Yosemite Falls runoff, cold temperatures (when your not moving), and sun setting around 5 pm which means you need to be constantly moving. We were pretty much moving all the time as we didn't want to hike back in the dark. My Samsung S7 phone showed 46,283 steps and 19.42 miles hiked and 3032 calories burned! Enjoy my other Yosemite National Park hike reviews!

Read up on the geology of this pluton, and you'll appreciate the amazingness even more. This rock shocks. There's no way to explain it without seeing it. And photos don't do it justice.

Simply Breathtaking. The drive up to El Capitan and Yosemite Falls was just as thrilling for me then the actual attractions.

Breathtakingly beautiful!!!! So amazing. We got there around 12:30 pm and every single parking lots were full. We drove around and around in circle and finally found a spot. We hiked up to Lower Yosemite Falls. It was so amazingly beautiful. The ground was muddy and wet mixed with snow. Very slippery. The view of the falls is worth it. It's only beginning of April and it was already very crowded.

5 stars****! I couldn't leave any less? We had a nice lunch in the camp site where a sign is posted that says Teddy Roosevelt camped here. Well our meal was a simple take-out Colonel's fried chicken with sides! But still the magnificence of this beautiful place any simple meal could qualify as a gourmet delight? Afterwards we took our trash with us to dispose of later when we found a trash barrel? Leaving this place exactly as we found it clean and beautiful! If President Teddy did camp here it is still a beautiful site with a great view of El Capitan which definitely one big piece of marble? ''Thank you Yosimite''

You can get a great view of El Capitan from near Bridalveil Falls. It's incredible how people will scale this great rock every year during rock climbing season. :) There's also another great view of this rock from Tunnel View, which is a must stop / see location on your way into Yosemite Valley. AH-mazing!

Wow this was one crazy hike. My friends and I stayed at the upper pines camp ground for 5 days and one of the days we decided to do this hike. I thought it would be like any other hike we normally do but was I wrong. It is very difficult. I was definitely not prepared first of all. I had Nike tennis shoes, a water bottle (the rest of the water was with my fiancée), 2 peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars, and some fruit gummies. We started the hike at the bottom up to the top of Yosemite falls. There are two switchbacks on this hike. The first set aren't that bad, but one you pass the middle of the falls that's when it gets difficult. The second set are no joke. I had to take a break after each switch back. It was very hot that morning as well. I am in pretty good shape and it was difficult for me. Once you get to the top of the falls it is beautiful and well worth it. So then my friends and I decided to keep going up to El Capitan. It was one of the longest hikes ever! The scenery to El Capitan was very pretty and mystical. It isn't that bad, it's just long. Once you get to the top the view is wow! I was so exhausted and thinking to go back didn't help either. Going back down is always the worst but going down the switch backs be very careful. It's sandy and the rocks are slippery and steep. Hiking sticks are definitely recommended. Some things I would do differently for this hike is to leave early. We left at about 9:30 am and finished the whole entire 16.4 miles by 8:00 pm. Also, I would invest in som Beijing boots and a camelback.

Iconic, epic, a trademark, breathtaking, incredible, and more are words used to describe this world class chunk of granite majestically standing in front of you! When you come in to Yosemite, a rookie mistake is to drive thru the parks and be amazed. My best tip for all first timers and well for everyone, is to stop at every turnout, and get out of the car and look around. Some of the first turn outs after entering the valley give a lovely view of El Capitan, and the short hike to Bridal Veil Falls. The most photographed view of the valley is from Tunnel View, and El Capitan is majestic. Plan a trip so you timing can put you at Tunnel View during a Full Moon, and be there at Moon Rise and well it is a real WOW. At sunset the softer colors is also prime viewing and picture time. Any you you slice it, this is one of the top places on the planet to be. I am in awe and completely humbled on every trip.