Near El Capitan Gully, take a careful peek down into the impressive crack. (In early summer, your feet may get wet.)Ĭontinuing southeast after crossing Ribbon Creek, the trail gets closer to the edge of Yosemite Valley and we start to get some good teaser views of the backside of El Capitan. After escaping the dark forest, the ridgeline is mostly open near the top before descending into Ribbon Meadow, a wonderful grassy marsh where wildflowers are usually abundant. It's all uphill from here! Leaving the old road, we now follow the trail up a ridgeline to gain almost 2000 feet over the next 3 miles. The road now functions as a connector trail between the Tamarack Flat Campground and the El Capitan Trail.)įrom the junction, follow the old road across the sturdy footbridge over Cascade Creek and continue along the road for another half a mile until you see the sign on the left for the El Capitan Trail. (This old road used to connect Yosemite Valley with Tioga Road, but it was abandoned due to the constant rockfalls that covered lower sections of the road. After roughly four miles, you will reach the junction with the abandoned Old Big Oak Flat Road. The trail crosses several forested gullies including Tamarack Creek which may require some troubleshooting to cross in high water. In a mile, you get a wonderful view through the Merced Gorge into Yosemite Valley. From the parking lot, follow the trail northeast into the arid open hills. The small roadside parking lot has room for several cars. The Old Big Oak Flat Trailhead is located along Big Oak Flat Road roughly 3.7 miles west of the junction with El Portal Road. (Lower portions of the trail are open year-round, but snow on the rim can be treacherous.)
Old Big Oak Flat Trailhead (along Big Oak Flat Road west of Yosemite Valley) to Yosemite Falls Trailhead (Camp 4/Yosemite Falls Parking, Stop 7 or E2 along the Yosemite Valley shuttle system)ġ8.8 miles (including side trips to the two peaks)Ģ900-ft gain from Big Oak Flat Road to Eagle Peak (with many ups and downs along the way), 3800-ft descent into Yosemite Valley This hike is not suitable for casual tourists who are not in good hiking shape. WARNING: This is a long and strenuous hike though some very remote terrain. A through hike from Big Old Flat Road up to El Capitan and nearby Eagle Peak and down the Yosemite Falls Trail makes for a long and rewarding trek though some beautiful backcountry scenery. While famous climbers like Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell have made careers out of climbing up the face of El Capitan, mere mortals can take the long hiking trail to get to the top of the formation. EL CAPITAN and EAGLE PEAK (from Big Oak Flat Road)Įl Capitan is one of the most famous and recognizable granite monoliths in Yosemite, with its intimidating 3000-ft tall sheer vertical wall that stands across from Bridalveil Falls and welcomes awe-struck visitors into Yosemite Valley.
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