A trip to Yosemite won’t be complete without seeing El Capitan. This massive rock formation is impressive in nature and is also one of Apple’s favorite landmarks!
Contents
Directions
Arch Rock
From the Arch Rock entrance, head northeast on on El Portal Rd for 5.5 miles. El Portal Rd will turn into Southside Dr. Stay slight left to stay on Southside Dr. and drive for 4.2 miles. Turn left on Sentinel Drive and drive for 0.3 miles. Turn left on Northside Dr. and drive for 1.1 miles. Then turn right into Camp 4 Parking.
Big Oak Flat
From the Big Oak Flat entrance, follow CA-120 E, Big Oak Flat Road and Southside Dr. to Camp 4 Parking (24.5 miles). Then turn right into Camp 4 Parking.
Hetch Hetchy
From the Hetch Hetchy entrance, take Evergreen Rd. to CA-120 E (8.7 miles). Follow CA-120 E, Big Oak Flat Road and Southside Dr. to Camp 4 Parking (25.7 miles). Then turn right into Camp 4 Parking.
South
From the South entrance, head northwest on CA-41. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit to Wawona Rd (26.2 miles). Stay slight left to stay on Southside Dr. (4.1 miles). Turn left on Sentinel Drive and drive for 0.3 miles. Turn left on Northside Dr. and drive for 1.1 miles. Then turn right into Camp 4 Parking.
Tioga Pass
From the Tioga Pass Entrance, drive south on CA-120 W for 46.5 miles. When you get to a fork in the road, take Big Oak Flat Road Southside Drive to Camp 4 Parking (about 17 miles).
This is a map of Yosemite and where El Capitan is located. From Tenaya Lake, it is about an hour drive on Northside Drive.
Parking
There is parking along the street on both sides. Since this is a well-visited attraction, it might be a little difficult to find parking at first.
Restrooms
There are no restrooms here so you will need to use it either before you get to this location or after.
Distance
You can see El Capitan right from your car or you can also walk up closer to it. Another way to view El Capitan is next to the Merced River. If you capture the moment perfectly, you might get the reflection of El Capitan in the river!
If you are more into hiking, there is the El Capitan Trail which is of more strenuous difficulty. It is about a 16 mile round trip. We did not choose this option.
Difficulty
If you go with either the first or second option listed above, the walk is pretty easy. It also won’t take you very long at all.
El Capitan
You are able to take photos of El Capitan right from your car. But if you decide to walk around, you will find some informational signs and you can also go down to the river.
Places Nearby
Merced River
El Capitan is another easy landmark that you can visit in Yosemite that is worth it. After seeing it, I notice all of the wallpapers from Apple are taken at Yosemite now.
