El Capitan Meadow
El Capitan Meadow
4.5
Nature & Wildlife AreasHiking TrailsGeologic Formations
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
8 reviews
Excellent
5
Very good
3
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Joseph Robba
Charlotte, NC2,281 contributions
Sept 2020
The El Capitan Meadow was one of the few places we got to actually enjoy on our trip to Yosemite, which really suffered from the immense smoke coming from the Creek Fire. While the meadow itself was closed due to recovery efforts, we got to witness a bear swing right through the merced river and into the meadow. He honestly got a little close for comfort, but it certainly was the highlight of what was a mostly disappointing visit.
Written 10 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China174,707 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
This is a popular meadow within the Yosemite Valley that passes by the landmark El Capitan, a 3000 foot granite monolith land formation. The meadow is flat and an ideal spot for picnics in the valley. Interestingly, this is also a popular place to stop to watch daredevil rock climbers scaling El Capitan.
The entire stretch of Northside Drive has space to pull your vehicle over on the left side of the road. Just look for other visitors on picnic seats staring up at El Capitan. Many will have binoculars and for good reason. To the naked eye, there is nothing going on. However, once you start to scan the rock face with a good pair of binoculars, you will spot rock climbers. Look in the crevices, this is where most can be seen. They are but specks of colour that you can make out as climbers when looking carefully.
We very much enjoyed viewing the rock climbers for 15-20 minutes during our recent visit to Yosemite National Park. This is an amazing activity and trying to find those who are willing and able to take on El Capitan give through binoculars is a fun activity for the rest of us.
The entire stretch of Northside Drive has space to pull your vehicle over on the left side of the road. Just look for other visitors on picnic seats staring up at El Capitan. Many will have binoculars and for good reason. To the naked eye, there is nothing going on. However, once you start to scan the rock face with a good pair of binoculars, you will spot rock climbers. Look in the crevices, this is where most can be seen. They are but specks of colour that you can make out as climbers when looking carefully.
We very much enjoyed viewing the rock climbers for 15-20 minutes during our recent visit to Yosemite National Park. This is an amazing activity and trying to find those who are willing and able to take on El Capitan give through binoculars is a fun activity for the rest of us.
Written 17 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel K
United States197 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
El Capitan makes you feel small, in a good way somehow. The meadows are beautiful. They're right on the main roads in the valley so it's easy to get there. Its easier to find parking early or late in the day.
Written 6 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PacificNWFamily
Washington State103,245 contributions
June 2022
We walked out into the meadow and used binoculars to watch a few climbers on El Capitan. There were some nice shady spots to sit and a few wildflowers.
Written 17 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
snowythepyro
London, UK471 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
This is a great spot to stop and use your binoculars (or camera zoom) to watch the little ants scaling El Capitan. An oasis of calm.
Written 22 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cathybremer2015
Colorado Springs, CO62 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
El Capitan is a majestic rock wall extending far into the sky above a beautiful lush green meadow. It is awe inspiring. The drive into Yosemite National park takes you through winding treed roads with amazing views along the way. You can walk near the bottom of a gigantic waterfall and stand in the spray while being thrilled by the view. You will find it to be very busy in the warm weather and parking is sometimes difficult to find, but even if you just drive through the park it is well worth the drive. Enjoy!
Written 9 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Waddler
York, UK12,478 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We parked fine at 10am on a Tuesday. Its a beautiful spot. You can get a vertical view of El Capitan by crossing the road and walking up (and it is up) to the Base of the Nose.
Written 6 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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