El Capitan is the largest single granite rock in the world and was one of the biggest draws for us to visit Yosemite National Park. There are two hiking routes to the top of El Capitan. We took the route from Yosemite Valley starting at Camp 4 as it is the more interesting route and gives the option to visit the top of Yosemite Falls. We climbed what seemed like a never ending rock staircase to Yosemite Falls, then made our way over to El Cap. The total hike was 16.4 miles and about 4,500 feet of elevation gain, almost 3,000 of which came within the first 3.2 miles of the hike. Â
To beat the heat, we started hiking in the dark at 5am. We parked in the lot across the street from Camp 4 because it does not require any permits and also has bathroom facilities. From there, it was really easy to cross the road and start from Yosemite Falls Trailhead. If you hike this, don’t make the mistake of starting at Lower Yosemite Falls Trailhead – that will only take you below the falls, not to the top to connect with the trail to El Capitan.
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