Tell me about Yosemite

[disneychrista]

Question from my friend. How do you drive to the top of El Capitan? It is obvious from documentaries that people drive up there but is that only for special folks or can regular people do it.

 

[bcla]

Question from my friend. How do you drive to the top of El Capitan? It is obvious from documentaries that people drive up there but is that only for special folks or can regular people do it.

There’s no road to the top of El Capitan. It would require hiking in, although climbers go straight up. I haven’t hiked to El Cap but I have gone up to the mouth of Yosemite Falls.

It’s about 13 miles and 4800 ft elevation gain to hike from Yosemite Valley.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/el-capitan-from-yosemite-valley

 

[bcla]

Just wanted to add that whoever you’ve seen at the top in something like a climbing documentary didn’t drive there. Tioga Road is a good 7 miles away and that’s the closest road. This is the fastest way, and only reachable by foot.

 

[disneychrista]

Thank you @bcla i assumed since haven’t seen anything about a way to do so it wasn’t possible but thought I’d ask.

 

[bcla]

Thank you @bcla i assumed since haven’t seen anything about a way to do so it wasn’t possible but thought I’d ask.

When you see a climbing documentary with a support crew waiting at the top, they most likely hiked in. I suppose some of the trails are accessible by horseback. However, it’s about 13 miles round trip, not one way as I previously implied.

If you want to look down towards Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point would be the closest to where one can park a car.

 

[bcla]

Just for anyone still ingerested in going to Yosemite, they will require motor vehicle reservations for day use in 2024 from April 13 through October 27 for weekends and specific holidays (or every day for certain periods) for arrivals between 5 AM to 4 PM or 24 hours depending on which days. The exception will be those with lodging, camping, or backpacking reservations. I don't think reservations will be needed for arriving by bicycle, on foot (some people do that), horseback, or bus.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm​

Entrance Reservations in 2024
A reservation will be required to drive into Yosemite during two different periods in summer 2024. Keep reading for details about the two systems; the two systems are different.​

• January 1 through February 9: No reservation required to drive into Yosemite.
• February 10 through 25: A reservation is required 24 hours per day on Saturdays, Sundays, and on Washington's Birthday (Monday, February 19).
• February 26 through April 12: No reservation required to drive into Yosemite.
• April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays (May 27 and June 19).
• July 1 through August 16: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm every day.
• August 17 through October 27: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays (September 2 and October 14).

 

[longboard55]

Sentinal Dome is a great place that you can drive to

 

[VandVsmama]

Hi, I'm not the original poster and I do not mean to hijack this thread, but we are visiting Yosemite this summer and your post gave me some great ideas of things we should see while there. Thank you!

My question is, when we leave Yosemite, we'll be heading to Anaheim to visit Disneyland for a few days. Do you have a suggested route we should take? We've never been to CA so we were just planning on using Apple Maps, but if you have a better suggestion, please let me know. Thanks!

• get on CA Hwy 99 south
• Continue on 99-S until it merges into I-5 South.
• take I-5 southbound.
• once you're in Anaheim, get off of I-5 at exit #110B.

Without rush hour traffic or stops, it'll take just under 7 hours of driving.

 

[bcla]

Sentinal Dome is a great place that you can drive to

It's one mile hike from Glacier Point Road though. But it's a short walk from the Glacier Point parking lot to the edge of Glacier Point.