There are also a number of side trails you can take which lengthen the route too, both trails have the option to visit Eagle Peak. The Upper Yosemite Falls trail route is the most scenic but also the most heavily trafficked (at least along the first 3.5 miles) the Old Oak route is primarily through forest and is much quieter (there are just a handful of parking spaces at the trail head as opposed to hundreds down in the valley for the falls route). Both trails are similar in length and elevation. There are two routes you can take up El Cap: the first being the one via the Upper Yosemite Falls Track and the second being via Old Big Oak Flat Road. This is primarily because of the Upper Yosemite Falls Track - a brutally steep trail which is tiring on the way up and incredibly slippery on the way down. The quickest time to hike the trail is about 8 hours, but the average is between 10-12 hours. Supposedly you can hike to the top but I personally wouldn't do it.The first thing to know before taking on the El Capitan hike is that you need to allow a full day. I went during the morning so took photos of what I have. According to the staff at the center arriving during the early evening works well as the sun sets on the western side providing an opportunity for nice shots. ![]() However, you sort of have to do a U-turn on the highway if you stop at the picnic area on the right since the road is divided there with a small curb. But, upon exiting the visitor center to go back to the main road if you took a right and went about 4 miles down the highway, there was a double picnic area where you could get some good pictures. ![]() It can be seen from a distance when entering the from the northeast side and from within the park the best overall view requires leaving the park.Īt the visitor center, I asked about an overlook of Capitan they noted there was no place within the park. We have done most of the hikes in the Guadalupe Mountains, and every time we drove thru there, we always said that someday we would hike to the cliff of El Capitan Peak, and now is DONE!!Īlthough many people are familiar with El Capitan in Yosemite, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park has their own Capitan. ![]() 3,2018 my friend Erik Sheldon and myself hiked El Capitan peak, it was on the bucket list, and now done!!!, we started at Pine Springs and took the Guadalupe peak trail, almost all the way to the top, about half a mile from Guadalupe Peak we took a left turn thru a water drainage, very loose rock and very step, we hiked down for about 30 minutes, then took a right towards the ridge, the views from the ridge are spectacular, there is a not a good trail, because its not very popular and that's because is a very strenuous hike, my buddy Eric and i build some cairns along the way, to helped us find our way back, (hoping it also help other hikers) Once we made it all the way to the cliff, there is a metal box, where you can register your name, we took a nice break there enjoying the great views toward the East, it took us about two hours to get to the cliff, and about the same time to get back to Guadalupe Peak trail, DON'T ATTEMPT his hike if you are a beginner, this is a very difficult hike, and that's probably the reason few hikers do this hike.
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