El Capitan
El Capitan is a California climbing crag with 1 route and trad climbing.
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1 route
- 5.10b
- Trad
Is El Capitan open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit El Capitan
Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 2.4 mi away at 4,018 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
El Capitan is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, California, within the Yosemite Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits inside the park's wilderness boundaries. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F. The East Buttress is the only route listed here, a trad climb graded 5.10b. It is close to two other climbing areas, Slab Happy Pinnacle and Schultz's Ridge, both about 0.1 mile away. For an overnight stay, Lower Pines Campground is about 3.3 miles off.
Routes (1)
4. East Buttress(1)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Slab Happy Pinnacle
~0 min drive
7 trad routes at Slab Happy Pinnacle in California, 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: ogwen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Schultz's Ridge
~0 min drive
Schultz's Ridge in California has 17 climbing routes ranging across 11 difficulty grades.
Photo: ogwen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Loggerhead Buttress
~0 min drive
Loggerhead Buttress in California has 23 climbing routes ranging across 11 difficulty grades, offering sport and traditional styles.
Photo: ogwen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)El Cap Picnic Area (Eagle Creek)
~0 min drive
El Cap Picnic Area (Eagle Creek) is a climbing area in California with 1 route.
Photo: msprague, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Manure Pile Buttress (aka Ranger Rock)
~1 min drive
Manure Pile Buttress (aka Ranger Rock) in California has 15 routes from 5.10a to 5.12c.
Photo: Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Southeast Face
~1 min drive
Southeast Face in California has 17 mixed and trad routes across 8 grades.
Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Southeast Base
~1 min drive
Southeast Base in California has 9 climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.
Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Moby Dick and Pterodactyl Terrace
~1 min drive
16-route climbing area in California with mixed, sport, and trad options.
Photo: Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Little John and La Cosita
~1 min drive
Little John and La Cosita in California has 7 climbing routes with mixed and traditional styles.
Photo: lewinb, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Slack to West Buttress
~1 min drive
14 traditional climbing routes in California spanning 8 difficulty grades.
Also worth it near here
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