Picnic area · Yosemite National Park
Picnic tables and February access to Horsetail Fall’s elusive glow.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
“Up ahead is El Capitan Picnic Area, with tables and grills just east of the cliff. In mid-to-late February, Horsetail Fall on El Capitan's east side can glow orange at sunset.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this place
El Capitan Picnic Area and Horsetail Fall“Up ahead is El Capitan Picnic Area, with tables and grills just east of the cliff. In mid-to-late February, Horsetail Fall on El Capitan's east side can glow orange at sunset.”
Plays as you drive up to El Capitan Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Guide
El Capitan Picnic Area is a roadside picnic stop just east of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Picnic tables and grills make it a handy place to pause for a meal; food-storage lockers and a vault toilet are on site. Accessible picnic tables and designated accessible parking are available.
Horsetail Fall drops from El Capitan’s east side. In mid-to-late February, it can glow orange at sunset when water is flowing and the sky is clear. That’s a natural effect, separate from the old human-made Firefall that once ran from Glacier Point. Treat the glow as a lucky combination, not a promised show.
For an ordinary picnic, the area is open year-round from dawn to dusk, with parking at the picnic area or nearby Northside Drive turnouts. February viewing has separate traffic and parking rules that change from year to year, so check the current directions before heading out for the glow.
Wildlife
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingFour Mile and Panorama Loop16.7 mi · 10.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA full-day Yosemite loop from Four Mile to Glacier Point and back.
ChallengingFour Mile Trail4.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayClimb Yosemite’s south wall for a broader view of the Valley.
EasySentinel Meadow and Cook's Meadow Loop2.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayTwo meadows, river bridges, and a Half Dome view in one walk.
ChallengingYosemite Point Trail8.8 mi · 8 hr · 1.4 mi awayClimb past Yosemite Falls for Half Dome and Lost Arrow Spire.
ChallengingYosemite Falls Trail7.2 mi · 7 hr · 1.4 mi away60 switchbacks climb to the top of Upper Yosemite Fall
ChallengingEl Capitan Trail via Yosemite Falls15.4 mi · 10 hr · 1.4 mi awayA full-day summit hike past Yosemite Falls to El Capitan.
ChallengingEagle Peak Trail12.6 mi · 8.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA long climb to Eagle Peak’s view across Yosemite Valley.
ModerateColumbia Rock Trail2 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA steep mile opens Yosemite Valley and Half Dome in one sweep.
Beach · 0.4 mi awayCathedral BeachA shaded picnic with El Capitan reflected in the Merced.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayEl Capitan MeadowA 3,000-foot wall, dotted with tiny climbers.
Beach · 1 mi awaySentinel BeachPicnic under Sentinel Rock with Upper Yosemite Fall in view.
Picnic area · 1.3 mi awaySwinging Bridge Picnic Area (Yosemite Valley)Picnic by the Merced with Yosemite Falls for company.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayTaft PointThe short walk ends at a rim facing El Capitan.
Campground · 1.4 mi awayCamp 4Shared tent sites steeped in the history of American climbing.
Lodging · 1.6 mi awayYosemite Valley LodgeStay by the falls with meals, coffee and groceries close by.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayBridalveil FallA 620-foot fall up close, with a short paved approach.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
