Eagle Peak Meadows

Eagle Peak Meadows is the long, level breather partway up the Eagle Peak Trail — a forested, marshy flat that hikers cross after the trail's steep opening climb and before the final push toward the summit. It's officially mapped as its own named flat on USGS topo sheets, but it isn't a destination people drive out to see on its own; it's a waypoint on one of Yosemite Valley's toughest day hikes, reached by linking the Yosemite Falls Trail with the El Capitan Trail. The path runs through the meadows for roughly two miles before a junction, with the Eagle Peak summit about 2.5 miles beyond that.

The Hike to Get There

Most parties start at the Yosemite Falls Trailhead in the Valley and follow the same switchbacks used to reach Upper Yosemite Fall before branching onto the El Capitan Trail. Depending on the exact route, the round trip to Eagle Peak runs around 12 miles with roughly 4,300 feet of elevation gain — a full, strenuous day. Eagle Peak itself tops out at 7,783 feet, the highest of the Three Brothers rock formation above El Capitan, with a summit view John Muir once called the most complete look at the Valley from the north rim. Hikers overnighting anywhere along this route need a Yosemite wilderness permit — the park releases 60% of each trailhead's daily quota 24 weeks out and the rest a week ahead.

What to Expect at the Meadows

• Forested, relatively flat terrain — a welcome change of pace mid-climb
• Marshy ground that holds moisture well into summer
• Mosquitoes are common here in early-to-mid summer because of that standing water
• No facilities of any kind — this is backcountry trail, not a roadside stop