1) Ride YARTS to Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, arriving in the morning (from Merced Transpo (7am) or Merced Amtrak (7:10am) arrive at 9:47am).

2) Visit Yosemite Falls and view the base of the falls from just behind the Visitor Center, or challenge yourself to an out-and-back hike up towards the top.

[map_link_trailhead: 20623]

3) Hop on the El Capitan Shuttle at the Valley Visitor Center and head towards the El Capitan Picnic Area. Here you can enjoy a picnic lunch with a view of the spectacular granite monolith. The El Capitan Picnic Area has picnic tables, grills, vault toilets, and garbage/recycling receptacles.

[map_link_trailhead: 20625]

4) Stroll along one of the nearby trails to snap some pictures of El Cap, and also capture the striking Horsetail Falls, which attracts photographers from far and wide.

5) Board the El Capitan Shuttle back to the Valley Visitor Center and pick up a quick dinner before the journey home from one of the several budget-friendly restaurants.

6) Hop back on the YARTS bus at the Valley Visitor Center at 5:55pm, and return to the Merced Amtrak station at 8:27pm or the Merced Transpo station at 8:37pm.