When leaving Yosemite Valley, remember to stop by El Capitan Meadow. You can view El Capitan straight up as well as the rocks, a beautiful sight worth stopping for.
We caught the El Capitan Shuttle bus from in front of the Valley Visitor Center (Near shuttle stop 5) out to El Capitan meadow and Cathedral Beach. When the bus crossed the river we got off at stop E4. There we found a beautiful calm river with wide sandy beaches and a majestic view of El Capitan.
Our kids floated in the river, swam and played in the sand. This area was out of the hustle and bustle of Yosemite Village and offered quiet enjoyment and beautiful views.
We enjoyed taking a rarely used shuttle service in a nice charter bus. Free!
This shuttle runs only in the summer.