Topping out at more than 3,000 feet above the 4,000 ft elevation Valley floor, it is the largest monolith of granite in the world. There are a few monoliths that are bigger on the sides of the Andes and Himalaya, but they are not pure granite. El Capitan is opposite Bridalveil Fall and is best seen from the roads in western Yosemite Valley, including Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall area, and El Capitan Meadow.
This is a bend in the river near the meadow. I had the lens as wide as I could get it with my 10-stop dark filter on to get a very long exposure to show the clouds streaking ofer the top. This view is huge!