Half Dome

Half Dome is the granite icon that draws eyes up the entire length of Yosemite Valley, and hiking to its summit is one of the toughest day hikes in the park. The standard route is a 14- to 16-mile round trip from the Valley floor with roughly 4,800 feet of elevation gain, and most hikers are on the trail for 10 to 12 hours. The final stretch up the dome's steep back side is climbed hand-over-hand on a pair of steel cables bolted into the rock — no technical climbing skill required, but real upper-body effort and a level head.

The Route

Most hikers start at Happy Isles (shuttle stop 16), climbing past Vernal and Nevada Falls before the trail swings toward the dome's shoulder and the base of the cables. Start before sunrise — the mileage and the cable-route crowding both punish a late departure.

Permits and the Cable Season

The cables typically go up the Friday before Memorial Day and come down the day after Columbus Day in mid-October; outside that window they lie flat on the rock and the route becomes a technical climb rather than a hike. Whenever the cables are up, a separate permit lottery controls access — this is distinct from any general Yosemite entrance reservation. A preseason lottery runs each March for dates across the whole season, with a smaller daily lottery two days out for anyone who didn't get in. Only 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers are permitted up per day, and each application carries a $10 non-refundable application fee plus a $10 per-person permit fee, refundable if you cancel by the night before.

Cable Safety

• Wet rock and wet cables are the leading cause of fatal falls here — turn back if storms threaten or the granite is damp.
• Wear sturdy gloves for grip and broken-in boots with ankle support.
• Carry a real headlamp, not just a phone flashlight, in case you're descending after dark.
• The summit runs 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the Valley floor, and afternoon lightning is common — plan to be off the dome before storms build.