You are here

Home » Half Dome Opens Saturday For Hikers At Yosemite National Park

Half Dome Opens Saturday For Hikers At Yosemite National Park

Share
By NPT Staff - May 1st, 2015
Alternate Text
Half Dome cables will be in place Saturday/NPS

The cables to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place this Saturday, May 2 and available for hikers. This opening date is three weeks earlier than previously scheduled due to the low snowpack.

Day hikers wishing to ascend the cables between May 2 and May 22 must apply for a two-day-in-advance permit though an online lottery at: www.recreation.gov. The lottery will be open for applications from 12 a.m. to 1 p.m. (PDT) with lottery results available at 6 a.m. the following day. Day use permits for Half Dome are not available in the park. 

Wilderness permits for overnight users who wish to ascend Half Dome are required as a part of any overnight wilderness trip. For more information regarding backpacking permits in Yosemite, please visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm.

The regularly scheduled Half Dome season will commence Saturday, May 23. Permits for the regular season were available through a lottery during the month of March. Approximately 50 permits per day will be available on a daily basis through a two day in advance lottery beginning Thursday, May 21. Visitors wishing to obtain a permit can make reservations at www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777.

For more information regarding the lottery and the Half Dome cables, please visit www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm.

The trail to Half Dome from Yosemite Valley is an extremely strenuous hike covering over 17 miles. Hikers gain 4,800 feet of elevation along the trail that passes highlights such as Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, before reaching the cables on Half Dome'™s steep granite shoulder. Metal cables and wooden planks are placed along the steep shoulder of the dome to assist hikers to the summit.

Visitors are advised to take appropriate precautions when planning a hike of this length and difficulty, and to be prepared for changing weather and trail conditions. Thunder and lightning are common occurrences in the High Sierra during the summer and fall seasons. Hikers should not attempt to summit Half Dome when rain or thunderstorms are forecasted and are advised to use extreme caution when the rocks are wet.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.