Half Dome's rounded summit rising above the high country under a blue sky with white clouds, a lone pine in the foreground

Half Dome Hike: Permits, Mist Trail and the Cables

Seven miles up, 400 feet (120 m) of cables and a permit that decides before the trail does.

7.1 mi · 2 days · Expert
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Photo: LoEdge, CC0

As of 1 November 2026 the Half Dome cables are down for the season. The park's conditions page says so, and the hike to the summit is not open without them. The permit rules and trail below are for a normal year.

Half Dome is the granite dome at the east end of Yosemite Valley, rising nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above the floor to 8,800 feet (2,680 m) above sea level. The standard way up starts at Happy Isles, climbs the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls, crosses Little Yosemite Valley, climbs the subdome by stairs and granite slabs and finishes up the last 400 feet (120 m) on steel cables. The park gives 14 to 16.4 miles (22 to 26 km) round trip and 4,800 feet (1,475 m) of climb, and most hikers take 10 to 12 hours.

This page draws it as the two-day trip: Happy Isles to the Little Yosemite Valley campground on day one, the summit and the walk out on day two. The line on the map is one way, by the Mist Trail, and measures 7.1 miles (11.5 km), so about 14.3 miles (23 km) round trip. The park does not say which route its 14 to 16.4 miles (22 to 26 km) belongs to; for the John Muir Trail route it gives 16.2 miles (26 km) and 4,830 feet (1,470 m). The park gives no per-day distances, so the two legs are measured along the OpenStreetMap line. You can also do it in one day if you win a day-hiker permit.

The decision that matters is the permit, not the trail. A Half Dome permit is required seven days a week when the cables are up. A night in Little Yosemite Valley needs a wilderness permit that includes Half Dome; the one-day hike needs a day permit from the preseason lottery in March or the daily lottery two days before. Both are hard to get. Apply first, then plan the hiking.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 8,840 ft (2,693 m) · lowest 4,030 ft (1,227 m)

8,840 ft4,030 ft1
0 mi7.1 mi (11.5 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

2 legs and 1 night on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Vernal Fall pouring down its granite face in low backlit sun, with spray drifting over boulders and a grassy ledge in the foreground
    Day 1

    Day 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley

    Happy Isles trailheadtoLittle Yosemite Valley campground

    Distance
    3.8 mi 6.1 km

    The first leg is the climb out of the Valley. The park describes Little Yosemite Valley as a designated backpackers' campground about 2,000 feet (610 m) above the Valley floor and just under four miles (6.4 km) from the trailhead, and it counts 2,150 feet (655 m) of climb on the way. The line here is 3.8 miles (6.1 km) to the campground.

    You choose between two routes up. The Mist Trail is the shortest and steepest, the park says, and climbs beside Vernal Fall and then Nevada Fall; the John Muir Trail takes a longer, lower-angle path. You can pick one for the way up and the other for the way down. On 1 November 2026 the park's conditions page said that, through October, repair work kept the Mist Trail above the footbridge open Fridays through Sundays and holidays, and Monday through Thursday only from 3:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., with the John Muir Trail as the alternate; check before you go. The Vernal Fall footbridge, with flush toilets and the summer drinking fountain, is less than a mile (1.6 km) from the trailhead. Above Nevada Fall the trail passes under Liberty Cap and into Little Yosemite Valley.

    This is a designated campground, and it is the only place to camp in this part of the wilderness. Campfires are allowed only in the communal fire rings provided, and all food, trash and toiletries go in a bear canister. You can reach the camp with energy to spare and still make the summit the next morning, which is the point of staying.

    Sleep
    Little Yosemite Valley campground · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Vernal Fall footbridge fountain in summer only. Merced River water elsewhere; treat all of it.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Pedro Szekely, CC BY-SA 2.0

  2. Hikers climbing the Half Dome cables up the bare granite slope under a deep blue sky, the figures small against the rock
    Day 2

    Day 2: Little Yosemite Valley to the summit and back

    Little Yosemite Valley campgroundtoHalf Dome summit

    Distance
    3.4 mi 5.4 km

    The summit is 3.4 miles (5.4 km) beyond camp, measured along the OpenStreetMap line; the park gives no per-leg distance. Leave around sunrise or earlier, as the park advises, with a headlamp. The trail leaves the John Muir Trail, climbs steeply to the base of the subdome, where rangers check your permit, and then climbs the subdome by steep stairs and granite slabs. The last 400 feet (120 m) are the cables.

    The park says to set a firm turnaround time (its example is 3:30 p.m.) and not to attempt the ascent with storm clouds in the area or on wet ground. The cables are beyond the subdome, so the base of the subdome, where rangers check permits, is where you decide to go on or turn back. Afternoon thunderstorms are more common, so aim to be on the summit early. If a storm approaches, do not continue; if you are on top, leave the summit area. The summit is typically 15 to 20 F (8 to 11 C) cooler than the Valley and often windy.

    The way back is the same ground in reverse. Down the cables and the subdome to the trail, back to the Little Yosemite Valley campground to pick up your camp, then down to Happy Isles by the Mist Trail or the longer John Muir Trail. Measured along the line, the whole second day is about 10.5 miles (17 km): 3.4 miles (5.4 km) up and the same back to camp, and then 3.8 miles (6.1 km) out, with a long descent at the end of a long day. The park's figure for the Half Dome hike via the John Muir Trail is 16.2 miles (26 km) round trip with 4,830 feet (1,470 m) of climb.

    Water
    None on the dome. Carry what you need up from the camp; treat any river or stream water.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Alex Proimos, CC BY 2.0

Permits

A permit is required

A Half Dome permit is required seven days a week when the cables are up, for day hikers and for backpackers alike. The park caps the trail beyond the base of the subdome at 300 hikers a day, about 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers, and rangers check permits at the base of the subdome. Recreation.gov lists a slightly smaller day-hiker quota (275 beyond the subdome), so treat the exact daily cap as roughly 275 to 300 and the odds as long either way.

Which way to choose: there are three doors. The March preseason lottery is one application a year, and you hear in mid-April. The daily lottery is a second chance two days before, and the park says odds are better on weekdays, especially from the end of August. The wilderness permit is the only one that gets you a night at Little Yosemite Valley, but the park calls these permits very difficult to get. If you can only apply once, apply for the preseason lottery, then keep entering the daily lottery for any dates you can be in the Valley.

Overnight, the classic way: a Yosemite wilderness permit for a Half Dome-eligible trailhead, here Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley, with Half Dome added. Wilderness permits are required year-round for any overnight stay in the wilderness. From late April through October they are reserved on Recreation.gov: 60 percent of each trailhead's daily quota goes by lottery 24 weeks ahead, the rest become available seven days ahead. The park's FAQ lists the fees as 10 USD per application plus 5 USD per person, non-refundable. The park calls this the most popular wilderness trip in Yosemite and the permits very difficult to get. It limits the number of people per trailhead each day, and its table lists 15 places by lottery and 10 first come, first served for Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley, with no unit given; Recreation.gov says trailhead quotas are counted per person, not per permit. In 2027 the park lists reservations from April 30 to October 24, and Recreation.gov opens the weekly lotteries from November 8, 2026. You do not reserve Half Dome separately: you ask for it when you pick up the wilderness permit at a wilderness center, 10 USD per person, and it is valid on every date of that permit. A Half Dome permit added this way is for backpackers only, not for a day hike. A wilderness permit issued outside Yosemite does not carry Half Dome; those hikers apply as day hikers.

In one day: a day-hiker permit from Recreation.gov, described under the lottery below. A day permit includes no camping of any kind.

The lottery

Day hikers: one preseason lottery with applications from March 1 through March 31 (Eastern time) and results emailed in mid-April, 225 permits a day, up to six people per application. Then daily lotteries, applications from midnight to 4 p.m. Pacific two days before the hike, with the result that night; there is no alternate on a daily application. The fee is 10 USD per application (not refundable) plus 10 USD per person if you win, refundable until 11:59 p.m. Pacific the day before, or if the cables are not up on your date. Call 877-444-6777 or apply on Recreation.gov. As a dated example, in 2026 the preseason window ran March 1 to 31, results came April 11 and the daily lotteries ran May 13 to October 11. Fees are as the park published them in June 2025; check this year's.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Half Dome Hike, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Happy Isles trailhead in Yosemite Valley, at the east end of the Valley. The park's trailhead list says there is no parking at Happy Isles: trailhead parking is just beyond Curry Village, about a half mile (0.8 km) away, and the free Valley shuttle serves the trailheads year-round.

The end

The route is out and back, so it ends where it started: you walk the same trail down to Happy Isles, as described in the second leg below.

Shuttle

The free Yosemite Valley shuttle runs year-round and reaches the Valley trailheads (Happy Isles is stop 16). It does not begin until 7 a.m., so for an earlier start you walk the closed road from the parking lot. There is no shuttle on the trail.

Parking

Parking is not available at Happy Isles. Trailhead parking just beyond Curry Village is about a half mile (0.8 km) away. The park also lists some overnight parking with food lockers at the Yosemite Falls parking area, just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge. Check current Valley parking rules before you arrive.

Safety

  • Lightning. The park calls the summit a dangerous place in a lightning storm and notes that lightning at Half Dome killed two people in July 1985. Check the forecast, try to reach the summit early because storms are more common in the afternoon, and if a storm appears nearby do not continue up; if you are already in the summit area, leave it. Thunderstorms are most common June through September but can happen at any time of year.

  • Wet rock and cables. The park says not to attempt the ascent in storm clouds or when the rock is wet, and that the leading cause of fatal falls from the cable route is being on the cables when the rock or cables are wet. The final 400 feet (120 m) are steep granite you climb with your hands on steel cables, and the way down is the same ground.

  • Water and heat. The park asks you to carry at least 1 gallon (4 liters) for the full day hike. Treated water is available only at the footbridge fountain below Vernal Fall, and only in summer. River water must be boiled, treated with iodine or filtered with a Giardia-rated filter.

  • A turnaround time. The park advises a firm one (its example is 3:30 p.m.), a start around sunrise or earlier and a headlamp or flashlight with spare batteries for the descent. Most day hikers take 10 to 12 hours.

  • Cold and wind on top. The park says the summit is typically 15 to 20 F (8 to 11 C) cooler than the Valley and often windy.

  • Food storage. Bear canisters are required all year in the Yosemite wilderness, including the Little Yosemite Valley campground; the park rents them at the Valley Welcome Center. The park warns that improper food storage can bring a fine of up to 5,000 USD.

  • Gloves. The park says many people find sturdy gloves helpful on the cables. If you bring gloves up, pack them out; do not leave them at the base of the cables.

Half Dome Hike: FAQ

Do you need a permit to hike Half Dome?

Yes, seven days a week when the cables are up, which is normally from the Friday before Memorial Day to the day after the second Monday in October. Day hikers get it by lottery on Recreation.gov. Backpackers add it to a wilderness permit from an eligible trailhead such as Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley.

How do you get a Half Dome permit?

As a day hiker, enter the March preseason lottery (applications March 1 to 31, results in mid-April) or the daily lottery two days before your hike. As a backpacker, reserve a wilderness permit for a Half Dome-eligible trailhead and ask for Half Dome when you pick it up. A wilderness permit issued outside Yosemite does not include Half Dome.

How much does a Half Dome permit cost?

For day hikers the park lists a 10 USD non-refundable application fee plus 10 USD per person if you win, refundable until 11:59 p.m. Pacific the day before the hike. Backpackers pay 10 USD per person when they pick up the wilderness permit, plus the wilderness reservation fees. Those are the park's published figures from June 2025; check the permit pages for your year.

How long is the Half Dome hike?

The park gives 14 to 16.4 miles (22 to 26 km) round trip with 4,800 feet (1,475 m) of climb, and most hikers take 10 to 12 hours. It does not say which route each end belongs to; for the John Muir Trail route it gives 16.2 miles (26 km) and 4,830 feet (1,470 m). The Mist Trail line on this page measures about 14.3 miles (23 km) round trip.

Can you camp in Little Yosemite Valley?

Yes, with a wilderness permit, and it is the designated campground for this area. The park calls this the most popular wilderness trip in Yosemite and the permits very difficult to get. A day-hiker Half Dome permit includes no camping. If you win a wilderness permit that includes Half Dome, the park asks you to cancel your day permit.

When are the Half Dome cables up?

Normally from the Friday before Memorial Day until the day after the second Monday in October, and the dates can change with conditions. The park's conditions page says whether they are up or down today.

Is Half Dome dangerous in a thunderstorm?

Yes. The park calls the summit a dangerous place during a lightning storm. It says to check the forecast, reach the summit early, not to continue if a storm approaches and to leave the summit area if you are already on top. Do not climb the cables when the rock is wet.

How much water do you need for Half Dome?

The park says to carry at least 1 gallon (4 liters) for the full day hike. Treated water is available only at the Vernal Fall footbridge fountain, and only in summer; river water must be boiled, treated with iodine or filtered.

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