Everything You Need to Know Before Hiking Half Dome

So you’ve decided you want to complete THE most epic hike in the United States?! Good for you. The Half Dome Hike in Yosemite National Park is one of the most iconic and challenging hikes in the U.S. It’s a 17- to 20-mile round-trip trek that takes hikers through incredible landscapes, huge waterfalls, and giant trees, culminating in a dramatic ascent to the summit of Half Dome at 8,836 feet (2,693 meters). Summiting Half Dome requires use of cables which are put up by the National Park rangers every year in late May and are taken down in mid-October. If you’re a skilled mountaineer, you can ascend Half Dome without the cables using your own equipment during the off season when the cables are down (late October-early May). This hike requires preparation and should not be underestimated. Here’s everything you need to know before hiking half dome in Yosemite National Park.

Hiking Half Dome: General Information

General Information

The hike is about 17-20 miles round trip, and you’ll gain 5192 feet of elevation on the way up and descend that much on the way down. At the end of the day, my watch read 17.49 miles and 5100 feet. The hike is going to take all day. I’d plan for a 10–14-hour day of hiking. We got to the parking lot next to the trail head at around 4am and ate breakfast there to ensure we got a parking spot. We started the hike around 5am before the sunrise and finished around 4pm. Definitely start early and don’t underestimate this hike. You’ll need a permit for the Half Dome Cables. The first 7 miles are tough and steep but there is nothing technical about them. When you reach Sub Dome, a large granite dome that you have to ascend to get to the cable portion on Half Dome, this is where the hike gets a little more difficult. Be careful of your footing. The terrain is steep. Here at the base of Sub Dome is where the rangers will ask to see your permit. If you don’t have a permit, you won’t be allowed onto Sub Dome. Once you get past Sub Dome, you reach the base of the cables. The two metal cables run parallel up the granite slope. The cables are ⅜-inch thick and anchored into the rock with metal poles. Every few feet there are wooden planks on the ground which provide some traction for your feet. Besides the wooden planks, you’ll mostly be walking on granite and will need shoes with great traction. Gloves are a necessity as well since you’ll be using your arms to pull yourself up with the cables. Don’t attempt this hike in bad weather. Lightning is a significant risk plus the cable portion would be very dangerous when raining/slippery.

How to Get the Permit

• A permit is required to climb the last 400 feet to the top of Half Dome using the cables. The cables are up from the Friday before Memorial Day until the day after Columbus Day. Permits found here: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm and is done by lottery
• To hike to Sub Dome (the area just below Half Dome) and do the entire hike except for the cables, there is no permit required (DO THIS IF YOU CAN’T GET A PERMIT – the hike is amazing even without going to the very top)
• You can also take this trail to Cloud’s Rest and back for a 20 mile total hike. About 2 miles from the top of Half Dome you’ll see signs for Cloud’s Rest. Follow these signs. You will be able to see Half Dome from the top of Cloud’s Rest which is actually about 1000 feet taller
• Park Rangers will ask you for your permit at Sub Dome and will not let you pass without one. Strictly enforced

Hiking Half Dome: Tips

Parking

• Secure a spot in the parking lot next to the trail head EARLY. We got there at 4am and ate breakfast in the parking lot as we got all of our gear together
• Parking lot for the hike is at Happy Isles Trailhead
• If you can get a campsite at Upper Pines Campground, parking won’t be a worry as this campsite is directly across from the trail head
• Start the hike as early as possible for lower temperatures, less crowd, and to make sure you’re done before dark

What to Bring/Wear

• Bring lots of water! I recommend bringing 5-6 liters. We each brought camel-backs with 3L of water and ran out before we even started out trek down from the top
• The last water filling station on the trail is about 1 mile from the start
• About 4-5 miles in you’ll walk past a river where you can refill your water if you have a water filtering system such as the BeFree water bottle of Sawyer Filtration System
• Bring high calorie snacks and bring lunch but make sure to have everything packed in bear containers. Remember to pack in and pack out
• Dress for the weather but I recommend layers. The hike is steep and strenuous and you may find yourself wanting to shed some clothing as you get hiking
• You’ll need gloves for holding onto the cables otherwise they will cause blisters. There is a pile of gloves at the base of sub dome that people have left for others to borrow. This is what we used and we could not have done the cables without them
• Bring toilet paper. It’s a long hike. Again, pack in and pack out.

Other Tips

• Take breaks and photos on the way up. I recommend taking breaks at each of the waterfalls and then taking a lunch break at Sub Dome before hiking up the cables
• Have food for dinner ready for when you are done. You will be exhausted and will not feel like cooking. Otherwise, I recommend buying pizza or dinner at one of the restaurants in Curry Village
• Have fun!! This is the most beautiful and rewarding hike I have ever done

The Route

The main sections of the trail on the way up are:

The First 7 Miles

1. First, ascend 1 steep mile up to Vernal Falls. This is one of the steepest sections with many unlevel steps.
2. Next, climb 2 steep miles up to Nevada Falls, seen below
3. Afterward, the trail flattens out for about a mile as you walk through the woods and come up to the river on your right as well as Little Yosemite Campground (overnight permit required to camp here)
4. The trail then becomes steep again as you hike switchbacks through Redwood trees until about 7 miles in when you reach a break in the trees and start being able to see the little dots of people climbing up Half Dome from afar. Here you’ll find countless areas to enjoy beautiful views of the valley below

Sub Dome/ Half Dome Ascent and Descent

1. When you get to the base of sub dome, where the ranger will check your permits, and where all of the gloves are on the ground available to be borrowed, you have a steep climb up sub dome to the base of half dome. This area is not very technical as the rock has steps carved into the stone that you can walk up- they are just very steep. The steps are so steep it’s sort of dizzying. We chose to sit down and enjoy lunch near the base of sub dome to get our energy levels up before climbing sub dome’s steep steps and then ascending half dome’s cables
2. From here, you will climb up Half Dome using the cables. This is extremely steep and most of the time I felt like I was pulling myself up using my arms. The climb is 400 feet total with an incline of 45-50 degrees. The cables allow you to do this without any climbing equipment at all; although, some people did clip onto the cables for extra safety. It actually looks way scarier than it is. When you get on the Half Dome granite, just put one foot in front of the other and pull yourself up. It goes by quickly. You can do it! The views at the top are amazing
3. When descending on the cables, I chose to walk down facing forward but many people prefer to walk down backwards as if descending a ladder. See which one works for you and take your time.

The walk down from Half Dome was the hardest part and very hard on the knees. I recommend packing hiking poles to use on the way down for some extra support to the joints. Even though the way down is tough, it is much faster than the ascent. We got back to the trailhead in 2-3 hours with very few breaks. After 17.5 miles and 5000 feet of elevation, we were limping and exhausted but very proud to have summited the incredible Half Dome. I hope this guide helps you accomplish the same.

Enjoy Yosemite!! Cheers! – Alanna

Check out the rest of our California road trip: The Ultimate PCH Road Trip: San Diego to Lake Tahoe | All the Way Alanna