Half Dome Trail

The Half Dome Trail is a 3-km point-to-point trail in Yosemite National Park, California, gaining 454 m of elevation in a single day. Rated strenuous for its steep average grade of roughly 15%, it is the final, most exposed stretch of the Half Dome experience — the cable-assisted push from Sub Dome to the bare granite summit high above Yosemite Valley.

About the Half Dome Trail

Half Dome is the granite monolith that defines the Yosemite Valley skyline, and the Half Dome Trail is the final approach to its 2,694-m summit. The National Park Service tracks the full round trip from the Happy Isles trailhead (shuttle stop #16) as a 14–16 mile (roughly 23–26 km) day, gaining about 4,800 ft (1,463 m) in total and taking most hikers 10–12 hours, according to the official NPS Half Dome day-hike guide. HikeLoad's 3-km, 454-m entry covers the summit segment most hikers actually plan around: the point-to-point push from Little Yosemite Valley, over Sub Dome, and up the steel cables to the top.

This is not a trail to underestimate because of its short distance. The average grade across the 3 km is close to 15%, and the final 130 m are climbed hand-over-hand on a 45-degree granite slab using two parallel steel cables bolted into the rock, spaced roughly a metre apart with wooden cross-planks every few metres to brace your feet. The cables were first strung in 1919 at the urging of Sierra Club leader George Anderson, who had drilled the original iron eye-bolts up the same line decades earlier so hikers could reach a summit John Muir once called inaccessible to anything without wings. Every hiker — day hiker or backpacker — must clear a ranger permit check at the base of Sub Dome before continuing onto the cables; the checkpoint was introduced after a rise in overcrowding-related incidents made a hard daily cap necessary.

Hikers based outside the US sometimes compare the exposure here to alpine via ferrata routes, or to the pass-crossing days on the Theth to Valbona Hike in Albania — another trail where the terrain, not the raw distance, sets the pace and the daily plan.

Route Overview & Stages

The table below breaks the 3-km, 454-m summit segment into its three functional stages, based on the landmarks the NPS identifies along the route: Little Yosemite Valley, Sub Dome, and the cables. Distances and gains are HikeLoad's own trail-database figures for this segment, apportioned across the landmarks the route actually passes.

Almost a third of the total elevation gain (200 of the 454 m) is packed into the 0.8-km Sub Dome ascent alone — this is where hikers with a fear of exposure typically turn back, well before the cables even start. Walk this segment in the up direction described above rather than attempting it as a there-and-back loop in reverse: the Sub Dome steps are far easier to descend than to down-climb blind on the way up, and rangers direct traffic on the cables in a rough uphill-right, downhill-left pattern during busy midday hours.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Little Yosemite Valley — the flat forested basin and backpacker campground that serves as the staging point for the final summit push, roughly 1.5 km and 150 m below Sub Dome.
• Sub Dome — a steep, exposed granite shoulder with a switchbacking rock staircase; the ranger permit checkpoint sits at its base and turns back anyone without a valid cable permit.
• The Half Dome Cables — twin steel cables and wooden cross-planks bolted into the final 130 m of bare granite slab, installed seasonally by NPS trail crews between late May and mid-October.
• Half Dome Summit — a gently sloped granite plateau at 2,694 m covering several hectares, with sheer 1,450-m drops on three sides down to the Valley floor.
• Yosemite Valley Overlook — the summit's western edge, with a direct view down onto Yosemite Village, El Capitan and the Merced River.
• Clouds Rest — the jagged ridge visible to the east, itself reachable via the Clouds Rest Trail and often used as a permit-free alternative viewpoint of Half Dome.
• Tenaya Canyon — the glacially carved gorge dropping away below the summit's northeast face, one of the most technical and least-visited canyons in the park.
• The Diving Board — a granite outcrop off-route below the summit, famous as the vantage point for Ansel Adams's 1927 photograph "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome."

Best Time to Hike the Half Dome Trail

The cables are only installed for part of the year, and that window sets the entire hiking calendar. NPS crews typically raise them the Friday before Memorial Day in late May and take them down the day after Columbus Day in mid-October — as of 2026, plan around late May through mid-October, and confirm exact dates before applying for a permit since installation shifts with snowpack. Outside that window, the cables lie flat on the granite and the ascent becomes a technical climb rather than a hike, which the park does not recommend for permit-based day hikers.

September is the single best month to hike the Half Dome Trail. The Sierra summer thunderstorm pattern that brings afternoon lightning risk in July and August has usually broken by early September, crowds thin out noticeably after Labor Day, and daytime temperatures on the exposed granite drop to a more comfortable range for the climb. The cables remain up through early-to-mid October, so a September date still leaves a wide margin against an early cable removal, and daily lottery odds improve as school terms resume.

June carries the heaviest crowds and the highest snowmelt on Vernal and Nevada Falls along the approach, which can leave granite steps wet and slippery well into the day. July and August bring the greatest lightning risk of the season — the summit is fully exposed with no retreat once you're on the cables, and Sierra afternoon storms build fast. Avoid the trail entirely if rain is forecast at any point in the day: nearly all fatal falls on the cables happen on wet rock, and rangers close the cables outright when storms are active.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Little Yosemite Valley backpacker campground sits directly on the approach and requires a wilderness permit rather than a paid site fee; it's the standard base for hikers splitting the full Half Dome route over two days. In Yosemite Valley itself, Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village) tent cabins run from roughly €140–190 per night in peak season, Yosemite Valley Lodge rooms run €220–300 per night, and a standard backpacker campsite in the Valley's North Pines or Lower Pines campgrounds costs around €28–32 per night. Book all three far in advance — Half Dome Village, the Lodge, and the Valley campgrounds regularly sell out months ahead for the late-May-to-October cable season, and Valley campground reservations open on a rolling monthly window through Recreation.gov.

Getting There & Back

The trailhead is Happy Isles, reached via the free Yosemite Valley shuttle (stop #16), about half a mile from the trailhead parking area or three-quarters of a mile from Half Dome Village. The nearest regional airport is Fresno Yosemite International (FAT), roughly a 2.5-hour drive to the Valley via Highway 41; San Francisco International (SFO) is the nearest major hub, around a 4-hour drive via Highway 120. Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses connect from Merced, Mariposa and Fresno directly into the Valley for hikers without a car, which also avoids the Valley's frequently full trailhead parking lots during peak cable season.

Permits & Fees

Every hiker beyond Sub Dome needs a Half Dome cable permit, checked on the spot by rangers. The preseason lottery runs March 1–31, with results emailed in mid-April; 225 day-hiker permits are issued per day, and applicants can request up to six permits covering six people across a chosen date or date range. Missed the lottery? A daily lottery opens two days before each hike date, from midnight to 4pm Pacific time, with results emailed that evening. The application fee is $10 (about €9) per application and is non-refundable; a further $10 (about €9) per person is charged only if you're awarded a permit, and it's refunded if you cancel by 11:59pm the day before your hike or if the cables aren't up on your date. Full details are on the official NPS Half Dome permits page. Backpackers overnighting at Little Yosemite Valley need a separate wilderness permit, which includes Half Dome cable access for the party.

Gear & Packing List

The short distance is misleading — this is a hands-and-feet scramble, not a stroll, so pack light and keep hands free for the cables. A trim daypack like the Salomon ADV Skin 12 at 260 g or the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Aero 28 Ultralight Fastpack at 506 g keeps the load close to the body for the cable pitch, rather than swinging off your shoulders on the exposed slab. Backpackers basing out of Little Yosemite Valley for the full two-day route should look at the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider (510 g), light enough to carry a full overnight kit without adding strain on the Sub Dome steps.

Bring padded work gloves for the cables — the steel wears rough by midsummer — along with broken-in trail shoes with a sticky rubber sole for the granite, a headlamp with spare batteries for a sunrise start, sun protection for the fully exposed summit, and at least 3–4 litres of water per person, since there's no reliable water source above Little Yosemite Valley. For calorie planning on a 10–12 hour effort day, see HikeLoad's guide on how many calories you need hiking a full day, and check HikeLoad's own ranking of the best ultralight backpacks for 2026 before choosing a pack for the approach.

Similar Trails You Might Like

Hikers who complete the Half Dome cables often extend the trip along the Clouds Rest Trail (15 km), which shares the same trailhead area and delivers an arguably wider panorama without a permit requirement. The Panorama Trail (8 km) links Glacier Point back down to the Valley floor as a scenic, less crowded alternative for the return leg, and pairs well with an early cable start. Outside Yosemite, the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab Trail (9 km) and North Kaibab Trail (21 km) offer a similar mix of steep exposure and big-vista payoff on the canyon's south and north rims, while Zion's Hidden Canyon (2 km) is the closest US comparison for a short, chain-assisted scramble to a dramatic overlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time to hike the Half Dome Trail?
September is the best month as of 2026: the summer thunderstorm pattern has usually broken, crowds drop after Labor Day, and the cables typically stay up until the day after Columbus Day in mid-October. Avoid June's peak snowmelt and July–August's afternoon lightning risk on the fully exposed summit.

How difficult is the Half Dome Trail?
The 3-km, 454-m summit segment is strenuous despite its short length, with an average grade near 15% and a hand-over-hand cable climb up a 45-degree granite slab. It sits within a full day that NPS rates as extremely strenuous for the complete 14–16 mile round trip from Yosemite Valley.

Can the Half Dome Trail be split over multiple days?
Yes. Most backpackers hike from Yosemite Valley to Little Yosemite Valley on day one, camp overnight on a wilderness permit, then complete the 3-km summit segment and cables on day two before continuing back down to the Valley the same afternoon.

Where can I stay near the Half Dome Trail?
Little Yosemite Valley backpacker campground sits on the approach itself. In the Valley, Half Dome Village tent cabins cost roughly €140–190 per night and Valley campgrounds around €28–32 per night; both require advance booking during the late-May-to-October cable season.

Do I need a permit for the Half Dome Trail?
Yes, every hiker beyond Sub Dome needs a cable permit, checked on the spot by rangers. Apply in the March 1–31 preseason lottery, or in the daily lottery two days before your hike. It costs a $10 non-refundable application fee plus $10 per person if awarded.