Half Dome Hiking Permits

(December 2010 update:  NPS has just made permits a requirement 7 days a week when the cables are up - http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm)


I’m a big fan of the cable route to the Half Dome summit – clicking on the Half Dome label at the end of this post will link to my story on this hike from when Chris and I did it in 2005. When I was at Yosemite National Park last month, one of the things I was reminded of was the new requirement for permits on some days to climb the Dome.


There is more detail at this site: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm , but it appears that the NPS decided to limit weekend and holiday traffic on the cabled portion of the trail to 400 visitors a day for safety purposes. Apparently the permit requirement applies only to the portion of the trail from the subdome to the summit – the cable route, shown in the photo below.

I recall shortly after our 2005 trip, there was an extensive San Francisco Chronicle article that mentioned some accidents, including two fatalities, which had occurred because of the crowds. The dome is slick granite and is considered unclimable in this area without the cables. So if a person were to fall away from the cables…apparently that’s what happened.

The link above provides information about how to get a permit if you are considering the hike. Despite this requirement, don’t be discouraged from trying it – it is a true highlight of my hiking career. As an alternative, plan your trip for a weekday when the trail is less crowded. This is an interim measure, but the Park Service is working on a long-term plan to improve the management of this very popular route.