In 2010 and 2011, if you want to hike up Half Dome on a weekend or holiday when the cables are up, you’re going to need to do some serious planning-ahead, because now you need a permit to do so.
According to the Yosemite National Park web site:
Beginning in 2010, all people using the Half Dome Trail above the subdome must have a permit in possession on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays when the cables are up. A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days.
The Park says that, on average, fewer than 400 people hike to Half Dome a day during the weekdays, while on weekends and holidays that number can double – leading to congestion, trail over-use, and dangerous crowding conditions on those perilous chains.
For now, you will have to use Recreation.gov to get a day-use permit, from four months to a week in advance of your trip. No permits will be issued day-of, or on a first-come-first-served basis, although climbers who make their way up to the summit can hike down without a permit, and backpackers with the proper wilderness permit can pick up a Half Dome permit without any additional reservations.
This permit system is currently only scheduled to last through 2012, when a new management plan for Half Dome is expected to take shape.
This sort of move always ends up being controversial in the outdoor community. One school of thought says permits (and things like Adventure Passes) cause unnecessary difficulty for those trying to enjoy the outdoors, and can prevent people from getting outside. Nature should be free for everyone at their own risk, and all that. Another school says these popular trails need this sort of regulation, both for human safety and to reduce the impact on the environment.
Even though some permit applications can be logistical headaches, I tend to side with the second camp for the most part. I have never done the Half Dome Trail myself, and one of the big reasons is that I don’t want to get to the end of a hair-raising trek and have it look like a tour bus just made a stop there. Maybe with this new system in place, I’ll be able to climb up those cables without worrying about the crowds.
Or I’ll just enjoy the view from North Dome or Cloud’s Rest, where I’ve got a pretty good chance of having the place to myself!
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
If you really want to enjoy half-dome, I’d suggest making it part of an over-nighter. My first time out there, my friend was smart enough to plan to camp about a mile and a half short of the dome. We woke up super early and were literally the first people to hit the cables. I was so excited that I used both left and right cables to pull myself up to the top. In my own mind, the speed record belongs in the annuls of Yosemite history.
By the time we were headed down, half-dome was filling up and the cables were PACKED. If we had gone to the top in that condition, it really would have put a huge damper on the culmination of a great backpacking trip.
I agree with a permit system for the especially crowded trails. Not only does the presence of a lot of people interfere with general enjoyment of the backcountry, but seeing that many people on the cables at one time made me a bit fearful for my safety and the safety of others around me. If anything, you would hope the ‘more difficult’ permits would encourage people to check out some of the less explored, yet stunningly beautiful areas where permits are either (a) not required or (b) very easy to obtain.
Having hiked HD before, I have to say I fall into the latter camp as well. There’s plenty of room at the top for everyone (something like 17 acres, I read somewhere), but the cables can be a huge bottleneck. While I know plenty of people who walk down on the outside with full confidence, all it takes is one slip.
Still, I do think that they should figure out some way to give out remaining permits if the ones for a particular day aren’t all taken. Maybe that will be in the final plan.
I do highly recommend you do the trail at least once, though. Leaning out and looking down that sheer granite face is an unforgettable experience!
We did the weekend moonlight-to-sunrise hike this year to avoid the crowds (http://bit.ly/9ZBQaz), and we’re planning the same again this year for the same reason. There’s virtually nobody on the cables at 5am.
Seems a shame to be penalized with a permit system when I’m already doing my best to avoid adding to the crowds with an exceptionally early start. I wonder if it’s possible to only impose permit restrictions at busy times of day?
I was up on Clouds Rest on a Wednesday in September, and there were at least a dozen people up there as well…but I could look *down* at Half Dome, so it was all ok :)
I’ve been to the top of both Half Dome & Cloud’s Rest, though I don’t think it was on a weekend or holiday. It might have been a Friday. Anyway, Half Dome is pretty cool, but the view from Cloud’s Rest is unbelievable!
Visiting Yosemite last week, we hardly ever Half Dome (it was snowing or foggy) but here is how it looks in the winter.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24963957@N00/4305105458/
I have been to HD 5 times and I like the permit system. The fastest was in 7 hours (4 up and 3 down). I’ve done it 3 different ways – stay overnight in CV, drive from Sacramento at 2:30 am hike and go home, and drive from Sacramento at 8pm for a midnight hike and watch the sunrise. I prefer the 2nd option where there’s daylight once you get to subdome.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaurente/sets/72157620156219640/
i’ve done half dome twice, both times encountered mild crowds (about an hour’s wait to get on the cables, and another hour to actually ascend). We don’t need a permit system, especially not the one that has just been put in place. You know what’s going to happen? As soon as the free (for $1.50 LOL) permits are available, the NPS website and phonelines will be bombarded, with each person grabbing as many permits as they can (up to 4 per person). In my hiking circles, i often don’t know how many will be hiking with me as late as a few days before the hike, much less MONTHS in advance. So what will guys like me do? Lock up as many permits as possible, even if some eventually go unused. You will see 300 permits purchased (excuse me, obtained for free for $ 1.50 LOL again.. too funny), and about 100 actually used. IF THEY MUST HAVE A PERMIT SYSTEM (and i debate that point… 2 deaths and 1 serious injury out of 168,000 people over 2 years? that’s ridiculously SAFE for the level of risk) they should allocate more like 1,000 or 2,000 per day. THEN they will actually see the desired number of 400 fortunate hikers able to summit that day. GRRRRR… the whole thing just frustrates me.
Well, I agree with David S. If permits are necessary, the number should be more in keeping with the numbers of people who normally hike Half Dome in a day.
I’m glad I looked at the comments here, since I will now be doing the Clouds Rest hike instead of Half Dome. For all of you who’ve done the hike… what month would you suggest doing it in? I’m trying to avoid going up there in the middle summer during the peak crowds, but also I don’t want to be scrambling around on some icy rocks and take a 5,000 foot plummet to the Valley Floor. Thanks!
In the 5x I’ve done HD, I’ve seen a lot of people who are NOT prepared (sneakers with no grips, jeans and anything cotton, or just one bottled water). These guys may be able to get to the top but going back is a concern or if they encountered bad weather at the cables or at the top. For me the permit system is a good thing as long as they keep it to Friday-Sunday and holidays instead of all days.
@Brandon – I don’t think CR gets crowded as HD. So you wont have any issues. If you are still concerned, your best bet is just do it on a weekday. And if you feel good, you could even do a twofer to HD which I plan to do this year. July to early Sept are usually hot. August to October have a higher T-storm potential.
Brandon: For Cloud’s Rest, you need as much daylight as possible. June 21 or so is the longest daylight, so i would try to be as close to that as possible. Half Dome is 16 miles, Cloud’s Rest is 20 miles (roundtrip). I would start pre-dawn (4:30 or 5:00am), at least on your first trip. After you see how fast of a hiker you are, you can adjust from there. Most people hike between 1mph and 2mph on these kinds of hikes. So that could mean you’re in for as little as a 10-hour hike to as much as a 20 hour hike. Bring a headlamp, flashlight, extra batteries and plenty of water. If you decide to take less water, you can refill from the Merced River, but you need to purify it before drinking.
CR is only 13 miles and 3000 ft elevation gain when starting from Sunrise Trail in Tenaya Lake (which wont be accessible until around late June or July).
From the valley it is also the same distance as HD. HD is not 16 miles. It is 16.4 round trip miles from the trailhead sign in Happy Isles. Then add 1.2 round trip miles from the sign to Curry Village for a grand total of 17.6 miles. If doing a twofer from the valley, add 4 miles to that for a total of 21.6 miles for an HD-CR twofer. From Sunrise Trail this twofer is only 17.8 miles with less elevation gain.
DAVID & AL: Thanks for the info! I can’t wait to get up to Yosemite once the Winter is over. I do a lot of hiking and mountain biking in the San Gabriels Mtns. and run on a regular basis so I figure I’m in good enough shape to do the hikes, but I’m also kind of wondering if the altitude might be a problem. I don’t get up past 6,000 feet to often. Any other tips? Thanks again!
Great discussion and tips, everyone!
The permit system balances two of the National Park Service’s missions – to protect treasured resources and provide access to our iconic landscapes for all Americans. When one of those gets out of balance – in this case providing access to Half Dome led to too many people and conditions that proved dangerous and fatal – the park service must act ask for compromise and sacrifice. Half Dome is still accessible, but hiking the cables will require an extra step of planning.
I can understand the need for permits to regulate times of high traffic. I did Half Dome once (on the last weekend the cables were up in 2003 no less) and with a late 8am start, it was madness. Yes, I got what I deserved for a late start. But, I think safety is always a concern. Limiting the amount of people on the trail during peak times would benefit all in my opinion.
@Brandon … HD only 8500 ft elevation. Most people feel the altitude at 8000 ft. If you have such problem even at 6,000 ft, drive up to Glacier Point (7,214 ft elevation) the day before your hike and spend about 2-4 hours there. You could just take a nap or do some mini hikes. Then spend the night in the valley’s 4000 ft elevation. How you feel in Glacier Point is an indication how you will feel in HD. The two mile junction to HD and CR is the longest 2 miles you will ever feel hiking as a beginner. If my 9 year old could do it (well officially 8 yrs old 364 days), any one mentally and physically fit could do it also.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaurente/sets/72157605661939626/
Well, after much rescheduling we are on again for half dome. We originally made all of our reservations in September of 2009 for a trip to HD in June 2010 with no awareness of the permit requirement (we live on the east coast). So on March 3 of ’10 I find out about the permit and try to get 4 permits, no luck, sold out! Long story short, we rescheduled everything (at the cost of $1200.0o) just so we can make the hike during the week. I will pray to Mother Nature daily until that time and look forward to the trip.
Thanks for the blog post. I did the climb to the summit on 8-7-09 (a Friday) and it was really crowded on the cables. While I have learned my lesson to go earlier (such as late May) I also plan to go midweek. It will be interesting to see what others will say once the permit process is in full effect.
Finally, can hardly wait until the last week of May. This has become an annual event for me. It really is spectacular and recommended for those who can make the 17-mile r/t hike.
I have climbed HD 6 times ( I will do more in the near future) and have encountered the different traffic levels up there. Like David S. mention above, 2 death and 1 injured out of hundred of thousands of hikers on HD is not that serious of a deal to come up with this stupid permit system. I’m sure there are more deaths people getting attacked by bears for leaving their food out or getting lost. Though the line can be crazy at times, usually and always 12pm, it usually dies down after 1 and 2pm. So just start your hike at 7 or 8am instead of the 5 and 6am that everyone tend to leave at. Enjoying the outdoor is not like what it used to be. Next thing you know, you might have to pay for a permit to camp in your back yard. The permit system sucks and the people who seems to be pro about this are people who only hiked HD 1 time and that 1 time was a traffic time. Again, think about the ratio of death/injured to the total number of HD hikers and THINK about the time you start your hike. OMG people, a freaking permit to climb HD??????
Maybe the people who are for a permit system simply don’t want a very nice area worn down by overuse?
If people would quit hiking Half Dome 6 times and go explore other areas, permits wouldn’t be needed.
Just hiked Chilnualna Falls two days ago. I cant wait for HD #6 this June.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaurente/sets/72157623887348184/
We’ll be hiking half dome Saturday, 6-19-10. And a friend wants to joIn us. Does anyone know how I we would get an additional permit?