Half Dome
Schematic Happy Isles to the Half Dome summit. Not a GPS track. Cited round trip about 24 km is editorial. DEM high 2,648 m governs; the cables are a landmark, not this line.
Last verified 2026-09-23 vs National Park Service (NPS) — Yosemite National Park
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Permits and fees
Quota / restriction: 225 permits/day during cables-up season (~300 total incl. backpackers); preseason lottery (March) + daily lotteries through the season.
| Permit | Cost | Quota / restriction | Issuer | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application feeOfficial source | $10 USD | — | Not recorded | Issuer page | Verified 2026-09-23 vs Not recorded |
| Per-person feeOfficial source | $10 USD | — | Not recorded | Issuer page | Verified 2026-09-23 vs Not recorded |
Altitude weather delta
High 2,648 m minus low 1,238 m is 1,410 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 9.2 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
This line is a schematic. The files are not a GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
- SAC T3
- Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 2
- Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.
Where the walking ends
This record covers the walk to base of the cables (Sub Dome). Beyond that, the continuation is scramble, which we do not map as a trail — it needs a permit-only cable scramble we do not map as walking.
Source: nps.gov · checked 2026-09-17
We have not verified the technical section. Where hiking ends · Walk-up & trekker summits
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OpenStreetMap pins only (ODbL): Happy Isles node 358795523, Half Dome summit node 4338669222 (Wikidata Q925252). No single route relation. Return is not doubled.
Cited round trip about 24 km (~14–16 mi) is editorial. Pin spacing is not that walk.
DEM high 2,648 m. OSM ele 2,694 m / 8,839 ft is a landmark and does not replace the DEM. The cables are a landmark note, not geometry. Ascent is high minus low. Stored one-way descent is 0.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Surface
Surface is not recorded. This field is filled only from an OSM surface tag, not from the grade.
Permits & fees
- Permit
- Half Dome day permit
Log in to view cost, booking, and issuer
Getting there
No sourced gateway chain yet.
Trailheads
- Happy Isles car-free: unknown
- Half Dome summit car-free: unknown
Log in to view trailhead transit detail
Hazards
- Cables section is a landmark note, not drawn on this two-pin line.
Questions
Do I need a permit for Half Dome?
A permit is listed as required for Half Dome: Half Dome day permit. Status on this record is an official source.
How much is the Half Dome permit?
Application fee: $10 USD (Not recorded, verified 2026-09-23). Status: verified-official. Per-person fee: $10 USD (Not recorded, verified 2026-09-23). Status: verified-official.
Half Dome permit quota and booking
225 permits/day during cables-up season (~300 total incl. backpackers); preseason lottery (March) + daily lotteries through the season.
How difficult is Half Dome?
Half Dome is graded SAC T3 · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: Cables section is a landmark note, not drawn on this two-pin line.
How long is Half Dome?
This figure is 24 km (provisional): a schematic straight-line estimate between waypoints — not a measured walking distance; published figures are the better guide. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
Related trails
- John Muir Trail · United States
- Mount Whitney · United States
- The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) · United States