Half Dome
Yosemite's iconic granite dome, one face of which glaciers carved into a sheer cliff. Reaching the summit requires about 26 km of hiking and climbing steel cables.
Half Dome stands at 2,695 m, about 1,440 m above the valley floor, and is visible from Sentinel Bridge, Glacier Point and Tunnel View. The summit route starts at Happy Isles and passes Mist Trail and Nevada Fall. The round trip is about 26 km and takes 10-12 hours, and the final 120 m must be climbed by gripping steel cables. Daily permits are limited: apply in the pre-season lottery on recreation.gov or enter the daily lottery held two days in advance. Never attempt the cable section during thunderstorms. Most visitors need only admire Half Dome's reflection from Sentinel Bridge.
Opening hours
Cable season about late May–early October
Nearby sights
- Yosemite National Park
- Mirror Lake
- Mist Trail: Vernal & Nevada Falls
- The Ahwahnee
- Glacier Point
- Yosemite Village & Ansel Adams Gallery
- Sentinel Dome
- Yosemite Falls