A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days (300 of these permits are available to day hikers). (Before the permit system was implemented in 2010, about 400 people used this trail on weekdays, while about 800 people used this trail on weekends and holidays, on average.)
In 2011, permits are available up to about four months in advance only through Recreation.gov (see below for exact dates). Demand for permits will be very high; availability may last only a matter of minutes on the first day permits become available. Each permit has a service fee of $1.50 (which covers the cost of Recreation.gov processing the permit; Yosemite does not receive any money).
Permits are not available in the park or on a first-come, first-served basis. However, any canceled permits may be available until midnight the evening before the hiking day through Recreation.gov. If you have a permit that you won't use, please cancel it so others may use it. (You may cancel your permit as late as midnight the evening before the hiking day.)
Note: Backpackers with an appropriate wilderness permit can receive a Half Dome permit when they pick up their wilderness permit with no additional reservation required. Rock climbers who reach the top of Half Dome without entering the subdome area can descend on the Half Dome Trail without a permit.
The Half Dome Cables are usually in place and available for use the weekend before Memorial Day, conditions permitting. The last day to use them usually is Columbus Day Monday. We can not guarantee the cables will be available on any given date. If you choose to get a permit for dates in May, early June, or October, there is an increased chance the cables will not be in place.
If you are unable to hike Half Dome for any reason (including weather, cables not available, illness, etc.) on the day you have a permit, we will not be able to provide a permit for a different date.
| Procedures and timing for 2012 may be different, if a permit system is in place in 2012. |
| Hiking date |
First day to make reservations
(7 am PT) |
| May |
March 1 |
| June |
March 1 |
| July |
April 1 |
| August |
May 1 |
| September |
June 1 |
| October |
July 1 |
Get a Half Dome Permit
- Visit www.recreation.gov (recommended)
- 877/444-6777
(or 877/833-6777 for TDD)
(or 518/885-3639 from outside the US & Canada)
- Permits are not available by mail
Hours:
7 am to 7 pm Pacific time (November through February)
7 am to 9 pm Pacific time (March through October)
The website is available 24 hours per day,
but on the first day of sale, permits aren't
available until 7 am PT.
Note:
You may only get four permits per phone call or website visit (you can call again or start over again to get additional permits).
