Half Dome Permits
Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to address crowding and safety along the Half Dome Trail while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail. The Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment was released on Jan. 24, 2012 and will be open for comment through March 15, 2012.
A maximum of 400 hikers will be allowed (300 day hikers and 100 backpackers) each day on the Half Dome Trail beyond the subdome. Before the permit system was implemented in 2010, approximately 400 people used this trail on weekdays, while about an average of 800 people used this trail on weekends and holidays.
We've made some changes to the permit system this year in response to the public input and our own concerns. This year, permits will be distributed by lottery via Recreation.gov. We will hold a single preseason lottery with an application period in March and daily lotteries during the hiking season.
On each application, people can apply for up to six permits (six people) and for up to seven dates. Applications will only be successful if the number of permits requested is available on at least one of the requested dates. If enough permits are available for more than one of the requested dates, permits will be automatically awarded to the highest priority date, as entered by the applicant. Applicants may apply as the trip leader only once per lottery. Multiple applications with the same trip leader will be removed from the lottery.
The applicant must specify the name of the trip leader and may specify the name of an alternate. Each person may apply as a trip leader only once per lottery. People applying multiple times as trip leader will have all their lottery applications canceled. Permits will only be valid if the trip leader and/or alternate specified on the permit is part of the group using the permits. The names of the trip leader and alternate may not be changed once the application is submitted, and the permits are not transferable.
Preseason Lottery
Permits for May 25, 2012 to October 8, 2012 will be distributed by lottery on April 13. (While these are the dates we expect the cables to be up this year, this could change based on conditions.) Three hundred permits for each day will be available through this lottery. The application period for this lottery will be from March 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012. Applicants will receive an email notification of lottery results on April 13 (or can get results online or by calling Recreation.gov).
Daily Lottery
Approximately 50 permits will be available each day by lottery during the hiking season. These permits will be available based on the estimated rate of under-use and cancellation of permits (the exact number may change through the summer). The daily lotteries will have an application period two days prior to the hiking date with a notification late that night. (So, to hike on Saturday, you would apply on Thursday and receive an email notification of results late on Thursday night. Results will also be available online, or by phone the next morning.) The application period will be from midnight to 1 pm Pacific time.
How to Apply for a Permit
To apply for a permit, visit Recreation.gov or call 877/444-6777 (call center is open from 7 am to 9 pm Pacific time; online requests can be made any time during a lottery period).
Fees
Two separate fees are collected. The first fee, which is charged at the time you submit an application, is $4.50 (online) or $6.50 (by phone). This non-refundable fee, which is per application (not per person), is charged by Recreation.gov for the costs of processing your permit application.
The second fee is $5 per person and is charged only when you receive a permit. (This fee also applies to wilderness permit holders.) This fee pays for park rangers checking for Half Dome permits and providing Half Dome visitors with hiking and safety information. The $5 fee is fully refundable if you cancel your permit more than two days before the hiking date specified on your permit or if the cables are not up on the date for which your permit is valid.
Yosemite National Park - Half Dome Permits (U.S. National Park Service)
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