Half Dome via the Cables
Also known as: Half Dome day hike, Mist Trail to Half Dome
Vernal & Nevada Falls, Little Yosemite Valley, summit views over Yosemite Valley, the Diving Board
The route
The line through Yosemite National Park, California, United States - waypoints, elevation and the day-by-day shape of the walk.
Waypoints
- 1Happy Isles trailheadTrailhead
Valley shuttle stop 16
- 2Vernal Fall footbridgeVariant split
Easy turnaround; no permit needed
- 3Top of Vernal Fall (Mist Trail)Viewpoint
Slick granite steps in spray
- 4Top of Nevada FallVariant split
Common turnaround for non-summit group
- 5Little Yosemite ValleyJunction
Backpacker camp + water (overnight permit)
- 6Sub Dome base (permit check)Junction
Last point before cables; ranger checks permit
- 7Base of the CablesJunction
~120 m cabled pitch, high exposure; gloves
- 8Half Dome summitSummit
Turnaround; descend via JMT (loop)
Season & conditions
Late May-early October (cables up); Sep-Oct fewer storms & crowds
Afternoon thunderstorms Jul-Aug - lightning on the exposed summit is the top hazard; never on cables in storm or on wet rock
Vernal/Nevada Falls thunder in May-Jun snowmelt (Mist Trail soakings); fall colour lower down (Oct)
Cables typically up from the Friday before Memorial Day (US) to the Tuesday after Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day - roughly late May to mid-October; exact dates set each spring and weather-dependent. Off-season (cables down) = expert/dangerous. Confirm current-year status on the NPS page.
On the trail
Granite steps, Mist Trail (wet/slick spray), forest, exposed slabs, steel cables
Final ~120 m (400 ft) up bolted steel cables at ~45 degrees, high exposure; gloves recommended, harness optional but advised for nervous hikers; Sub Dome granite steps steep & exposed
Well-signed established trail; solo feasible but long/remote upper section; permit checked at Sub Dome base
Not for young kids, fear-of-heights, or mobility limits; strong day-hiker fitness required; dogs prohibited (NP trail)
Black bears (canister required if overnight), mule deer, marmots, Steller's jays; store food (probability)
Mixed conifer, oaks, riverside vegetation; snow plant in spring
Cables capped ~300/day; Mist Trail busy; dawn start beats crowds
Turn around at Vernal Fall footbridge (~2.4 km RT), top of Vernal Fall, or Nevada Fall - no permit needed and a strong outing for the non-summit group; Sub Dome base is the last point before cables. Mixed groups routinely split here.
Getting there & staying
Happy Isles trailhead, Yosemite Valley; valley shuttle or walk; valley reached by car (peak-season timed-entry reservation rules change year to year - confirm current-year requirement), YARTS bus; parking fills early
Valley shuttle to Happy Isles; route is not point-to-point
None on day route; overnight needs a Little Yosemite Valley wilderness permit + bear canister (separate system)
Gloves for cables, headlamp (pre-dawn), 3-4 L water, layers; no reliable cell coverage on upper trail; filter water at LYV
Restrooms at Happy Isles trailhead and Vernal Fall footbridge; composting toilet near Little Yosemite Valley; NO facilities beyond LYV; last reliable water = Merced River at LYV (filter); food/shops back in Yosemite Valley
Not required; guided options exist
Permits & safety
Half Dome permit required when cables up. Preseason lottery Mar 1-31 on recreation.gov, results ~mid-April; daily lottery 2 days ahead (apply by 16:00 PT). $10 application + $10/person if awarded. ~300 permits/day (~225 day-hiker), ~20% success (single-date odds ~1 in 100). Up to 6 per application; a name may appear on one app only. Plus Yosemite entrance fee. Confirm before booking.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Lightning, falls on wet cables/Sub Dome, dehydration, exposure; multiple fatalities historically; do not attempt if storms forecast
No shortcut exits - the only way out is back down the same corridor; Yosemite SAR (YOSAR) responds, heli evac possible weather permitting; last reliable cell signal around the valley rim / LYV - tell someone your plan; ranger at Sub Dome in season
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand trail report. Coordinates are approximate.