YOSEMITE – If you want to climb Half Dome this summer, you will need to make reservations, and now is the time.
Half Dome Cables Day Use permits for the 2013 hiking season are available for reservations Friday, Mar. 1, through Sunday, Mar. 31.
Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week and reservations will be distributed via a lottery system. Successful parties will be notified in early April. A maximum of 300 hikers will be allowed on the Half Dome cables per day.Reservations for the permits can be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
Approximately 50 subsequent daily permits will be available each day by lottery during the hiking season. These permits are made available based on the average number of no-shows and cancellations from the pre-season lottery.
The permits must be applied for two days in advance of the desired hiking date. Reservations for the two-day in advance permits can also be made through www.recreation.gov.
Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in Yosemite National Park. The iconic granite monolith, at 8,842 feet above sea level, attracts people from all over the world who attempt to climb to the summit.
Most visitors ascend Half Dome via the cables, which are typically in place from mid-May through mid-October. Most visitors begin and end their hike at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. This is an approximately 17 mile round-trip journey.
To learn more about the Half Dome hike please visit www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm
