Thanks to john muir, we all can enjoy the stunning merced river and trails like upper pines and half dome. Hike half dome on a guide yosemite half dome trek yexplore half dome summit club by john p. This is the only guide for hiking to the top of half dome the signature landmark. Directions for the half dome hike start your hike in the early morning, walk from your campground or the visitor center to. On this hike you get to walk on some of yosemites most popular hiking trails, view the vernal and nevada waterfalls, and walk through shady forests of sequoia trees. Hiking half dome in yosemite, a stepbystep guide the hike to half dome is one of yosemites most challenging and most memorable hikes. Rangers spent the late afternoon and evening helping evacuate 41. On this unforgettable yosemite hiking adventure, you will experience some of the most famous scenery in all of yosemite national park. Your expert yosemite guide provides you with safety gear, and coaches you throughout the 12hour day to make sure that you reach the summit safely. I hope this half dome hiking guide has provided you with good information to help you prepare for your summit adventure. If you plan on doing the day hike, it is a grueling, dangerous venture to reach the top. Glacier point, yosemite creek, tenaya lake, little yosemite valley trail map tom harrison maps by tom harrison jan 17, 2012. A half dome hike is one that should only be attempted when the cables are up and the weather permits. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
The national park service is modifying its operations on a parkbypark basis in accordance with. Update on the permits to climb half dome via the cables as of april 20. Climbing half dome will take you dizzying heights with its sheer face and reward you with unparalleled views youll remember for a lifetime. This granite monolith has captured the imagination of explorers, climbers and artists alike and is the most soughtafter summit in yosemite national park. I have arranged for mr half dome me 42 summits and wrote the hiking guide to telecon with you and spill the beans on the hike and the remaining ways to improve your odds of getting permits. Hiking half dome in yosemite, a stepbystep guide earth trekkers. Yosemite is a massive national park in california and visiting for the first time can be. Hiking adventure descriptive essay course researchers. If you plan on hiking during the day, its smart to leave around sunrise or earlier and then have a nonnegotiable turnaround time. The difficulty of this hike increases significantly with your day hike up half dome. The permit we receive dictates whether the trip will be 4 days or 5 days.
Our half dome guided hike and yosemite backpacking trip takes you off the beaten path to enjoy some less visited areas of the park this means no paved trail where you might run into someone on a segway and real hikers versus all the lookeyloos. For day hikers, permits are available by lottery in march, with a limited number available two days in advance. The hike up half dome is very dangerous during cold, wet, and icy conditions. Half dome guided backpacking trip with symg the yosemite experts. Half dome hiking guide yosemite national park tours. Is it any kind of reasonable to tackle half dome on my first or second day of the trip. As a half dome hiking guide, i am humble enough to know that although i may have reached the summit of this peak more than most people, i am not the only expert on half dome.
The half dome hike in yosemite is truly a trip of a lifetime. Take the strenuous challenge on a fullday guided hike to the top of yosemite national parks iconic landmark. The view from the top looking down into the yosemite valley is like no other. Rick gives motivational speeches and lectures on hiking at museums, libraries, colleges, outfitters, cruise ships and to civic groups. The most popular route to half dome s summit is a grueling 16mile rou. While planning our trip to yosemite, i was assuming the day hike to half dome would be part of our iternary but i am beginning to question it with all of the posts. Even with limited time, a trip to yosemite is worth the effort, and the logistics are easy on this smallgroup tour. Yosemite national park made a short hiking half dome video. The most exhilarating part of the hike hauling yourself up the cables to the summit of half dome is a.
Exalted for its magnificence and revered for its challenging trail. A trip to the top of half dome is more of a pigrimage for those who relish hiking and this book is the guide to get if you want to prepare for this journey. A complete ascent of the yosemites half dome cables. Summit with the most experienced yosemite guide service rated highest in customer satisfaction. Yosemite hiking i have arranged for mr half dome me 42 summits and wrote the hiking guide to telecon with you and spill the beans on the hike and the remaining ways to improve your odds of getting permits. Hiking half dome in yosemite national park james kaiser. Surprisingly, the frightening experiences may positively help in developing an important lifetime trait, a true story from half dome mountain yosemite hiking experience. Yosemite hikes home yosemite valley half dome cable tips the hazards of half dome. This trip combines a guided tour with free time to explore on your own for a personalized visit to one of californias top destinations. Yosemite hiking tours guided yosemite hiking yosemite. Most hikers take 10 to 12 hours to hike to half dome and back. That may have been the case for 29yearold danielle burnett. With the half dome permitting regulations in place since 20, coupled with a huge increase in demand for fewer permits, itineraries may be subject to slight changes and different trailheads may be used to make sure we can climb half dome.
Nine essential tips for hiking half dome that you do not. Glacier point, yosemite creek, tenaya lake, little yosemite valley trail map tom harrison maps. Half dome hiking trail, yosemite valley, california. For three days well guide you on a hike to the famous and most popular location half dome. What you need to know before staying at yosemite half dome. Glacier point, yosemite creek, tenaya lake, little yosemite valley trail map tom harrison maps by tom harrison jan 17, 2012 4. Half dome hiking guide preparation is important for any journey, especially one that requires you to hike roughly sixteen miles round trip and gain approximately 5,000 feet of elevation in a span of roughly twelve hours. Curry village formerly half dome village is the largest lodging facility in yosemite valley. Do yourself a favor if you know the dates of travel and book. Hiking half dome is an absolute bucket lister for most hikers and its well worth the effort. The author, rick deutsch, has climbed half dome 17 times by his own account and certainly knows the route. One must annotate half dome on the reservation request, or get it added to a walkup permit. Take the half dome trail to the base of the subdome. The sierra nevada mountain range, clear alpine lakes and meadows carpeted with wildflowers provide the perfect backdrop for our epic.
The last 400 vertical feet meters up the eastern slope are so sheer that yosemite staff have installed cables for you to cling to as you pull yourself up. Death in yosemite, a witness saw him stop and hold his. Jan 31, 2011 park ranger vickie mates provides an overview of one of yosemites most challenging hikes. Permits for backpackers including camping in little yosemite valley. Standing 5,000 feet above yosemite valley, half dome is without a doubt a us national park icon. The author, rick deutsch, has completed the half dome day hike dozens of times, and he shares his experience in this book for all. His proudest achievement is his 30 hikes up to the top half dome, the granite monolith symbol of yosemite national park. Hiking there is so popular, even day hikers have to have a permit to hike the monolith, limiting the numbers of people hiking the great monolith.
Hike half dome yosemite national park guided half dome. Hiking half dome in yosemite, a stepbystep guide earth. You can apply for the half dome lottery during the preseason in march. A huge tourist attraction, yosemite welcomes more than four million visitors from all over the world each year. Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. There is a preseason lottery during the month of march, and daily lotteries while the cables are up. Today i am bringing you a different kind of post that i sometimes do on my blog, which is a post about my camping trip and hike up half dome. Travel from san francisco to the national park, where you see landmarks including yosemite valley, half dome, and yosemite falls, along with native wildlife. Its one of the longest day hikes weve done coming in at 16.
Join our professional hiking guides to the best northern view of half dome and yosemites only granite arch. If you even remotely enjoy hiking, im sure half dome is already on your bucket list. Looming 4,800 feet above yosemite valley is the crown jewel of the sierra, half dome. Hike half dome in yosemite with a yexplore guided hike. Half dome hike with children yosemite national park forum. The route to the summit traverses some of the parks most popular and spectacular hiking trails. For instance, if you havent reached the top of half dome by 3.
Half dome day use hiking permits are valid for a single day 12. Half dome hike hiking half dome at yosemite national park. Little yosemite valley, vernal and nevada falls and of course half dome. Top 10 hotels closest to half dome in yosemite national. Half dome permits for day hikers do not include any camping, lodging, or overnight accomodations of any kind. The hike to half dome is one of yosemites most challenging and most memorable hikes. Additionally, the ascent up half dome is very challenging and is weather permitting. Half dome yosemite national park 2020 all you need to. Apr 15, 2020 the hike to half dome is one of yosemites most challenging and most memorable hikes. In part 1, we talked about hiking half dome as a long day hike from yosemite valley. If you do the entire hike beginning from the valley floor to the top and back, expect to spend the greater part of your day doing the hike. Half dome permits for day hikers yosemite national park u.
First, hiking to the summit of half dome seems like a challenging and fun adventure. Half dome is yosemites most iconic attraction in all of yosemite valley, but it is also the most sought after which is why this is the only day hike in the park that requires a permit. Hiking half dome is one of the most popular treks in the park and for good reason. Degrazio hike half dome 2 day backpack adventure 17 miles. The trail is primarily used for hiking, rock climbing, and nature trips and is best used from april until october. Hes written the best selling book, 1st edition of one best hike. For many avid hikers, hiking yosemites famous half dome is a bucket list activity. We strongly recommend checking out the young lakes mount conness backpacking trip as an excellent alternative to half. Jul 05, 2017 thanks to john muir, we all can enjoy the stunning merced river and trails like upper pines and half dome. Theres some important stuff in there so make sure to read carefully especially the advice on the gloves and water. And, if youre planning a multiday trip that starts or ends near half dome, thats a great opportunity to add it to your itinerary.
Climbing half dome guide discover yosemite national park. If you would like to attempt half domes summit, but need more than one day, we can make arrangements for an overnight adventure that includes backpacking. Rangers spent the late afternoon and evening helping evacuate 41 other hikers from the summit and cables. Nine essential tips for hiking yosemites half dome note that all tip photos are from our nine prep hikes. Curry village offers many lodging options including motel rooms, woodsided cabins with private bathrooms, woodsided cabins with shared bathrooms and canvas tent cabins with shared bathrooms. Yosemite national park visitor guide rei coop journal. Browse expedia s selection of 645 hotels and places to stay closest to half dome.
Going on a discovery treks yosemite backpacking trip and tour is a once in a life time experience. Half dome day hiking permits are tougher to come by, so consider a short overnighter if your desired date isnt available. For hiking enthusiasts, the trek to yosemites half dome is a rite of passage one that many hikers prepare for with training. Hiking half dome in a day consists of a 16mile roundtrip trek that takes all day and ascends nearly 5,000 feet beside two majestic waterfalls and a steep cable route before arriving at the top of the famous 8,842. Difficulty of the hike will also vary based on the route change. Nine essential tips for hiking half dome that you do not want. If you plan to hike half dome, you must have a permit. Half dome permits for day hikers yosemite national park. Hike half dome yosemite national park guided half dome treks. Follow the john muir trail to the half dome trail or take the mist trail shortcut. Half dome is closed and no permits are issued during the winter because of safety reasons. Half dome hiking guide yosemite national park cleverhiker.
For an audio described version of this video, go to htt. Save on popular hotels near half dome, yosemite national park. Reaching the yosemite half dome summit at sunrise by john p. The half dome hike requires permits to reach the summit, and a yosemite park ranger checks them at sub dome. The other way, and the preferred alternative is to summit the half dome as part of a longer overnight backpacking trip in yosemites outstanding backcountry. I dreamed that one day i would hike half dome mountain. Rather, it is a supplement to all the other accounts found online. My husband and i are 46 and are in great physical shape. Half dome, and yosemite falls, along with native wildlife. Half dome permits are very competitive, and we arent always successful getting permits for our scheduled trips we know 5. I have fortunately experienced this hike on two separate trips and the prep work. I had learned from my friends and travel websites about the thrilling moments one would encounter while climbing the.
Has anybody faced problems due to high altitudes or any other reasons. During the preseason lottery, 225 permits are available for each day. This entry is not a detailed account of yosemites half dome hike. Half dome guided backpacking trip with symg the yosemite. Half dome permit holders and alternates should bring a photo id and the email confirmation incidating that the permit has been paid. This lodge is one of the most popular lodging options. It seems to be on everyones bucket list, and as the hike continues to increase in popularity, it also makes it harder to get a permit. Great stuff like, where to stay, what to pack, what to expect a basic howto manual for half dome.
Manoj kumar, 40, of san ramon, ca fell to his death while hiking on half dome. Half dome yosemite day hike guided yosemite park hiking. Ill be hiking the trail to half dome on sun, aug 11. I did this hike with one of my friend at the end of august and it was one that. The first few miles of this moderate hike meander through lush old growth forests as it edges towards the northern rim of the famed yosemite valley.
Backpackers, including those who want to camp in little yosemite valley, should request a half dome permit with their wilderness permit. Please let us know when you book the tour if you are interested in the photography aspect. This culmination consists of a strenuous, cablebased, fourhundredfoot climb to the top of the dome. This guide covers everything you could possibly need or want to. A maximum of 300 hikers are allowed about 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers each day on the half dome trail beyond the base of the subdome. But the best part of the trail is the final climb on the half dome cables and your reward. Rising nearly 5,000 feet above yosemite valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, half dome is a yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers. The dome, 8,842 feet of granite rock, is the signature landmark of yosemite national park. Half dome day use hiking permits are not available at any office in yosemite national park. With only one drinking fountain at the vernal fall footbridge, byow is required. He was descending the cables when, according to the 2007 book off the wall.
Sep 07, 2012 update on the permits to climb half dome via the cables as of april 20. Below are some guidelines from our friends over at the national park service. I think its a perfect hike to add on your adventure bucket list. A maximum of 300 permits are awarded per day, with 225 for day hikers and 75 for backpackers. Half dome hike yosemite day hikes lasting adventures. The season for hiking half dome is from may through october. Half dome planning your thruhike of the john muir trail.