Elevation

8,840 ft / 2,694 m

#1,637 in California

#9,983 in United States

Prominence

1,360 ft / 415 m

#350 in California

#1,732 in United States

Summits

347 summits

#4 in California

#40 in United States

Top climbing months

August   21%

June   19%

July   18%

Most climbed route

Mist Trail > John Muir Trail > Half Dome Trail

16.1 mi • 4,616 ft gain • Class 3

Highlights

  • Half Dome is a massively famous, famously massive granite dome in Yosemite National Park at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley -- possibly Yosemite's most familiar sight.
  • The granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft above the Yosemite Valley floor.
  • Thousands of hikers reach the broad flat top of Half Dome each year by following an 8.5 mile trail from the valley floor. The trail climbs past Vernal and Nevada Falls and then then with the aid of a pair of steel cables dramatically ascends the final pitch up the peak's steep, smooth granite east face.
  • In past years, as many as 1,000 hikers per day have sometimes climbed the cable route on a summer weekend and about 50,000 hikers climb it every year.
  • In January, 2010, the National Park Service announced that permits will be required to hike the cable route on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. The park service cited safety concerns and increased crowding on the route as reasons for the new regulations.
115 summits • 16.1 mi • 4,616 ft gain • 10 hr 42 min • Class 3
35 summits • 16.6 mi • 5,203 ft gain • 10 hr 58 min • Class 3
2 summits • 17.3 mi • 4,741 ft gain • 9 hr 9 min
1 summit • 17.0 mi • 4,892 ft gain • 13 hr 12 min
1 summit • 19.1 mi • 4,873 ft gain • 9 hr 54 min
1 summit • 6.7 mi • 1,935 ft gain

Awards

Challenges