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.

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 held a single preseason lottery with an application period in March and will hold 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 group with trip leader or alternate must be present together at the base of the subdome, where rangers will check for permits. The names of the trip leader and alternate may not be changed once the application is submitted, and the permits are not transferable.

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.

Success Rate: As of mid-June through August, an average of 86 permits have been available each day. About 21% of lottery applications were successful, on average. As of early September, a larger number of permits are available during weekdays (due to fewer initial applications in the spring lottery), giving you a much better chance at being successful now. Weekends remain busy with fewer permits available and a 20-30% success rate.

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.

For reference, here is the information on how the preseason lottery operated in 2012:

Preseason Lottery
Permits for May 25, 2012 to October 8, 2012 were distributed by lottery with results announced 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 were available through this lottery. The application period for this lottery was from March 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012. Applicants received an email notification of lottery results on April 13 (or can get results online or by calling Recreation.gov).

View graphs that show how many Half Dome permit applications have been submitted for each day during the Half Dome season.