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Half Dome, again: a still from my film

Yosemite, California · July 2023

Half Dome, again

39.9 KM · 2 DAYS · 1,260 M

Glacier Point to Half Dome and the Mist Trail in 2 days, Yosemite.

Watch the film 20:53 · 338K views

At a glance

Where
Yosemite, California
Distance
39.9 km (24.8 miles)
Days
2, with one night in Little Yosemite Valley
Climbing
About 4,130 ft (1,260 m) up and 7,340 ft (2,240 m) down, by my GPS
Route
Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley
When I went
July 2023
Relief map of the Half Dome route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and Little Yosemite Valley (my camp).
Day 1Day 2Highest 8,830 ft (2,690 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 8,830 ft (2,690 m), lowest 3,970 ft (1,210 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Half Dome from Glacier Point, where Day 1 starts.
    Half Dome from Glacier Point, where Day 1 starts.
  • Walking down past the falls, Day 2.
    Walking down past the falls, Day 2.
The cables, from the saddle below them.
The cables, from the saddle below them.

The guide · 40-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

Glacier Point to Half Dome and the Mist Trail in 2 days, Yosemite.

  • Where things stand
  • Both days
  • My GPX files
  • Permits
  • The cables

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Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 1 free

The whole Day 1, Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley and Half Dome page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2023

  • Packmy Hyperlite packHenry used the same one. On the climb to the summit we left the heavy stuff at camp.
  • Sheltera tent
  • StoveJetboil stoveSimilar now: Jetboil Stash
  • WaterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L"The BeFree water bottle filter that I use now is just a must have," as I said in the film.
  • Sun hoodiea sun hoodie"Just simple wind and sun protection built in to one shirt," as I said in the film.
  • CablesglovesFor the cables, both trips. "Gloves are an absolute must," I said in 2019.
  • LightheadlampsFor the walk back to camp after sunset.
  • Bear canistera bear canisterRequired. In 2019 I rented one.
  • NavigationStravaIt recorded both days.

Filming kit

  • Cameramy camera, on a tripod even on the summitOn the Mist Trail in 2019 I put it in a plastic produce bag against the spray.

Music in this film

All music

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

Do you need a permit to hike Half Dome?
Yes, whenever the cables are up, seven days a week. Get one in the preseason lottery in March or the daily lottery two days ahead ($10 to apply plus $10 a person), or, as a backpacker, add it to your wilderness permit at pickup for $10 a person. The NPS allows at most 300 hikers a day (as of October 2026).
How long is the Half Dome hike?
The NPS gives 14 to 16 miles round trip from Yosemite Valley with about 4,800 feet of climbing. My two-day route from Glacier Point, with a night in Little Yosemite Valley, was 24.8 miles (39.9 km) by my GPS.
When are the Half Dome cables up?
Normally from the Friday before Memorial Day to the day after the second Monday in October (NPS). In 2026 they came down on October 13; 2027 dates weren't announced in October 2026.
Can you hike Half Dome in two days?
Yes. With a wilderness permit from Glacier Point or Happy Isles you spend the first night in the Little Yosemite Valley campground and climb Half Dome from there. I did it from Glacier Point in July 2023 and reached the summit in the evening light, as the sun went down.
Do you need gloves for the Half Dome cables?
The NPS says many people find sturdy gloves very helpful, and asks you to pack them out. I used them both times I climbed the cables.
Is the Mist Trail open?
In October 2026 the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Fall was open Fridays to Sundays and on holidays, for repair work; the John Muir Trail is the way around it. Check the NPS conditions page before you go.

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