One of the most incredible hikes I’ve ever done! Honestly i love being outside and getting a good hike in but I’ve never done a hike for this long or this strenuous before so it was challenging but so worth it. Also to be totally real I didn’t really prepare enough for this hike. I’d like to think I’m a pretty fit person but I did find the hike up was pretty tough and the cables really require a LOT of arm strength.

Anyway, my roommate and I entered the preseason lottery in March through recreation.gov we selected a bunch of dates hoping one of them would work out for us! Which thankfully it did! But one tip I’d suggest is if you don’t mind asking friends to also register/enter the lottery you might have more chances to be selected. But do keep in mind they have to add you to their registration if they aren’t going with you.

I realized I had been wanting to visit Yosemite for years and timing just never worked out so I was super excited to be going and adding this incredible hike as another bucket list item to check off! Just about 3 and a half - 4 hour drive from San Francisco you enter one of the most beautiful National Parks known for gorgeous hikes, views & waterfalls. It felt like a dream!

Our permit was for Sunday so we decided to make a long weekend of it since we weren’t as fully prepared as we probably should have been. We didn’t really know where the trail head started nor had we been training for this type of intense hike. Here is a break down of what we did and some tips on what might help you plan for your trip to Yosemite and if you want to hike half dome :).

Day 1:

We woke up early on the Saturday and headed over to Yosemite. We had packed some snacks for our weekend including for our hike ahead of time so we wouldn’t need to make any detours as we drove there. Initially we had wanted to camp but the camp grounds fill up super far in advance & we initially didn’t know when we’d get our permit or if we would so we didn’t book anything. But there are plenty of little hotels inside the main park or just outside the main gates of the park. We ended up staying at this place called Yosemite View Lodge it isn’t super fancy but it did the job for us and was super convenient. Only a 30 minute drive to the entrance of the park and 45 mins from the trail head.

After checking in to our hotel we drove into the main entrance of the park to explore a little bit to get our bearings on where we’d start. As we entered the park we paid the $35 entrance fee (they take cash and Credit Card) I know you’re probably thinking holy crap that’s expensive! But that one time fee lasts you 7 days to leave and reenter as many times as you want within the first day you paid the fee. Just don’t forget to KEEP THE RECEIPT as proof!

The first thing we did when we entered the park was head over to the information center and asked a few questions about the hike. They have a map that lists all the trails in the park and they were super helpful for us in giving us any additional information we needed. The best part was they even have a little cafeteria there where you can grab snacks, sandwiches/pizzas & even cocktails for after your busy day of hiking :P. (trust me we took advantage of that later). We ended up grabbing some lunch/dinner and a sandwich for our hike the next day and had planned to enjoy on top of Half Dome while looking over the Valley.

Heading back to our hotel after a little wander around and prepped our bags and snacks for the next day so we could just get up and moving without any hassles. We were in bed super early to get as much rest as possible for the EARLY morning hike the next day!

Day 2: Hike Half Dome

We had asked lots of people what time would make the most sense to get up and moving and they all ranged around 5 am but honestly we decided to get an even earlier start since we wanted to avoid the crowds & heat. We set out of our hotel around 3 am and started our hike around 3:45 am. We grabbed our camelbaks filled with 3 liters of water and two packs of Liquid IV to help keep us hydrated on our hike. I was personally worried about running out of water and well turns out 3 liters of water isn’t enough for me. haha Thankfully by the time I ran out of water I only had about 1 mile left to go so I survived!

Anyway, prepped with our headlamps on in the pitch black we park our car at the nearest parking lot to the entrance of the Mist Trail Trailhead. I found when planning our hike besides speaking with the rangers the day before this website was super helpful. One thing to keep in mind about Yosemite don’t leave any food in your cars and make sure any trash you bring up you also bring back down! The first part was fully paved up until we climbed some stairs which from what we could hear was by a waterfall. Honestly super intense it felt like we were on a stair master in the dark! No one else was out that early either so it was lovely and quiet. Up the stairs and through a few switch backs we continue our way to the John Muir Trail. But lets be honest it was so dark and not clearly labeled that we just ended up accidentally taking this route which is actually a longer walk then taking Mist Trail the entire way. So keep your eyes out for Nevada Falls if you want to keep going on the John Muir Trail or head towards Vernal Falls which is shorter but has more switch backs and a bit steeper. We were honestly very happy with our choice even if it wasn’t on purpose haha.

As the sun was rising over the mountains on our hike we realized it was worth getting a little lost and taking the longer route. The route after Vernal Falls flattens out for a bit to give our legs little break. But the closer we got to the cables the more intense the hike became again. Lots of switch backs over looking the valley before we saw the cables and Half Dome on the horizon. Not going to lie both our hearts almost jumped out of our bodies when we saw the cables and almost thought, alright turn back turn back.

After mentally preparing ourselves for the cables we put our harness and gloves on and start the climbing. One thing to keep in mind is that there can be people coming up and down at the same time & the climb requires a lot of upper body strength so make sure you utilize those gloves. I honestly think it took me about 30 mins to climb up because I was pretty scared. As a side note I wouldn’t recommend looking down as you climb up.

Once at the top it felt like a giant weight was lifted off of me. It was such a gorgeous view over the valley and worth the stress. We ate a few things and hung around the top for about 45 minutes before we mustered up the courage to head back down.

Plan Your visit to Yosemite

Half Dome Hike Information Site

Where to Stay:

Entering the Lottery:

Just some information about the permits and when to enter the lottery. They release about 225 permits per day in the preseason lottery but they also do daily lotteries as well once the season is open. When you sign up make sure you try and tag team it with another person since it is a raffle and there is no guarantee either of you will get it. Another note is whoever signs up for the permit has to attend the trip unless you sign up an alternate.

Once you’ve applied you’ll receive an email with the results in mid April or you can check online. The dates the cables open kinda change but will probably be May through October.

There is also an application fee of $10 which is non refundable and then another $10 per person if/when you get the permit.

Anyway, lots more information here which I found super helpful.