Last updated September 29, 2026
Half Dome Permit Lottery & Reservation Guide: Dates, Fees, Daily Lottery & Application Strategy
A Half Dome permit is required to go beyond the base of Subdome while Yosemite’s cables are installed. Most day hikers get access through the March preseason lottery, while a smaller daily lottery releases permits two days before each hiking date. This guide separates those systems, explains the fees, name rules and cancellation process, and shows what to do if the preseason lottery does not work.
How Do You Get a Half Dome Permit?
Day hikers have two permit paths: the preseason lottery from March 1 through March 31 and the daily lottery two days before the hike. Yosemite makes approximately 225 day-hiker permits available per date through the main system, with additional daily-lottery availability based on cancellations and expected under-use.
The application fee is $10 per application and is non-refundable. If selected, there is an additional $10 recreation fee per hiker. A preseason application can request permits for up to six people.
Backpackers using qualifying Yosemite wilderness permits follow a different process and should not automatically use the day-hiker lottery.
Current Half Dome Planning Status
- Half Dome cables: currently up for the season.
- Permit: required to continue beyond the base of Subdome while cables are up.
- 2026 Yosemite entrance reservation: not required.
- Daily lottery: remains the last-minute day-hiker permit path while the cable season continues.
- Mist Trail: rehabilitation work is affecting portions of the route on weekdays through October; use the current NPS detour information.
Cable installation and removal dates can change with conditions. Always check Yosemite’s current conditions before leaving for the trailhead.
Treat the permit, lodging and any separate park-access requirements as different reservations. Yosemite currently requires no general entrance reservation in 2026, but future-year entry rules should be checked separately.
Half Dome Lottery Calendar
The dates below describe the standing Yosemite permit system. The cable season itself remains condition-dependent.
March 1
Preseason day-hiker lottery opens through Recreation.gov.
March 31
Preseason application window closes under Recreation.gov’s Eastern Time schedule.
Mid-April
Applicants receive results by email and can also check their Recreation.gov account.
Late May
Normal cable season begins near Memorial Day, conditions permitting.
During season
Daily lottery operates two days before the intended hiking date.
Mid-October
Normal cable season ends after the second Monday in October, conditions permitting.
After season
Archive current-condition notes and prepare the next March update.
Before travel
Recheck cable status, weather, trail closures and your permit confirmation.
Yosemite’s standing rule normally places installation around the Friday before Memorial Day and the final cable day on the day after the second Monday in October. For 2026, that corresponds roughly to May 22 through October 13—but conditions and trail-crew operations can change the actual dates.
The Lottery Controls the Summit—Not the Entire Yosemite Trail System.
Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall remain worthwhile hiking objectives even if Half Dome never appears on your permit confirmation.
Photo: Fabio Achilli / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0How to Apply for the Half Dome Lottery
The application is simple. The name and date decisions are the part that deserve attention.
Create or Confirm Your Recreation.gov Account
Use the official Half Dome permit page. Make sure the permit holder’s account information matches the identification they will carry on the hike.
Choose the Permit Holder Carefully
The holder is not just the person paying. They are part of the permit’s identity and must satisfy Yosemite’s presence rules at the Subdome checkpoint.
Name an Alternate During the Preseason Lottery
The preseason process allows an alternate holder. Use someone who is genuinely likely to hike. The holder and alternate names cannot simply be swapped later.
Choose Up to Six Hikers
A preseason application can request permits for a group of up to six people. Smaller groups can be easier to organize around flexible dates.
Use Your Date Flexibility
Recreation.gov allows multiple date choices on a preseason application. Yosemite’s statistics consistently show that demand varies substantially by date and day of week.
Pay the $10 Application Fee
This fee applies to the application—not to each person—and remains non-refundable even if the lottery does not select you.
Check the Mid-April Result
Winners then owe the separate per-hiker recreation fee. Keep the permit confirmation with the group.
Yosemite allows a person to appear as permit holder or alternate on only one preseason application. Applications that violate that rule can be cancelled.
The Permit Exists Because the Cables Concentrate Hundreds of Hikers on One Steep Granite Line.
Yosemite caps travel beyond Subdome at roughly 300 permitted hikers per day during normal cable operation—about 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers.
Photo: Tim Bergeron / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Preseason Lottery vs Daily Lottery
The preseason lottery is for building a Yosemite trip around a known date. The daily lottery is a last-minute recovery system.
| Rule | Preseason Lottery | Daily Lottery |
|---|---|---|
| When to apply | March 1–31 | Two days before hiking date |
| Application time | Annual March window | Midnight–4 PM Pacific |
| Results | Mid-April | Later the application evening |
| Availability | 225 day-hiker permits allocated per date | Based on cancellations and expected under-use |
| Maximum group | Up to 6 | Up to the current Recreation.gov limit |
| Alternate holder | Yes | No alternate holder |
| Best for | Planned Yosemite trips | Flexible last-minute travelers |
| Application fee | $10 | $10 |
| Permit fee if selected | $10 per hiker | $10 per hiker |
Permit Holder, Alternate & Transfer Rules
Many avoidable permit problems come from treating the reservation like an ordinary ticket.
You Cannot Sell or Give Away the Permit
Half Dome permits are not transferable. Resale or auctioning can invalidate the reservation.
Bring Photo ID
The holder or valid alternate should carry photo identification and the paid permit confirmation.
The Holder or Alternate Must Be With the Group
Yosemite checks the permit near Subdome. A confirmation without the required holder or alternate does not function as a transferable group ticket.
Alternate Must Be Named Up Front
Choose the alternate carefully when submitting the application. Names cannot simply be changed later because someone else’s schedule becomes more convenient.
No Alternate Holder
Daily lottery applications allow a permit holder but not an alternate, so the person named as holder should expect to hike.
Arrive Together at the Check
Plan the hike so the permit group reaches the ranger checkpoint together rather than assuming the confirmation can be passed between separated hikers.
A Permit Loss Does Not Remove the Best Waterfall Corridor From Your Yosemite Trip.
The Half Dome lottery controls the summit section, not the value of the entire Mist Trail and Nevada Fall corridor.
Photo: Arian Zwegers / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Half Dome Permit Fees & Refunds
The application fee and awarded-hiker fee are not the same charge and do not follow the same refund rule.
| Cost | Amount | When paid | Refundable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lottery application | $10 per application | At application | No |
| Recreation fee | $10 per awarded hiker | If permit is awarded | Yes, under qualifying cancellation rules |
| One-person winning application | $20 total | $10 application + $10 hiker | Only the per-hiker portion may be refundable |
| Six-person winning application | $70 total | $10 application + $60 hikers | Application fee remains non-refundable |
Recreation.gov currently allows the $10-per-hiker recreation fee to be refunded when the permit is cancelled by 11:59 PM Pacific the day before the hike. The original $10 application fee is not refunded.
Yosemite’s current permit guidance provides for refund of the per-person recreation fee when the cable system is unavailable. Always use the current Recreation.gov terms for the final transaction.
What Are the Odds of Winning a Half Dome Permit?
Yosemite publishes lottery statistics, but historical percentages are planning evidence—not a promise about your application.
Prefer Weekdays When You Can
Yosemite’s own permit guidance notes that chances are generally stronger on weekdays than weekends.
Keep More Than One Date Viable
A flexible application is more useful than choosing one Saturday everyone else wants.
Consider Later Summer
Yosemite specifically notes that daily-lottery chances can improve on weekdays beginning around the end of August.
Do Not Game the Name Rules
Duplicate holder/alternate entries can invalidate preseason applications. Date flexibility is the legitimate lever.
Keep the Daily Lottery Available
Losing in March does not end the permit process if your Yosemite itinerary remains flexible.
Never Let the Permit Override Weather
A difficult lottery does not make a thunderstorm day safer. Cancel the summit if the conditions do not support the cable section.
Do Not Make the Entire Yosemite Trip Depend on One Lottery Result.
Half Dome should be the controlled objective inside a broader Yosemite itinerary—not the only reason the trip works.
Photo: Andy Witchger / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0How the Half Dome Daily Lottery Works
This is the most important recovery option for someone who missed or lost the March lottery.
Count Back Two Days
Want to hike Saturday? Apply Thursday. The daily lottery does not open the night before.
Apply Between Midnight and 4 PM Pacific
The application window is tied to Yosemite’s Pacific Time schedule, not the applicant’s home time zone.
Watch for Results That Evening
Results are released later the same evening and can also be checked through Recreation.gov.
Expect Variable Inventory
The daily lottery is driven by expected permit under-use and cancellations. It is not a guaranteed fixed block of permits.
Use the Weather Forecast
The two-day timing gives you much better forecast information than the March lottery. A lottery win should still be declined if the summit forecast is poor.
Half Dome Route & Permit Checkpoint Orientation
The route begins long before the permit-controlled summit section. Think of the permit as controlling the final upper objective—not the entire Mist Trail corridor.
Happy Isles
Standard Yosemite Valley trailhead for the Mist Trail / JMT approach.
Vernal & Nevada Falls
Major objectives in their own right and accessible without a Half Dome permit for ordinary day hiking.
Subdome → Cables
This is where the Half Dome permit becomes the controlling access document during cable season.
2026 Mist Trail Construction & Your Half Dome Permit Day
A valid Half Dome permit does not override a temporary trail closure.
Through October, subject to change, Yosemite has been closing the Mist Trail section between the John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall during much of Monday through Thursday. The route is normally open Friday through Sunday and holidays, and is also generally open from 3:30 PM to 7 AM on weekday closure days when conditions allow. The John Muir Trail provides the alternate route.
If your permit date falls on a weekday, check Yosemite’s current conditions the day before. Do not plan your start time around an old Mist Trail schedule.
Half Dome Permits for Backpackers
Camping in Little Yosemite Valley changes the permit system. A day-hike Half Dome permit does not include overnight use.
About 75 Backpacker Permits Per Day
Yosemite reserves part of the overall Half Dome daily quota for wilderness travelers.
Add Half Dome to Eligible Wilderness Permits
Backpackers starting from specified Yosemite trailheads can request Half Dome access with their wilderness permit process.
$10 Per Backpacker
Yosemite currently collects the Half Dome backpacker fee when the wilderness permit is picked up.
| Eligible Yosemite entry examples | Half Dome planning implication |
|---|---|
| Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley | Can request Half Dome access with qualifying wilderness permit |
| Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley | Backpacker process rather than ordinary day-hiker lottery |
| Happy Isles past LYV | Eligible under Yosemite’s current Half Dome wilderness rules |
| Sunrise Lakes / Cathedral Lakes | Included among current qualifying Yosemite entry trailheads |
| Trip begins outside Yosemite | Check NPS rule carefully; some outside-start backpackers must use day-hiker permit process |
Overnight use requires a wilderness permit. The summit permit and overnight wilderness permit solve different access problems.
The Permit Is Permission to Attempt Half Dome—not an Obligation to Use the Cables.
Wet granite, thunderstorm development, exhaustion or an unsafe crowd situation are all valid reasons to turn around with a perfectly good permit in your pocket.
Photo: Mike Murphy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0What If You Don’t Get a Half Dome Permit?
Losing the preseason lottery is not the same as losing the Yosemite trip.
Use the Daily Lottery
Keep the trip flexible and enter two days before the desired hike. This is the official last-minute permit path.
Hike Vernal & Nevada Falls
Keep the waterfall corridor and turn around before the permit-controlled upper Half Dome section.
Choose Another Yosemite Summit Day
Clouds Rest and other Yosemite hikes offer major scenery without relying on the Half Dome day-hiker lottery, subject to their current access conditions.
Rebuild Around Glacier Point
Use Panorama Trail or viewpoint-based planning when road and trail access are open.
Borrow Someone Else’s Permit
Permits are non-transferable. Do not buy, trade or borrow a permit outside Yosemite’s approved process.
Wait Until the Cables Are Down
NPS strongly discourages attempting the cable route with the cables down. The end of permit season is not a safer workaround.
You Won the Lottery. What Happens Next?
Once the permit is secured, the planning problem shifts from access to readiness.
Half Dome Day-Hike Preparation
A permit does not make Half Dome an ordinary sightseeing walk. The route is a long Yosemite day with major elevation gain and an exposed cable finish. Build the day around an early start, enough food and water capacity, reliable lighting and a weather-based turnaround rule.
For the complete equipment system, use the Global Summit Guide mountain gear checklist .
Hand protection can improve comfort on the cables, but wet granite, lightning, exhaustion and crowding remain the controlling hazards. Yosemite also specifically asks hikers not to leave discarded gloves or other trash at the base of the cables.
Half Dome Permit Page Update Cadence
This page should have an evergreen structure with a small set of time-sensitive fields checked on a predictable schedule.
Pre-Lottery Check
Verify application dates, fees, group limit, Recreation.gov URL and any Yosemite policy changes before March 1.
Lottery Open Check
Confirm that the application is live and update the current-status block if the interface or deadline has changed.
Results Check
Confirm result timing, acceptance/payment rules and any newly published NPS statistics.
Cable Installation
Replace the preseason message with current cable status and any spring trail hazards or construction.
Monthly Status Check
Verify cables, Mist Trail restrictions, major closures and daily lottery operation.
Archive the Season
Remove stale current-condition language while preserving the annual March lottery framework for the next year.
Half Dome Permit Sources
Recreation.gov performs the transaction. Yosemite National Park defines the permit rules and current route conditions.
Global Summit Guide explains the system and keeps the planning pieces together. Recreation.gov and Yosemite National Park remain the controlling sources for application submission, current rules and same-season changes.
Half Dome Permit FAQ
The questions most likely to decide whether an application or hiking day succeeds.
When does the Half Dome permit lottery open?
Yosemite’s preseason day-hiker lottery runs annually from March 1 through March 31, with results normally released in mid-April.
How much does a Half Dome permit cost?
The application fee is $10 per application and is non-refundable. Successful applicants also pay a $10 recreation fee for each hiker.
How many people can be on a Half Dome permit application?
The preseason lottery allows an application for up to six permits, covering a group of up to six hikers.
When is the Half Dome daily lottery?
The daily lottery opens two days before the intended hiking date. Applications are accepted from midnight until 4 PM Pacific Time, with results later that evening.
Can a Half Dome permit be transferred to someone else?
No. Half Dome permits are non-transferable. The permit holder or valid preseason alternate must satisfy Yosemite’s presence and identification requirements.
Can I change the alternate after I win?
Yosemite does not allow the holder and alternate names to be freely changed after submission. Choose the alternate carefully during the preseason application.
What happens if I lose the Half Dome preseason lottery?
You can apply through the daily lottery two days before the hike. You can also keep a Yosemite itinerary built around Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall and other hikes if Half Dome remains unavailable.
Do I need a Half Dome permit to hike to Nevada Fall?
The Half Dome permit controls access beyond the base of Subdome during cable season. Ordinary day hiking to Vernal and Nevada Falls does not use the Half Dome permit system.
Does a Half Dome permit include camping in Little Yosemite Valley?
No. Overnight wilderness travel requires a separate Yosemite wilderness permit. A day-hiker Half Dome permit does not include a campsite or overnight authorization.
Do backpackers need a Half Dome permit?
Yes, permits are still required for the Half Dome summit while the cables are up. Qualifying Yosemite wilderness permit holders can use the separate backpacker process.
What are the odds of winning a Half Dome permit?
Odds vary by year and date. Yosemite reported a 22% preseason application success rate and a 19% daily-lottery application success rate for 2024, but NPS cautions that historical results do not predict a future lottery.
Do I need a Yosemite entrance reservation if I already have a Half Dome permit?
In 2026 Yosemite does not require a general entrance reservation. Future-year park entry rules should be checked independently because a Half Dome permit and park-entry policy are separate systems.
Win the Date. Then Decide Whether the Mountain Gives You the Day.
Enter the March lottery with real date flexibility. Keep the daily lottery available as Plan B. Build the Yosemite trip so it still works without Half Dome. If you win, prepare for a long hiking day—but keep the summit conditional on dry granite, a good forecast and enough energy at Subdome. A difficult permit should never become a reason to ignore an easy turnaround decision.
Was this helpful?
🏔Related peaks nearby
🧭Explore & compare
Global Summit Guide is an independent mountaineering resource founded in 2026. The team combines first-hand trekking and climbing experience with in-depth research and professional health and nutrition review to help climbers choose objectives, prepare properly, and stay safe.
Health, altitude, and nutrition content is reviewed by Taylor Ludlow (Registered Nurse) and Brigg Hoopes (Nutritionist).
What We Don't Know Yet
Mountain information changes quickly. This box explains the limits of what this page can responsibly promise.
- Permit availability, reservation windows, quotas, and official fee rules may change after this page is updated.
- Visa, passport, vaccination, border, insurance, and local transportation rules may change before your trip.
- Route conditions, snowpack, closures, and weather can change quickly after this page is updated.
- Permit rules, fees, quotas, and reservation windows may change between review cycles.
- Operator availability, pricing, guide ratios, and cancellation terms can change by season.
Verify current conditions with official land managers, guide services, local forecasts, and current route reports before booking or climbing.
Mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, glacier travel, and high-altitude activity are inherently dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. The information on Global Summit Guide is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional instruction, qualified guiding, proper equipment, or your own judgment and experience.
Route conditions, weather, snowpack, permits, regulations, and hazards change constantly and may differ from what is described here. Details may be incomplete, out of date, or contain errors. Always verify current information with local authorities, certified guides, and official sources before making any decision in the mountains.
Nothing on this site is medical, legal, or financial advice. Our fitness, acclimatization, altitude, and nutrition content is general in nature; consult a qualified physician before beginning any strenuous exercise program or exposing yourself to high altitude.
You are solely responsible for your own safety and decisions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Global Summit Guide and its team accept no liability for any loss, injury, damage, or expense arising from use of, or reliance on, this information. By using this site you acknowledge these risks and accept these terms.
Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you; this never affects our recommendations.
Global Summit Guide recommendation path
Next Best Mountain to Research
Use these recommendations to continue the right planning path instead of stopping on one page.
Use current permit, weather, route, and operator information before booking or climbing.