Yosemite, CA -- Beginning in May, if you want to climb the cables of Yosemite's Half Dome on weekends or holidays, you'll need a permit.
"Over the last several years we have had incidents on the cables where individuals have died or suffered severe injuries as the crowding is so intense," says Park Ranger Kari Cobb. "In order to limit the crowding and those types of situations, we have implemented a permit system."
300 day use permits will be issued for the Half Dome cables on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. An additional 100 wilderness permits will be issued, which also allow for use of the Half Dome cables.
Last summer, Saturdays and holidays averaged 840 visitors per day on the cables. On peak days, visitor numbers were estimated at 1,100 to 1,200.
The day-use permits will be available starting March 1st through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. There is a $1.50 service charge for each permit obtained. They will be available on a first come-first served basis.
So, if you plan to make the hike, you best plan ahead.
--P
Posted by Jay Knight on January 29, 2010 at 6:51 PM
I understand the need but it is a shame!!!! People will abuse the wilderness permit program to serve their own purposes. It's already tough enough to obtain wilderness permits for this area.
Thanks for the info......we're always the last to know in the park
Posted by Mat Malone on January 29, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Interesting. I did that hike last September, and accidentally scheduled it on the free national parks day (even though I have an annual pass). There was probably several thousand people on the trail that day. We got to the cables pretty early so the wait to head up was only about 5-10 minutes. But I think by the time we got down the wait was an hour or two long. See attached snapshot from my iPhone.
The upside was that there were an amazing number of really cute girls on the trail that day
Posted by Steve Sieren on January 30, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Crap, now I can't just show up in the middle of the night start at 4am and skip the traffic jam The bad things that have happened on the cables is such a low percentage for the amount of people, I find it surprising.
Hope they have a night drop box, with crowds that big I wonder if they would even work this on the trust system that go along with the night box.
Posted by Jay Knight on January 30, 2010 at 1:47 PM
Steve,
Exactly how many people are they going to strand hiking back in the dark.. Th vc doesn't open early enough and they are first come first serve....for that day only???
Jay
Posted by Steve Sieren on January 30, 2010 at 2:52 PM
That will just crowd the visitor center even more! Just makes you wonder when the mandatory shuttle thing will happen... . .
Posted by Eric Good on January 31, 2010 at 8:09 PM
Wow, that picture looks a lot like the switchbacks up to Whitney.
Discussion
6 replies"January 29, 2010 02:30 pm
B.J. Hansen, MML Reporter
Yosemite, CA -- Beginning in May, if you want to climb the cables of Yosemite's Half Dome on weekends or holidays, you'll need a permit.
"Over the last several years we have had incidents on the cables where individuals have died or suffered severe injuries as the crowding is so intense," says Park Ranger Kari Cobb. "In order to limit the crowding and those types of situations, we have implemented a permit system."
300 day use permits will be issued for the Half Dome cables on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. An additional 100 wilderness permits will be issued, which also allow for use of the Half Dome cables.
Last summer, Saturdays and holidays averaged 840 visitors per day on the cables. On peak days, visitor numbers were estimated at 1,100 to 1,200.
The day-use permits will be available starting March 1st through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. There is a $1.50 service charge for each permit obtained. They will be available on a first come-first served basis.
So, if you plan to make the hike, you best plan ahead.
--P
Thanks for the info......we're always the last to know in the park
The upside was that there were an amazing number of really cute girls on the trail that day
Hope they have a night drop box, with crowds that big I wonder if they would even work this on the trust system that go along with the night box.
Exactly how many people are they going to strand hiking back in the dark.. Th vc doesn't open early enough and they are first come first serve....for that day only???
Jay