Half Dome Cable Status

The Half Dome Cables are Removed for the Winter Season!

When in place, the cables extend approximately 300 yards up the steep shoulder to the 8,842-foot dome. They give access to the summit and to the unparalleled views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Club funded the installation of the first cables on Half Dome in 1919, the Civilian Conservation Corps replaced the original cables in 1934.

The cables are removed at the end of each climbing season (typically in October) and put back in place in the Spring ... usually in May but dependent upon the weather. This season, the cables were taken down in mid October.

Ascending Half Dome when the cables are not installed is dangerous & strongly discouraged. Do not ascend to the top of Half Dome if thunderclouds are visible anywhere in the sky.

Additional Information: Many visitors consider this hike to be the ultimate Yosemite hike. This is a difficult climb. It's considered very strenuous and the round trip hike is 17 miles long and typically takes 10 to 12 hours. It is not wheelchair accessible. The starting point is the Happy Isles shuttle bus stop (about a half mile south of Curry Village).