Half Dome Cables Permit Guide 2026
Lottery permit
California · No dogs in the backcountry
By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger
Last updated
The Half Dome cables route climbs nearly 5,000 feet from Yosemite Valley to the park's most famous summit, and every day hiker on the cables needs a permit. There is nothing to book first-come-first-served: all 275 daily permits are awarded by lottery on recreation.gov, through a preseason lottery each March and a daily lottery two days before each hiking date. Permit Ranger tracks both application windows for your trip dates, with apply links, deadline reminders, and calendar events.
When permits are released
Lottery only - no first-come sales. The preseason lottery accepts applications March 1-31 (results mid-April); the daily lottery runs two days before each hiking date, midnight to 4:00 PM Pacific, while the cables are up.
Quota seasons: May 15 to October 13, 2026; May 28 to October 12, 2027 - off-season: Outside the cables season the cables are down, the route is closed, and no permits are issued.
Your odds
The park publishes lottery statistics every year. In 2024, the preseason lottery drew 35,289 applications for roughly 225 permits per day, and 22 percent of applications won - the same rate as 2023. Because each application ranks up to seven dates, individual date choices succeed far less often: about 1.0 percent for weekday choices and 0.8 percent for weekends.
The daily lottery drew 35,561 applications in 2024 with a 19 percent overall success rate: about 22 percent on weekdays and 14 percent on weekends. Saturdays are by far the most requested day (21 percent of all preseason requests), so flexible hikers targeting a Tuesday through Thursday early or late in the season see the best odds.
Every daily lottery is independent, so applying on multiple dates across a trip meaningfully raises your chance of at least one win.
Source: NPS Half Dome permit lottery statistics (nps.gov/yose, 2024 season summary). Last checked August 2026.
Fees
- Application: $10 per lottery application (non-refundable)
- Per person: $10 per person if awarded
How to get a Half Dome Cables permit
- Pick your hiking dates while the cables are up - typically the Friday before Memorial Day through the Tuesday after Columbus Day (in 2026: May 15 through October 13).
- Apply in the preseason lottery on recreation.gov during March (applications accepted March 1-31). One application per person, up to 6 people and 7 ranked dates; results are emailed in mid-April, and awarded permits must be accepted by the mid-May deadline. About 225 of the 275 daily permits are awarded here.
- If you miss March or don't win, use the daily lottery: apply two days before your hiking date, between midnight and 4:00 PM Pacific, and results arrive late that same evening. Roughly 50 permits per day plus any unclaimed preseason permits are awarded this way.
- Each application costs $10 (non-refundable), and winners pay $10 per person. The permit holder or alternate named on the application must be in the group with photo ID - permits are not transferable.
- Backpackers on a qualifying Yosemite wilderness itinerary can instead add Half Dome to their wilderness permit during booking; that path goes through the Yosemite wilderness permit area, not these lotteries.
Frequently asked questions
Can Permit Ranger alert me when Half Dome permits open up?
No, and neither can anyone else: Half Dome has no first-come availability to watch, so there are no cancellation or opening alerts. Every permit is awarded by lottery. What Permit Ranger does instead is track the application windows for your trip dates - it shows the March preseason lottery and your daily-lottery application day, links straight to recreation.gov, and reminds you before each window closes.
How does the daily lottery work?
Applications for each hiking date are accepted two days beforehand, from midnight to 4:00 PM Pacific. Results go out late the same evening by email. To hike on a Saturday, for example, you apply during the day on Thursday.
When are the cables up?
Typically from the Friday before Memorial Day through the Tuesday after Columbus Day, conditions permitting. In 2026 the cables went up May 15 and the last hiking day is October 13. Outside the cables season the route is closed and no permits are issued.
What are my odds of winning?
In 2024 the preseason lottery had about 35,000 applications and a 22 percent success rate per application; the daily lottery ran about 19 percent overall, better on weekdays (about 22 percent) than weekends (about 14 percent). Early-season and late-season weekdays are the least requested dates.
Do backpackers need to enter these lotteries?
Usually not. A Yosemite wilderness permit on an itinerary that reasonably passes Half Dome (such as a Little Yosemite Valley or JMT trip) can add Half Dome cables access during booking for $10 per person, subject to its own small daily backpacker quota.
Are dogs allowed on the Half Dome trail?
No. Pets are banned from Yosemite's trails, including the entire Half Dome route.
More permits in California
- Desolation Wilderness permit guide
- Hoover Wilderness permit guide
- Inyo National Forest permit guide
- Joshua Tree National Park permit guide
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks permit guide
- Sierra National Forest permit guide
- Yosemite National Park permit guide
Permits awarded by lottery
- Angels Landing permit guide
- Glacier National Park permit guide
- Grand Canyon National Park permit guide
- Mount Rainier permit guide
- North Cascades permit guide
- The Enchantments permit guide
- Yellowstone National Park permit guide
- Yosemite National Park permit guide
Plan ahead
Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.