What is the shortest hike to Half Dome?

Hiking the Half Dome Quick Facts Length (miles) - 14–23 miles round trip depending on route taken.. The Mist Trail is the shortest round trip route, coming in at 14.2 miles. If starting from the Little Yosemite campground, the round trip trek is a strenuous 7 miles.



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The National Parks Service describes Half Dome as the most strenuous day hike in Yosemite, and probably the toughest (recommended) day hike in any National Park. So while you can certainly just show up and give the hike a go, you'll enjoy it more if your fitness level is up to snuff.

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The National Park Service considers ascending the 4,800 feet and traveling the minimum 14.5 miles to Half Dome's summit, “one of the most challenging day hikes in any national park.” Measured by vertical ascent, hiking Half Dome is roughly three times as challenging as hiking Angels Landing, and even includes a 7-mile ...

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Difficulty Of The Half Dome Trail If you are not comfortable with heights, you may want to avoid the cable route. Hikers report this being the most difficult section of the hike.

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Half Dome has an elevation of 8,844 feet and sits 4,737 feet above the valley floor. It takes an equivalent 473 flights of stairs to reach the top, which means 118 trips from the First Floor Lantern to the McFadden-Willis Reading Room.

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This climb is hard! The granite surface has been worn smooth by the shoes of the thousands of people before us. The climb is so steep that we pulled ourselves up more with our upper body strength than by walking up with our feet. It took us roughly 20 minutes to climb the 400 feet up the Half Dome cables.

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Most hikers take 10 to 12 hours to hike to Half Dome and back; some take longer. If you plan on hiking during the day, it's smart to leave around sunrise (or earlier) and then have a non-negotiable turn-around time. For instance, if you haven't reached the top of Half Dome by 3:30 pm, you will turn around.

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Consider the fact that on the other side of Half Dome, there is literally a bolted stair case with guard rails on it, ensuring that anyone who can hike at a competent level can also reach the summit of Half Dome.

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