Half Dome Backpack
Yosemite Valley, CA
4.9 (28 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Summit Half Dome
- Waterfalls
- Breathtaking Views
- Climb the "Cables"
- 2 nights in Yosemite's Backcountry
- Amazing Natural & Cultural History
Description
Come experience Yosemite’s most iconic hike with this classic Yosemite backpacking trip. The hike to the summit of 8,842 feet Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in the park and a life-long goal for many! The summit, itself, is just one of the many highlights of this trip: Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, the Silver Apron, Emerald Pool, Panorama Cliffs, Liberty Cap, Tenaya Canyon, and the sub-dome are just some of the other incredible sights along the way!
The three day itinerary, with two nights spent camping in Little Yosemite Valley, allows us to really soak up all the magic that Yosemite National Park has to offer. We’ll stop and relax in the cool misty air next to roaring waterfalls and cascades, and cool-off and swim in the more placid pools of the Merced. We’ll set up a basecamp in Little Yosemite Valley where we’ll stay for two nights as we attempt the summit of Half Dome high above us. At night we’ll kick back and soak up the beauty next to a warm campfire and those endless High Sierra stars! The hike up Half Dome itself – on day 2 – is an exciting and highly gratifying experience. The hike will enliven you, the “cables” section will thrill you, and the views from the top are sure to inspire you! Join us for an unforgettable Yosemite hiking adventure!
NEED TO KNOW: HALF DOME PERMITS
Half Dome permits are very competitive, and we aren’t always successful getting permits for our scheduled trips (we know 5.5 months in advance). We strongly recommend checking out the Young Lakes – Mount Conness backpacking trip as an excellent alternative to Half Dome in case we’re unsuccessful. In the early season (May and June), our Yosemite Valley North Rim is also an exceptional alternative to Half Dome! Both of these trips are extremely high quality and much less crowded than Half Dome.
$1120 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 4
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 25-35 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 4-8 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 2700 feet day hiking
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 2700 feet day hiking
- Quality of Trails:
- Well maintained
- Additional:
- An initial steep, rocky, highly engineered trail with some exposure and crowded wet, dangerous sections leads to a sandy stretch through Little Yosemite Valley and then rocky switchbacks through forest to the base of the subdome. A steep, exposed staircase-like trail ascends a large granite dome to the base of the Cables. The final 400 ft. to the summit of Half Dome follow two parallel cables raised on metal posts up a 45 degree slope of smooth, boot polished granite. The Park Service notes “Since 1919, relatively few people have fallen and died on the cables.”
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- regularly exercise vigorously
- be comfortable hiking, biking, running, or swimming for several hours without many breaks
TRAVEL TO YOSEMITE VALLEY BACKPACKERS CAMP
This trip meets in Yosemite Valley in the parking lot of Curry Village near the bear boxes at shuttle stop 14 at 6PM on Day 1. Your guide will contact you approximately 10 days before your trip to coordinate this rendezvous and answer any last minute questions you have. Your guide will be waiting for you in a Wildland Trekking hat and shirt. This trip includes dinner and camping that night at the backpackers camp. Personal vehicles can remain parked at Curry Village during your trip.
Most of our guests rent vehicles or drive their own to Yosemite Valley. However, you can also travel to and from Yosemite National Park using train and bus options from much of California:
From Fresno: Yosemite Area Rapid Transit (YARTS) is offering 4 bus rides each direction from Fresno to Yosemite Valley. To reach the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp get off at Curry Village and either walk or take a national park shuttle to North Pines Campground. Walk to the back of the campground and across the footbridge to the camp.
From Other California Cities: by rail on the Amtrak San Joaquin Train to the city of Merced (serviced by most large cities in California) or by Amtrak “Thruway” Bus Service from Merced to Yosemite Valley. To book your trip, use Amtrak’s Online Reservation Service to book round-trip Amtrak travel to “YOS” (Yosemite Valley).
California does not charge sales tax on services, so there is no sales tax for this trip.
All trips in Yosemite National Park have a 5% fee required by the National Park Service. This fee is applied when your reservation is made and is passed through directly to the national park.
There are no other taxes or fees associated with this trip. Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.3
- 4 People: Rate x 1.1
- 5+ People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person
Leave a Reply