Yosemite extends Half Dome cable permits to seven days

Permits to climb Half Dome by cable will be required seven days a week in Yosemite National Park this summer.

This is an extension of the interim permit system implemented in 2010 to address crowding and safety issues on the cables leading to the summit, said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.

Also new this year, the Half Dome day-use permits will be distributed using a lottery system, rather than the first-come, first-served system previously in place, Cobb said.    

There will be 300 day use permits and 100 wilderness permits for camping issued daily, Cobb said.    

Cobb said the permit system was supposed to be only for 2010 and 2011, but “we’re still finalizing the environmental assessment, which will allow us to implement a permanent plan for the cables.”   

Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular activities in Yosemite National Park, according to a park statement.    

The iconic granite monolith rises 8,842 feet above sea level and attracts visitors from around the world.    

Most visitors ascend Half Dome via the cables, which are typically up from mid-May through mid-October, a park statement said. Visitors usually begin and end the hike at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, for a 14-mile round trip experience.    

Permit applications will be available March 1 through 31. Park staff will allocate the permits through a preseason lottery and a two-day-in-advance lottery, and as part of the Wilderness Permit process.    

The lottery will be conducted via www.recreation.gov.    

Information about the lotteries and wilderness process is available online at www.nps.gov /yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm.    

Park officials expect to release the Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment later this year, Cobb said. It will address trail and cable use and provide alternatives for a permanent Half Dome cable management plan.    

There will be a formal comment period announced at a later date, according to Yosemite officials.