Half Dome

North America's sheerest cliff at only seven degrees from vertical and possibly the world's most-photographed, Yosemite's Half Dome is an iconic emblem of the park. The granite rock that forms Half Dome is 87 million years old, the youngest plutonic rock (rock formed under the earth's surface) in Yosemite Valley. It towers 5,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor and its elevation is 8,842 feet at the top.

Viewing Half Dome

The best place to get a good look at Half Dome is from Glacier Point, but there are plenty of other places to see and photograph it. They include Tunnel View, Sentinel Bridge, Cook's Meadow and Mirror Lake. you can also see Half Dome from a different direction from Olmstead Point on Tioga Road.

Climbing Half Dome

The 17-mile round trip hike to Half Dome from the Yosemite Valley takes 10 to 12 hours, and its 4,800-foot elevation gain is only for the fittest of hikers. Hikers climb the final 400 feet over the top of Half Dome on a staircase with cable supports that act as handrails.

The San Jose Mercury News reported in June, 2007, that 1,000 hikers climb Half Dome's back side on any given weekend day in summer. If you can, try for a weekday. Wear proper hiking footgear and take the hike seriously. On this big, slippery piece of granite, even a simple mistake could be your last.

Read an exhausted hiker's trip report to get a good idea of what the hike is like. You'll also find some beautiful pictures.

The park service takes down the cables and closes the trail in the off-season, usually by the second week in October.