Half Dome Summit Adventure via John Muir Trail

The iconic landmark of Yosemite. Tough hike to get there but very fun! We went on June 2, 2026. Got to top of Half Dome late afternoon. Not crowded; however we were hiking in darkness for the last 2 hours of the return hike. Thankfully I brought my trusty headlamp!

Absolutely loved this place! It's incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and a perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature. If you're visiting in the summer, definitely bring your swimsuit! I had no idea you could swim here, but if I had known, I probably wouldn't have gotten out of the river. The water is refreshing, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. This is one of those places that makes Yosemite so unforgettable. Whether you're hiking to Half Dome or simply exploring the area, it's the perfect spot to cool off, relax, and enjoy the incredible views. Highly recommended!

Very fun hike, sub dome was a little bit frustrating, but otherwise it was awesome and the cables were so fun. I didn't use a harness but a recommend a harness to be able to go around people easier.

The Half Dome cables absolutely lived up to the hype. They’re exhilarating, intimidating, and surprisingly manageable with good technique and a little patience. A few things we learned (or watched others learn the hard way): • Wear gloves. • Wear shoes with real tread. This is no place for worn-out foam soles. • Relax your grip. Your feet should be doing most of the work. A death grip will only wear out your forearms. • Stay upright on both the ascent and descent. Think “climbing a ladder” (or even rappelling), not scrambling up a rock face. Keep your feet directly beneath you with your toes pointing uphill into the granite, not turned outward like duck feet. Good foot placement shifts the effort from your arms to your legs and back, where you’re much stronger. • If you’re going to use a harness, use an actual via ferrata lanyard designed for fall protection. We watched one hiker wearing a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fanny pack, a shoelace, and the same carabiner you’d use for your car keys… apparently hoping the combination would qualify as safety equipment. It does not. • Finally, don’t kick loose rocks. The people below you will appreciate it. Ask me how I know. We were nervous about the cables before our trip. By the end, they were one of our favorite parts of the entire Half Dome experience.

My wife and I hiked Half Dome on 10/24/25. We spent the night at Lower Pines Campground and started the trail at 4:30 a.m. We reached Subdome around 10:30 a.m. The hike wasn’t too difficult until the last two hours. Crampons helped a lot since the final section had snow and icy rock. The cables were much steeper than I expected. They were down, so we put on our harnesses and prepared for the climb. It took us longer than anticipated. You really need to be both physically and mentally prepared; it’s a very dangerous hike, and you shouldn’t attempt it unless you feel fully capable. We used harnesses with double hooks so we were attached to the cables the entire time. I would definitely do it again, but probably in the summer—and I’d still use the harness. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience! Yosemite is such a beautiful national park.