Half Dome via Cables
Yosemite, CA
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Weather window is excellent — three days of sunny, calm conditions with no snow, no fire smoke, and mild temps. The main constraint is daylight: sunset at 4:52 PM is early, so plan your Half Dome summit push to have cables finished by 3 PM. Stream flow data for this area is unreliable (gauges are nowhere near Yosemite Valley), so treat it as noise.
62°/42°F · Clear
Data temporarily unavailable
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0" depth
Elevated flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
10h 18m daylight · Sunrise 6:34 AM · Sunset 4:52 PM
Full Briefing
The forecast is about as good as November gets in Yosemite. Highs in the low 60s, lows in the low 40s, sunny skies, and winds under 10 mph the entire trip. No precipitation, no incoming fronts through Thursday. The snowpack data confirms no snow on the ground at relevant elevations — the cables on Half Dome should be accessible, though expect the hardware to be cold and potentially frost-rimed in the mornings given overnight lows in the low 40s. Bring gloves you can grip in.
The stream flow gauges in the raw data are located in the Salinas Valley and Santa Clara County — none of them are on Yosemite Valley drainages. Disregard those numbers entirely. In November, Yosemite Valley streams are typically running low and cold after the summer dry season. Merced River crossings on the standard Half Dome routes are not a concern this time of year.
Daylight is the real logistics driver. You have 10 hours 18 minutes of usable light, with sunset at 4:52 PM. The Half Dome cables roundtrip from Happy Isles is 14-16 miles and 4,800 feet of gain — a full day push. If you're doing it as a day from camp, leave no later than 6:30 AM to have the summit by noon and be back at the cables by 2 PM with a comfortable buffer before dark. If you push summit later than 1 PM, you're looking at a headlamp descent of the cables and sub-dome, which is manageable but adds risk on the steep sections.
No active fires within 50 miles, air quality is clean, and the weather window holds through your return Thursday. This is a rare November gift. Stage your camp at Little Yosemite Valley for the classic approach and get after it early Tuesday or Wednesday.
Waypoints
Happy Isles Trailhead
Start from Happy Isles. Arrive early—the shuttle from Curry Village begins at 7am.
3,999 ft
Vernal Fall
First major landmark. Mist Trail goes right; John Muir Trail goes left.
5,000 ft
Nevada Fall
Top of Nevada Fall. Views of Liberty Cap. Little Yosemite Valley ahead.
6,302 ft
Sub Dome Junction
Permit check station. Rangers check your permit here. 400 feet of cables ahead.
8,501 ft
Half Dome Summit
The summit. Views in all directions. Turn back if thunderstorms are building.
8,839 ft
Route Details
Distance
14.9 mi
Elevation Gain
4,800 ft
Elevation Loss
4,800 ft
Max Elevation
8,839 ft
Estimated Days
1
Trailhead
Happy Isles Trailhead
Best Season
Cables installed late May through October. Start before dawn to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. Lightning is the main hazard.
Permit Required
Day hike permit required through recreation.gov lottery. Apply 2 days before or 7 days before via advance lottery.
About This Route
Half Dome is the most iconic hike in Yosemite National Park and one of the most recognizable summits in the world. The cables route from Yosemite Valley to the summit and back is a strenuous 14-16 mile day hike gaining nearly 4,800 feet, with the final 400 feet on steel cables bolted into the granite dome. The cables are installed each spring (typically late May) and removed in fall (October). Without the cables, the final section is a technical climb. The permit system limits daily visitors to protect both the resource and safety. Thunderstorms are the primary hazard. The summit is fully exposed and lightning strikes have killed hikers on the cables. The park service recommends starting before dawn to summit by midday and descend before afternoon storms build. Check the forecast—if thunderstorms are predicted, turn back. The trail climbs through Yosemite Valley forest, past Nevada and Vernal Falls, through the Little Yosemite Valley, and up the Sub Dome steps before the cables. The sub-dome switchbacks and cables section require hand-over-hand climbing on a steep granite slab. Gloves are strongly recommended.
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