Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Travel
Bay Area News Group

Half Dome and Mount Whitney hiking permit lotteries are open for 2022

The preseason lottery for permits to hike Yosemite’s Half Dome opened on Tuesday, and applications will be accepted all month.

A similar lottery for Mount Whitney will close on March 15.

HALF DOME

Dates: For the season expected to run from May 27 to Oct. 11, 225 hikers will be allowed each day. Applications can be submitted online or by phone at (877) 444-6777. The preseason deadline is March 31. Successful applicants will be notified in mid-April.

Cost: A non-refundable fee of $10 is charged for an application, which can cover a party of up to six hikers. When the permit is claimed, an additional $10 per hiker will be charged.

The day hike: The round trip from Happy Isles trailhead, in Yosemite Valley, is 16 miles. Elevation gain is 4,800 feet, with the top of the dome at 8,839 feet. The waist-high cables on the steep final approach are expected to be installed before May 27. A permit will not be honored if the cables aren’t installed on its stated date.

Other options: At least 50 additional permits per day will be available in daily lotteries during the hiking season. Backpackers who want to make Half Dome part of a longer trip should apply for the hike permit not through the lottery but as part of their wilderness permit.

Park admission: If you have a Half Dome permit, you do not need to make a reservation to enter Yosemite, but you do need to pay the entrance fee ($35 per car). A day hike permit does not allow you to camp inside the park.

2021 results: About 34,500 applications were received, and 19% were approved for a date of their choice.

MOUNT WHITNEY

Dates: A quota system is in effect for the Mount Whitney Trail from May 1 to Nov. 1. Deadline for the preseason lottery is March 15. Lottery results will be released March 24. The daily maximum is 100 people with day-use permits (midnight to midnight) and 60 with overnight permits.

Cost: The non-refundable application fee is $6. Winners have until April 30 to pay the $15-per-person fee.

The day hike: The round trip from Whitney Portal is 22 miles, with an elevation gain of 6,200 feet to the summit, 14,505 feet. When the trail is free of snow and ice — which, most years, happens by July — no technical gear or expertise is required.

Other options: Dates not filled by the lottery can be reserved online on a first-come, first-served basis starting May 1. Outside of the quota season, permits are still required, but there is no limit.

2021 results: More than 25,000 applications were received, with an average party size of four; 28% of group leaders were approved for a date of their choice.

———

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.