The preseason lottery for permits to hike to the summit of Half Dome is set to open March 13/NPS file

On March 13 you'll be able to enter the preseason lottery for permits to hike Half Dome at Yosemite National Park this summer. 

On that day the lottery window is scheduled to open at 7 a.m. PDT. For the latest information on the Half Dome preseason lottery, visit this page. 

All hikers are required to have permits to ascend the subdome steps and the Half Dome cables seven days a week when the cables are up. Park rangers install the Half Dome cables each spring and take them down each fall, based on weather and trail conditions. The cables are typically up from late May to early October. 

All day-use hiking permits are distributed by lottery via Recreation.gov, with the preseason lottery in the spring and daily lotteries during the hiking season. During the preseason lottery, 225 permits are available for each day that the cables are up. To include Half Dome as part of an overnight wilderness trip, visit this page. 

All visitors planning to apply for permits to climb the Half Dome Cables are strongly encouraged to thoroughly read all information posted on Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome page and the “Cables on Half Dome” page managed by Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/permits/234652, as there have been some changes to the application process. The most accurate information will be posted on both the Yosemite National Park webpage and on Recreation.gov.