Snow covers Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, Ca. (rodefeld / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rodefeld/ / CC BY 2.0
The National Park Service announced this week a major change in how people access the popular Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, Ca., requiring hikers obtain one of a limited number of access permits.
From the L.A. Times:
The Half Dome day-use permits will only be required on weekends, including Fridays, as well as holidays. Four hundred will be issued per day, with 100 of those to be included in wilderness permits. The permits are required for the use of the trail from the base of the subdome to the summit of Half Dome and include the Half Dome cable route.
The hike has become extremely popular, and crowded. About 84,000 people climbed to the top of Half Dome in 2008. Last summer, daily visitor numbers on peak days were estimated to be 1,100 to 1,200.
This overcrowding on the cables has led to unsafe conditions and long waits. Last year, Manoj Kumar, 40, of San Ramon, Calif., fell to his death from the cables. The following weekend, a woman fell during a rainstorm and sustained serious injury.
The cables are in place because the hike to the crown of Half Dome is vertigo-inducing steep, moving up the granite face.
The permit program is on an “interim” basis starting in May until the park service can draw up a management plan for North Dome. The permits will cost $1.50 and are expected to be popular. Information about how to obtain one can be found below.
A view of the rocky spine of Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointsmedia/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
So is this a good thing? And are we seeing a trend in how the National Park Service manages popular features in our national parks? Shenandoah National Park officials have previously announced plans to implement a reservation system for parking, which could limit access to the popular Old Rag.
Perhaps we should consider the National Park Service’s mission. Does the park service exist to protect our natural wonders and resources or to provide Americans access to these national treasures?
I’d say it’s both, and balancing both missions requires compromise and sacrifice. If only Congress understood those principles, then the federal government might get something done. But I digress …
How restricting access impacts visitation in the national parks remains to be seen. Will people consider alternatives to popular hikes and branch out to other trails? Some might, but I doubt it will be in great numbers. Some of those alternative trails are difficult to reach and strenuous to hike, which is why to begin with they’re less popular. They’ll probably stay that way. Will visitation to Yosemite plummet if instead of 1,000 people only 400 can climb Half Dome? Maybe just a little, but not enough to be shocking.
If such restrictions have minimal impact on visitation while making large strides in increased safety and protection of valuable resources, then the park service is making positive moves to complete its mission.
HOW TO OBTAIN A PERMIT TO HIKE HALF DOME (from the National Park Service):
Who needs a permit to hike to Half Dome?
All people hiking to Half Dome on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays while the cables are up must have a permit. (The cables are usually up from the third weekend in May through Columbus Day, conditions permitting.)Technical rock climbers ascending Half Dome without entering the subdome area do not need a permit to descend the cables.
Backpackers will receive a Half Dome permit with their wilderness permit if their wilderness itinerary includes Half Dome (no additional reservations are necessary). (Wilderness permits are already subject to a quota system.)
How can I obtain a permit to hike Half Dome?
Visit www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvist/hdpermits.htm for details about Half Dome permits.You can obtain a permit to hike Half Dome by visitingwww.recreation.gov or by calling 877/444-6777. (We recommend using the website.) You can get up to four permits per web session or phone call. Each permit has a service fee of $1.50 to cover the cost of the permit system (Yosemite doesn’t receive any money).
Permits are only available in advance and will not be available in Yosemite.
