To hike Half Dome, the trail is about 14 to 16 miles long and features elevation gains totaling 4,800 feet (for reference, the elevation gain on the Mist Trail is between 1,000 and 2,000 feet ...

with about 50,000 of those attempting to hike Half Dome. Over the years, there have been more than 20 deaths on the Half Dome itself, and another 40 on the trail leading up to it.