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Half Dome vs Mt. Whitney
Half Dome or Whitney — which California classic?
Half Dome and Whitney are California’s two most searched “bucket list” day objectives. Half Dome is a Yosemite cables scramble when the cables are up — lottery-heavy and shorter in mileage than Whitney but more exposure on the final pitch. Whitney is higher, longer, and regulated through the Whitney Portal corridor. Both need advance planning; neither is a casual walk.
As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.
How do the catalog numbers compare?
| Metric | Half Dome | Mt. Whitney |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 8,840 ft | 14,495 ft |
| Prominence | 1,363 ft | 10,078 ft |
| Difficulty tier | Scramble | Day hike |
| Best season | Late May–early Oct (cables up) | Jul–Sep |
| Permits | Permit required | Permit required |
| Staging | Yosemite Valley · 3.2 mi | Lone Pine · 13 mi |
| Mapped lodging | None mapped | 3 OSM places |
| Listed trails | 2 | 2 |
When should you pick each peak?
Choose Half Dome
Pick Half Dome for Yosemite granite, cables-season drama, and a strenuous scramble day when you hold a cables permit.
Choose Mt. Whitney
Pick Whitney for the Contiguous U.S. high point, longer trail mileage, and Inyo / Portal permit logistics.
What’s the short verdict?
Half Dome is the iconic Yosemite cables day; Whitney is the higher, longer Sierra objective.