The Mist Trail Corridor in Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular in the park, with 85,000 taking to these trails every year. Now, the National Park Service is looking for input on how they can improve the safety, signage, environmental stewardship and educational resources in the corridor to support more sustainable visitor use.
The project scope includes the highly popular Mist Trail, parts of the John Muir Trail and the famous Half Dome cables, among others.
Visitors to the park are more likely to die on the hike to Half Dome than any other area of the park, with over 25 accidental deaths on Half Dome’s main peak, cable section and summit, along with an estimated 20-40 deaths on the Mist Trail section of the hike.
The most recent fatality on Half Dome occurred this past summer when Grace Rohloff lost her footing on the cable system during a rain storm. She fell roughly 200 feet down the mountain.
Her father, Jonathan Rohloff, who was hiking with her at the time, has since been advocating for safety improvements to the cables.
But changes like this don’t happen overnight.
The 30-day public comment period is open from October 24 to November 23, 2024. During this time, anyone can provide input on what they hope to see for the future of this trail area.
A virtual public meeting on November 13, 2024, will offer an opportunity to review the planning process and discuss objectives. Insights from this initial phase will help shape project alternatives and provide crucial information for progress.
After the public comment period, the park will complete an Environmental Assessment and hold another public comment period on their findings. Their Record of Decision will be released winter 2025.
While trail improvements are still likely years away, the park is committed to improving accessibility and safety in the Mist Trail Corridor.
How to Comment
The park has provided links to a newsletter, a story map and other materials to help commenters learn about the park, the planning process and the issues that this plan is designed to address.
Submit comments online. This preliminary comment period closes on November 23, 2024.
Potential Opportunities to Enhance the Mist Trail Corridor
- Share your experiences and challenges related to safely accessing and navigating the Mist Trail Corridor.
- This may involve aspects such as trail orientation, trip planning and expectations, shuttle services, parking availability, and the route from Happy Isles to the Half Dome Cables.
- What improvements could enhance the visitor experience along the Mist Trail Corridor?
- These enhancements might include on-site orientation, amenities, wayfinding, or tools for trip planning.
- Share what you value about this area and what you think the park needs to preserve and protect.
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