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Half Dome in December 2026: sunset glow by day

Short answer: On 15 December 2026: Golden then red light on Half Dome from about 16:18 until last light at 16:50. Be at Sentinel Bridge or Glacier Point by 15:48. Every day of December is in the table.

Half Dome's sheer north-west face glows orange and pink at sunset, reflected in the Merced River at Sentinel Bridge. The face only gets the evening sun from spring to autumn, when the sun sets far enough north.

DateLast lightGlowArrive by
Tue 1 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Wed 2 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Thu 3 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Fri 4 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Sat 5 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Sun 6 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Mon 7 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Tue 8 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Wed 9 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Thu 10 Dec16:4916:17–16:4915:47
Fri 11 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Sat 12 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Sun 13 Dec16:4916:18–16:4915:48
Mon 14 Dec16:5016:18–16:5015:48
Tue 15 Dec16:5016:18–16:5015:48
Wed 16 Dec16:5016:19–16:5015:49
Thu 17 Dec16:5116:19–16:5115:49
Fri 18 Dec16:5116:19–16:5115:49
Sat 19 Dec16:5216:20–16:5215:50
Sun 20 Dec16:5216:20–16:5215:50
Mon 21 Dec16:5316:21–16:5315:51
Tue 22 Dec16:5316:21–16:5315:51
Wed 23 Dec16:5416:22–16:5415:52
Thu 24 Dec16:5416:23–16:5415:53
Fri 25 Dec16:5516:23–16:5515:53
Sat 26 Dec16:5516:24–16:5515:54
Sun 27 Dec16:5616:24–16:5615:54
Mon 28 Dec16:5716:25–16:5715:55
Tue 29 Dec16:5716:26–16:5715:56
Wed 30 Dec16:5816:27–16:5815:57
Thu 31 Dec16:5916:27–16:5915:57

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Questions

What time is the sunset glow on Half Dome in December 2026?

On 15 December 2026: Golden then red light on Half Dome from about 16:18 until last light at 16:50. Be at Sentinel Bridge or Glacier Point by 15:48. Every day of December is in the table.