A hiker fell to her death in Yosemite National Park while climbing to the top of the iconic granite cliffs of Half Dome.

Danielle Burnett, 29, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was scaling the steepest part of the trail Thursday when she fell more than 500ft down the rocky terrain, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

Burnett was dead when Park Rangers arrived on the scene, Gediman said.

Danielle Burnett, 29, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was scaling the steepest part of the trail Thursday when she fell more than 500ft down the rocky terrain, Park spokesman Scott Gediman said

Burnett, pictured, was dead when Park Rangers arrived on the scene, Gediman said

Rangers install the cables to assist the climbs of thousands of hikers who make the popular 14-mile round trip to the top of the 8,800-foot rock face.

Gediman says the incident remains under investigation.

Half dome, which rises nearly 4,800 feet above Yosemite Valley, is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the national park.

It's so popular in fact that the park service requires a permit to hike it during prime season. Permits to hike the 400-foot cable section, with 50 available each day by lottery.

Rangers install the cables to assist the climbs of thousands of hikers who make the popular 14-mile round trip to the top of the 8,800-foot rock face. Gediman says the incident remains under investigation

The climb is so popular in fact that the park service requires a permit to hike it during prime season. Permits to hike the 400-foot cable section, with 50 available each day by lottery

Two metal cables allow hikers to climb the last 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment.

This is the ninth death to occur on the cables since they were erected in 1919.

According to recreation.gov: 'The cables are not the only difficult part of the hike, which is 14 to 16 miles round-trip and gains 4,800 feet.

If you're planning to hike Half Dome, you should be in good physical condition... It takes most people 10 to 12 hours to hike to Half Dome and back.'