( CNN ) -- Yosemite National Park has closed its famous Half Dome as a 4,532-acre wildfire burned nearly uncontrollably Wednesday , officials said . The park in California remains open to the public , who may be able to see heavy smoke in the morning , which clears by afternoon , said Scott Gediman , a National Park Service spokesman at Yosemite . The fire grew from 700 acres on Monday . `` Except for some smoke , it 's really not affecting people 's visits , '' Gediman said . `` Hiking trails are still open , camp grounds are full , and it 's still a great time to visit Yosemite . '' Several hiking trails remained closed , and the park service was n't issuing its usual 300 permits a day to hikers seeking to climb Half Dome , Gediman said . Officials are working to reopen Half Dome in `` a couple of days , '' he said . The so-called Meadow Fire began July 19 because of `` hot shot fires '' caused by lighting , Gediman said . As of Wednesday , firefighters contained only 10 % of the fire , he said . Sharlene Simonson , 24 , a photography student at the City College in San Francisco , was on top of Sentinel Dome with her family on Saturday , and they saw a small line of smoke wafting near Half Dome , she said Wednesday . They then witnessed the fire engulf Half Dome on Sunday , she said . `` Seeing the plume of smoke the next day completely overpower the glory of Half Dome put us in complete awe at its extending reach , '' said Simonson , who posted photos of the fire on her CNN iReport page . The park service hopes to have the peak reopened in the next couple of days , Gediman said . On Sunday , the rapid spread of the fire caused nearly 100 hikers and backpackers to be evacuated from the park , and an additional 85 hikers and climbers were evacuated by helicopter from the summit of Half Dome , the park service said . Gediman wants park-goers and prospective campers to know that Yosemite remains open and that most of the areas that people come to visit are still functioning . `` I feel confident the fire activity is diminishing , '' he said . The fire is within Little Yosemite Valley between Half Dome and Mount Starr King on both sides of the Merced River , the park service said . What to know about wildfires .
The rest of Yosemite National Park remains opens to campers and visitors . Officials hope to reopen Half Dome in a couple of days . `` It 's still a great time to visit Yosemite , '' spokesman says . Score: 6