Ostrander Ski Hut

Yes, reservations are limited to 15 people. Group sizes for wilderness travel are also limited to 15 people. Please do not travel to or from the Hut in a group larger than 15.

Yes! Please email us at [email protected] and we will add you to the Ostrander Ski Hut waitlist. If space becomes available and you are at the top of the waitlist, we will call you. If you don’t answer, we will call the next person on the waitlist and so on until the space is filled.

If you were not able to get a reservation, you can also join the Ostrander Ski Hut Swap & Sell Facebook group to see if anyone is selling their reservation.

Yes! If you can’t make your trip, please email us at [email protected]. Please include the person’s full name, email address and contact phone number and we will transfer your reservation.

If you are no longer able to make your reservation, you can also join the Ostrander Ski Hut Swap & Sell Facebook group to try to sell your reservation.

Reservations to Ostrander Ski Hut are non-refundable. If you are unable to make your trip, you may modify your trip dates (subject to availability), transfer your reservation to an alternate trip leader, or use the Ostrander Ski Hut Swap and Sell Facebook group to try to swap or sell your reservation. We do not provide refunds for lack of snow or inclement weather.

If the Wawona Road (Hwy 41) is closed and the trailhead is inaccessible, reservation holders will be notified and given the option to reschedule for another date in the season if space allows or to be refunded. The 3.5% transaction fee is non-refundable.

If the Wawona Road (Hwy 41) is closed and the trailhead is inaccessible, reservation holders will be notified and given the option to reschedule for another date in the season if space allows or to be refunded. The 3.5% transaction fee is non-refundable. For current road conditions, please call 209-372-0200 and select 1 and then 1.

If the road closes, we will endeavor to contact all impacted reservation holders immediately. However, a storm may close the road at any time with little or no warning.

Your reservation is valid whenever the Hut is open. If the Hut is open but the Badger Pass Road is closed, the Hut is accessible beginning at the Chinquapin trailhead at the junction of Glacier Point Road and Wawona Road (Hwy 41). This alternate start adds approximately 1,300 feet of elevation gain and 2.5 miles—each way—to your trip. Anticipate this extra challenge adding 2 to 3 hours or more to your total travel time to the hut. Only very experienced skiers should consider this a viable alternative to starting from Badger Pass.

Yes! You must obtain a free wilderness permit from the Badger Pass Ranger Station (A-Frame). The A-Frame opens every day at 8 am. 24-hour self-registration is available when the A-Frame is not staffed. The ranger who issues your permit will have information on current route conditions and answers to other questions you may have. Be sure your wilderness permit is in hand when you are headed to the hut. If you are contacted by a ranger and you do not have a wilderness permit, you will be turned around back to the A-Frame to get one.

All routes to the Hut are at least 10 miles long and arduous. Snowshoeing is not recommended. Snowshoers must remain on the outside edge of the Glacier Point Road and avoid all ski tracks on the way to the hut. DO NOT TRAVEL ON FOOT WITHOUT SKIS OR SNOWSHOES TO THE OSTRANDER SKI HUT! Walking to the Ostrander Ski Hut without winter travel equipment creates postholes which are hazardous to the person walking, skiers, and other winter travelers. Please keep your safety and the safety of other wilderness users and first responders in mind when making your travel plans.

Ski rentals are available when the Nordic Center is open. Climbing skins are not available for rent and are strongly recommended. You will need to bring your own climbing skins or purchase them and cut them to size yourself. This service is not available at the Nordic Center.

Ostrander Ski Hut is a wilderness experience, and it is important to be prepared for a night in the wilderness. All routes to the Hut are long and arduous, and many unexpected situations may arise—such as a sudden storm, illness, or injury—that result in your group being delayed. Search and Rescue efforts may be impossible or take many hours to mobilize depending on the situation. Carrying overnight gear can make the difference in surviving the night. You must be self-reliant and prepared for an unplanned night alone in the winter wilderness.

Overnight parking is available at the Badger Pass Ski Area. The rangers who issue your wilderness permit will also give you a parking permit with specific instructions for overnight use. Follow their directions. If the ranger station is not staffed, the Wilderness Permit Self-Registration Information Board to the left of the permits clearly shows where you should be parked and how to fill out your parking permit. If your vehicle does not have a parking permit and is parked in the wrong location, your vehicle will be ticketed and possibly towed.

For travelers beginning from Chinquapin: Overnight parking is at the trailhead, on the south side of the junction of Glacier Point Road and Wawona Road (Hwy 41). Parking here is limited; minimize your vehicle footprint and park smart! Park beside the bathrooms. Do not park anywhere that may interfere with snow removal equipment or your vehicle may be ticketed and towed.

A visit to Ostrander Ski Hut is a wilderness experience. As with all wilderness experiences in Yosemite National Park, it is important to plan a trip that is suited to your interest, timeframe, and ability. A good planning process is essential for your safety and success. There is no easy way to the Hut. All routes are at least 10 miles from Badger Pass and require considerable stamina and cross-country ski experience. Winter route markers may be damaged or obscured by wind or snow, requiring advanced navigation skills. Carrying a GPS and/or map and compass is recommended.

If you start from Badger Pass and ski the Horizon Ridge or Bridalveil Creek routes, you are on the groomed Glacier Point Road for about the first half your journey. This is the easiest skiing of the trip and no indication of how difficult it becomes. Bridalveil Creek is longer and less steep than Horizon Ridge but has many creek crossings, making it especially hazardous if it has been raining above 7,000 feet elevation. Following a storm, Horizon Ridge is more likely to have a broken ski trail than Bridalveil Creek. Merced Crest is a much more remote and difficult route to follow, and the terrain has more climbing and dropping. The Merced Crest route is suited to very experienced skiers only.

If all the above does not sound challenging enough, it is also possible to start from the Chinquapin trailhead along Wawona Road. The Chinquapin trailhead is accessible year-round and offers an alternative route to reach the Hut when Badger Pass Road is closed. This 2.5-mile segment begins at the junction of Glacier Point Road and Wawona Road (Hwy 41) at 6,000 feet elevation and climbs nearly 1,300 feet before arriving at Badger Pass Ranger Station. This extra challenge may add 2 to 3 hours or more to your total travel time to the Hut. Only very experienced skiers should attempt this trip.

A map of all the Glacier Point Road winter routes is available here.

This weather map will direct you to the National Weather Service forecasts for the different regions in Yosemite. Remember, especially in winter, conditions can vary greatly depending on the elevation you are visiting. It may be sunny and in the 50’s on the Yosemite Valley floor and blizzarding and below freezing at Ostrander. Be sure to check the forecast specific to the area and elevation you are planning to visit.

Neither Yosemite Conservancy nor our hutkeepers provide avalanche forecasting. Please refer to the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC) and the Bridgeport Avalanche Center for the avalanche advisories for this part of the Sierra Nevada.  

If you are not trained in avalanche avoidance and rescue, stay out of avalanche terrain.

Early! We recommend arriving to the Badger Pass Ranger Station by 8 am to set your group up for success. Leaving the Badger Pass Ranger Station after 10 am significantly increases your chances of skiing in the dark or having to stop and camp on the way.

There are 25 bunk style beds with mattresses. There is a common kitchen with propane burners and some basic kitchenware, two toilets, solar-powered evening lights (no electricity), and a woodstove for heat. There are many books, games, and decks of cards for entertainment. Guests must provide their own food, water filter, sleeping bag, and personal gear.

Connectivity is extremely limited and should not be relied upon. There is a radio at the Hut to notify park dispatch in case of emergency.

Yes, a hutkeeper is present at the Hut whenever the Hut is open.

Learn more about one of our hutkeepers.

Water is retrieved from a hole that is cut into the ice at Ostrander Lake. Guests are expected to help haul buckets of water from the lake for all to use. We recommend filtering water fetched from the lake.

Whilst we love your four-legged friends, Ostrander Ski Hut is located deep in the Yosemite Wilderness and pets are not allowed. Please leave your pets at home.

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