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.

If the Badger Pass Road is closed and the Hut is inaccessible, impacted reservations 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.

Yes! You must obtain a free wilderness permit from the Badger Pass A-Frame before you embark on your trip. Wilderness Permits are available at the Badger Pass Ranger Station A-frame. The A-frame is staffed 7 days/week from 8AM-4PM. Self-registration is available after-hours. The ranger who issues you your permit will give you information on current trail conditions to set you up for success. If you are contacted by a ranger on your way to the Hut 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 that of other wilderness users and first responders, in mind when making your travel plans.

Ski rentals are available from the Nordic Center. However, climbing skins are not available for rent and they 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.

All routes to the Hut are long and arduous and it is important that you are prepared to spend a night in the wilderness enroute to or from the Hut. Ostrander Ski Hut is a wilderness experience and carrying overnight gear can be the difference between surviving the night. Many unexpected situations may arise, such as a sudden storm, illness, or injury, that may result in your group being delayed. A rescue is not always immediately possible – you must be self-reliant and prepared for an unplanned night alone in the winter wilderness.

You must obtain a parking permit from the Badger Pass A-Frame when you pick up your Wilderness Permit. Specific parking directions for overnight users are outlined on 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 may be towed.

Ostrander Ski Hut is a wilderness experience. As with all wilderness experiences in Yosemite National Park, it is important to find the right experience for your interests, timeframe, and abilities. A good planning process will enhance your understanding of the park and your safety. All routes to the Hut are at least 10 miles from Badger Pass and require considerable stamina and cross-country ski experience. All trails to the Hut are marked but wind and snow can make trail markers hard to see. Carrying a GPS and/or a map and compass is recommended. 

If you ski Horizon Ridge or Bridalveil Creek trails, you will start on the groomed Glacier Point Road for about the first half of the distance to the hut. This is the easiest skiing of the trip and is no indication of how difficult the trip becomes. Bridalveil Trail is longer and less steep than Horizon but has many creek crossings making it an unsafe choice if it has been raining above 7,000 feet elevation. Merced Crest is a much more remote and difficult route to follow, and the terrain has more climbing and dropping. This route is for very experienced skiers only. 

A map of all the Glacier Point Road winter trails is found 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.

An early start is important. Leaving after 10am 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.

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.

There are lots of ways to support Yosemite! You can always make a gift to the Conservancy online or set up a monthly donation in just a few clicks. For even more ways to give back to your park, check out all the options listed here.