Go Skiing at Badger Pass

Badger Pass Ski Area is located on the Glacier Point Road (also known as the Badger Pass Road in winter) five miles (8 km) east of the junction with the Wawona Road (continuation of Highway 41). The base of the ski area is at 7,200 feet (2,200 m). Chains are often required on the roads leading to Badger Pass. Beyond Badger Pass, the Glacier Point Road is closed to car traffic and is groomed for skiing and snowshoeing. Badger Pass is home to the oldest downhill skiing area in California. Following a surge in interest in winter sports, the west’s first ski lift, called an Upski, was built in 1933. The lift looked more like a large multi-person sled pulled by cables, but people were delighted. The historic lodge opened a few years later in 1935. Today, the Badger Pass Ski Area offers downhill skiing and snowboarding from mid-December through March (conditions permitting). The Upski has been replaced with chair lifts, but people still love to relax on the deck of the historic lodge to watch people carving the slopes.