Everything first-time visitors ask about Badger Pass — lift tickets, lessons, rentals, parking, road conditions, and the rest.
Badger Pass Ski Area sits inside Yosemite National Park, eight miles up Glacier Point Road from the Wawona Road (Highway 41). GPS coordinates: 37.662° N, -119.663° W. Elevation 7,200 ft at the base.
Adult lift tickets are $79/day for all lifts. Kids 7-12 are $59.50. Kids 6 and under ski free. There's no surge pricing on weekends or holidays. A half-day all-lifts ticket and lower-lifts-only tickets are also available.
Booking online locks in your spot but the prices on this site match what you'd pay at the window. The advantage is that you skip the morning ticket line and (during busy days) ensure availability — Badger Pass occasionally sells out for lessons and rentals on holiday weekends.
Yes. Kids age 6 and under ski free at Badger Pass — no other major California ski resort matches this. There's no ticket to buy at the window either; just bring the kid.
No. Badger Pass operates entirely on natural snow. In low-snow years the resort may delay opening or cancel the season entirely (this happened in 2024-25 and 2020-21). Check the snow report before booking long-lead trips.
The season typically runs from mid-to-late December through late March, conditions permitting. The resort is open Wednesday through Sunday during the main season — closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Holiday weeks (Christmas, Presidents' Day) usually run all seven days.
The free Badger Pass shuttle runs daily from Yosemite Valley Lodge, the Ahwahnee, and Curry Village. Anyone with a lift ticket, lesson, or rental booking can ride free. See our shuttle page for the current schedule.
Glacier Point Road is plowed daily during ski season. Tire chains may be required (R1, R2, or rarely R3 — see our chain guide). The 8-mile climb is winding but well-maintained. Drive carefully and call the snow phone (209-372-8430) the morning of your visit.
Yes. Yosemite charges its standard park entrance fee for all vehicles entering the park, regardless of purpose. As of recent rates, that's about $35 per vehicle for 7 days, or you can use an America the Beautiful annual pass.
No. There's no hotel, no slopeside lodge, no on-mountain rooms. The closest lodging is Yosemite West (8 miles), then Wawona (17 miles), then the Yosemite Valley lodges (21 miles).
Yes — Badger Pass is, by a wide margin, the most beginner-friendly destination ski resort in California. 35% of terrain is rated beginner. The Master the Slopes program is the flagship learn-to-ski package, with the guarantee that the resort will keep working with you until you can ski independent green runs. Intro to Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding is the standard first-time package.
Yes. Badger Pups is the program for 4-6 year olds — group lessons designed for the youngest skiers. For under-4, there's no formal program; many families bring a sled and use the Magic Carpet area for sledding while the older kids take lessons.
Yes. Ski and snowboard equipment rentals are available at the base lodge — full-day or half-day packages, with helmets available as an add-on. Cross-country and snowshoe rentals are also offered at the Nordic Center.
Yes. The Badger Pass season pass is available — it's the best deal for anyone who'll visit five or more days in a season. Pricing varies by year; call the resort for current details and availability.
Badger Pass is also the trailhead for Yosemite's Nordic Center operations — 90 miles of marked trails, cross-country and snowshoe rentals, guided tours including the iconic Dewey Point hike, and overnight backcountry trips to historic ski huts.
The base lodge has a cafeteria — sandwiches, soup, pizza, snacks. Reasonable quality and pricing for an on-mountain restaurant. See our restaurants page for off-mountain dining.
Badger Pass sits between 7,200 and 8,000 feet. Most healthy adults notice no significant altitude effects. Kids and anyone coming from sea level should drink extra water and watch for early signs of altitude (headache, fatigue). The base lodge has plenty of water fountains.
Far less crowded than Tahoe or Mammoth, even on peak weekends. Lift lines at Badger Pass on a busy Saturday tend to be 5-10 minutes at most. The capacity of the mountain is finite, so it doesn't sell beyond comfortable carrying capacity.