The four basecamps
Badger Pass sits inside Yosemite National Park on Glacier Point Road, eight winding miles up from the Wawona Road. There's no lodge, no slopeside hotel, no village. The four practical basecamps are, in order of proximity:
Yosemite West
The closest place you can sleep that's still inside the park boundary. A residential community of privately-owned cabins and homes, most available as vacation rentals. No restaurants, no shops — bring groceries. The fastest morning commute to the ski hill.
Yosemite West Guide →Wawona
The historic Wawona Hotel (1879) and surrounding cabins. Old California park lodge atmosphere — wood floors, fireplaces, a sitting porch. Has a restaurant and a small store. Less convenient than Yosemite West but with more character.
Wawona Guide →Yosemite Valley
The full Yosemite Valley lodging experience: Yosemite Valley Lodge, the historic Ahwahnee, and Curry Village (open seasonally in winter). The free Badger Pass shuttle runs daily from all three. Best for combining a ski trip with Valley sightseeing.
Yosemite Valley Lodging →Oakhurst / Fish Camp
Outside the south entrance of the park. The Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp is the premium option (a destination resort in its own right). Oakhurst has chain hotels at lower price points. Slightly longer drive, but more lodging variety and a wider range of off-mountain dining.
Compare Vacation Rentals →Which one fits your trip
| If you want… | Stay at |
|---|---|
| The shortest morning drive to the slope | Yosemite West |
| The most historic, atmospheric lodge | Wawona Hotel |
| To ski Badger and sightsee in the Valley | Yosemite Valley Lodge |
| Premium destination-resort experience | Tenaya Lodge (Fish Camp) |
| Group / family / kitchen access | Yosemite West vacation rental |
| To use the free shuttle and skip the drive | Yosemite Valley (any of three lodges) |
| Lowest budget option | Oakhurst chain hotels |
Booking through us
We're an independent guide to Badger Pass — we don't operate lodging or own the hotels. The deep-dive lodging pages linked above describe each option honestly, and where it makes sense we link to the booking platforms we've found most reliable for park-adjacent lodging.
Booking timeline
Yosemite West vacation rentals book up first — start there 2-3 months ahead for weekends, 1 month for weekdays. Wawona Hotel and the Ahwahnee fill quickly on holiday weekends but usually have weekday availability inside 2 weeks. Yosemite Valley Lodge has the most rooms and typically the most flexibility on short notice.