Cabins, homes & private rentals

Vacation Rentals Near Badger Pass

For families, groups, and longer stays, a vacation rental usually beats a hotel room — kitchens, hot tubs, room to spread out, and a price-per-person that drops sharply as the group grows. Here's how the regions compare.

The three vacation-rental regions

Yosemite West (inside the park)

The closest vacation-rental community to Badger Pass — 8 miles, 15-minute drive. Privately-owned cabins and homes ranging from 1-bedroom A-frames to 6-bedroom houses. Almost all have kitchens, many have hot tubs, fireplaces, and ski-gear storage. No nearby restaurants or stores — bring everything.

Full Yosemite West guide →

Wawona area cabins (inside the park)

Privately-owned cabins clustered around the Wawona Hotel area — 17 miles from Badger Pass, about 25-minute drive. Slightly less convenient than Yosemite West but with the Wawona dining room and small market nearby. A good balance of remote-cabin character and basic services.

Outside the park: Fish Camp, Oakhurst, North Fork

Vacation rentals outside the south entrance of the park. Drives to Badger Pass range from 45 minutes (Fish Camp) to 75-90 minutes (the towns down toward Highway 49). The trade: significantly more rental inventory, more dining options, and lower nightly rates — at the cost of a longer commute.

Choosing a rental

  • Confirm winter access. Some private cabins close access roads in winter or require chains to reach. Ask the host before booking.
  • Heat type matters. Wood stoves are atmospheric but require effort. Forced-air propane heat is reliable. Electric baseboards are slow to warm a cold cabin.
  • Wi-Fi reality check. Listings tend to overstate connection quality. If you need to work remotely, ask for a Speedtest screenshot.
  • Hot tub timing. Hot tubs at high elevation take 24+ hours to heat from cold. Many hosts pre-heat for arrival — confirm this is happening.
  • Driveway snow. Some properties don't include snow removal. Ask whether the driveway is plowed before your arrival.

Booking platforms

Vrbo and Airbnb cover the bulk of the rental inventory. Booking.com lists a smaller selection. A handful of local Yosemite-area property management companies have inventory not on the major platforms — useful for last-minute searches when the big sites show no availability.

When to book

Winter weekend rentals at Yosemite West go fastest — book 2-3 months ahead for prime weekends, 4-6 weeks ahead for shoulder weekends. Wawona and outside-park rentals typically have more availability inside 2 weeks.

Got the rental locked in? Lock in your lift ticket.

View Lift Tickets →