Looking to enjoy the snow without the throngs of people? Then skip the crowds & spend more time enjoying the great wintry outdoors. It's time to head over to the Badger Pass Ski Area. From downhill skiing to snow tubing, Nordic and every other snow-filled activity you could imagine, it’s your one-stop shop for winter-time family fun.
Many people are unaware of Yosemite's long & exciting past when it comes to winter sports. Since the The Ahwahnee Hotel's opening in 1927, a Swiss-man by the name of Jules Fritsch & his staff led six-day snow excursions from the Hotel to the Tenaya Lodge to bolster the ski school. With the interest in the Olympics growing and Los Angeles being selected for the summer games of 1932, they bid for the winter Olympics to come to Yosemite. While the Olympics didn't come, Yosemite claimed another kind of medal for the history books. Sugar Bowl may tout they have the 1st chairlift in California, but that’s untrue. In fact, this award goes to Yosemite! The 1st lift was installed at Badger Pass.
Badger pass is completely surrounded by natural beauty few other resorts can rival. That's what you get when visiting one of only three ski areas in the country INSIDE a national park. It’s the perfect place for beginners to learn with ten trails providing a good mix of levels – 35% beginner, 50% intermediate and 15% advanced levels. And with 5 lifts, even on the busiest of days you’ve pretty much got the slopes to yourself.
In addition to history and downhill, they also offer up nearly 90 miles of marked trails that leave the Badger Pass Ski Area. Looking for that next big adventure? The 21-mile loop from the resort out to Glacier Point might be a perfect choice. You can even book a spot at the Glacier Point Ski Hut (closed for the 2022-2023 season), cutting the trip into two parts including an overnight stay. If you're traveling light or don’t own a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes, the Nordic Center always has a great selection of gear available to rent. (8:30 am – 4 pm). And for those that just want to play in the snow… a totally “tubular” tubing hill is also available.
From backcountry adventurers to first-timers, you can see there’s a full list of winter fun to be had at Badger Pass Ski Area.
Want to know more about Badger Pass Ski Area? Check some of these links!
https://www.travelyosemite.com/winter/yosemite-ski-snowboard-area/
https://www.yosemite.com/yosemite/yosemite-westbadger-pass/
https://www.tenayalodge.com/things-to-do/winter/yosemite-skiing
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Alex founded localfreshies.com® in 2014 to be the #1 website providing the “local scoop” on where to eat, drink & play in mountain towns throughout North America. When he’s not writing and executing marketing strategies for small businesses & agencies, he’s in search of the deepest snow in the winter and tackiest dirt in the summer.
Alex Silgalis
