Glacier Point Ski Hut

The Glacier Point Ski Hut is a rustic, winter-only mountain lodge perched at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California. It is one of the most scenic overnight destinations in the Sierra Nevada, overlooking Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and the surrounding High Country. The hut is a commercial hospitality offering within the park, marketed and bookable through the official Yosemite lodging platform operated by Yosemite Hospitality, an Aramark subsidiary, under contract with the National Park Service. The hut is not a conventional hotel. It is reached by a 10.5-mile guided cross-country ski trip along groomed trails through Yosemite's backcountry, a 21-mile round trip that experienced skiers can complete in roughly four to five hours each way. Guests may ski in and out in a single day or extend the adventure with an overnight stay. The accommodations are deliberately simple: a stone-and-log structure with a dining room, comfortable sofas, indoor bathrooms, a woodstove, and a large bunk bed area. Capacity is limited, and reservations are required. Children must be at least 14 years old and accompanied by an adult to stay overnight. The hut operates seasonally, typically from December to March, when snow covers the Glacier Point road and trail network. Outside the winter season, the building is repurposed by its operator as a souvenir shop serving visitors who reach Glacier Point by road. This dual use reflects its role as both a winter backcountry lodge and a summer visitor amenity within one of America's most visited national parks. In recent years the hut's operations have been disrupted by infrastructure constraints. The official Yosemite lodging site announced that the Glacier Point Ski Hut would not open for the 2025-26 season due to a lack of power. During that closure, the Nordic Center at Badger Pass Ski Area was slated to continue operating as usual, offering cross-country ski rentals, lessons, and snowshoeing on the Glacier Point Ski Trail, with alternative lodging available in Yosemite Valley. The closure notice underscores the hut's dependence on remote power and the operational challenges of running hospitality services in a protected alpine environment. As a brand, the Glacier Point Ski Hut is a niche, experience-driven lodging product rather than a mass-market chain. Its identity is tied to place, season, and the guided ski journey required to reach it. It appeals to experienced cross-country skiers and adventure travelers seeking a historic, off-grid overnight in Yosemite's high country.

The Glacier Point Ski Hut is a protected rustic building at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, in Mariposa County, California. It sits at the edge of the Sierra Nevada escarpment above Yosemite Valley, a location long used as a viewpoint and staging area for visitors to the park. The structure is built in a rustic style and is protected within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park, reflecting the architectural and conservation traditions of America's national park system. Yosemite itself has been a protected landscape since the Civil War era, when President Abraham Lincoln signed a grant safeguarding the land, making it one of the first territories preserved for natural splendor and public enjoyment and laying the foundation for America's national parks. Over time the park developed a network of lodges, camps, and visitor facilities, including Wawona Hotel, Curry Village, and Badger Pass Ski Area, to serve the roughly four million visitors drawn each year to hike, climb, camp, bike, and photograph the landscape. Within that system, the Glacier Point Ski Hut occupies a specialized niche: a winter backcountry lodge reachable only by ski or snowshoe. It has a capacity of about 20 skiers and is managed by Aramark, the hospitality contractor that operates Yosemite's lodging and concessions. In the winter season, typically December through March, the hut serves overnight guests who make the 10.5-mile guided cross-country ski trip from Badger Pass along groomed trails, a 21-mile round trip. The accommodations are intentionally rustic, with a dining room, sofas, indoor bathrooms, a woodstove, and a large bunk area. Children must be at least 14 and accompanied by an adult to stay overnight. Outside the winter season, Aramark transforms the building into a souvenir shop, serving the many visitors who reach Glacier Point by road during the snow-free months. This seasonal conversion allows the same structure to function as both a backcountry lodge and a summer retail outlet. In the mid-2020s the hut's operations were interrupted by infrastructure limitations. The official Yosemite lodging website announced that the Glacier Point Ski Hut would not open for the 2025-26 season due to a lack of power. The notice directed winter visitors to the Nordic Center at Badger Pass Ski Area, which was to continue offering cross-country ski rentals, lessons, and snowshoeing on the Glacier Point Ski Trail, and to alternative accommodation in Yosemite Valley. The closure highlighted the logistical difficulty of maintaining power and services at a remote, high-elevation site within a protected national park.

• Glacier Point Ski Hut operates as a winter backcountry lodge with capacity for about 20 skiers, managed by Aramark.

• Off-season conversion of the hut into a souvenir shop by Aramark.

• Announcement that the Glacier Point Ski Hut will not open for the 2025-26 season due to a lack of power.

A rustic, seasonal, experience-led backcountry lodge within Yosemite National Park, marketed as a spectacular-view winter retreat for cross-country skiers.

• Guided cross-country ski trip to Glacier Point

  A 10.5-mile guided cross-country ski trip along groomed trails through Yosemite's backcountry, a 21-mile round trip that experienced skiers can complete in 4 to 5 hours.

• Overnight stay at the ski hut

  Rustic stone-and-log accommodations with a dining room, comfortable sofas, indoor bathrooms, a woodstove, and a large bunk bed area. Children must be at least 14 and accompanied by an adult.

• Souvenir shop (off-season)

  Outside the winter season, Aramark transforms the hut into a souvenir shop.

1. 1Stay at the Ski Hut for the Best Views | Yosemite National Parktravelyosemite.com
2. 2History of Yosemite National Park | Yosemite National Parktravelyosemite.com
3. 3Hotels in Yosemite National Park | Yosemite National Parktravelyosemite.com
4. 4Curry Village History | Yosemite National Parktravelyosemite.com
5. 5Glacier Point Ski Hutwikidata.org
6. 6Refuge de ski Glacier Pointfr.wikipedia.org