Ostrander Lake is located in
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...
, approximately south of
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Hal ...
and east of the Badger Pass Ski Area, at an elevation of . The lake is a popular destination for
cross-country skiers during the winter. It is the primary source of Bridalveil Creek, which feeds
Bridalveil Falls.
Hiking Trail
The hike to Ostrander Lake is a long and strenuous out and back hike starting from the trailhead located just after
Bridalveil Creek
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...
on the
Glacier Point
Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley in the U.S. state of California. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of , above Curry Village. The point offers a superb view of several of Yosemite National Park' ...
road. This hike requires a Backcountry Permit, if staying overnight,available at the Wilderness Center in
Yosemite Village. The hike begins with a fairly level path through an extensive burned over and regrowth area, with both shaded and sunny areas. The second half of the hike climbs, steep at times, over in elevation in about 3 miles. Portions of the 4th and 5th miles are not shady and can make for warm hiking on summer afternoons. Hikers will have a nice view of
Clark Range before dropping down to the north shore of the lake. Several excellent campsites can be found on the west side of the lake, particularly on the benches overlooking the rocky ridge that forms the eastern shore backdrop. Fishing is fair for 10-12" rainbow trout. In the summer, the lake is a great backpacking destination because the ski hut is unoccupied but its presence keeps away the hordes of hikers looking for a "wilderness" destination.
The lake is named for a descendant of Alexander Ostrander (1783) of Smithfield NY. This branch of Ostrander family settled in Colorado (Georgetown, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Golden) prior to 1872, and some moved from Colorado to California.
The Ostrander Ski Hut
The ''Ostrander Ski Hut'' is a two-story stone structure built in 1941 by the
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
specifically for cross-country skiers. It was intended to be part of a larger system of winter trails and huts along the Sierra Crest that never were developed.
The hut sits in a small
glacial cirque
A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...
at the edge of Ostrander Lake. Very basic overnight accommodations and cooking facilities are available at the hut. It sleeps 25 people and has bunks, mattresses, wood stove, a kitchen with a gas stove for cooking and assorted pots and pans available for the visitor's use. Drinking and wash water is hauled from the lake in buckets; treatment is the individual visitor's responsibility. Light is from solar powered lights.
In winter, when the Glacier Point Road is closed at Badger Pass Ski area, the trail to Ostrander Ski Hut is ten miles one way. The trip is not for novices. The hut is operated by the Yosemite Conservancy, a non-profit educational organization in Yosemite National Park. It is staffed with a hutmaster during the winter months.
See also
*
List of lakes in California
There are more than 3,000 named lakes, reservoirs, and dry lakes in the U.S. state of California.
Largest lakes
In terms of area covered, the largest lake in California is the Salton Sea, a lake formed in 1905 which is now saline. It occupie ...
References
{{Yosemite National Park
Lakes of Mariposa County, California
Lakes of Yosemite National Park