Badger Pass Ski Lodge Rehabilitation

Overview

Since its construction in 1935, Badger Pass Ski Lodge has supported winter recreation at the Badger Pass Ski Area, a site that is historically significant as one of California’s earliest developed downhill ski areas. The original ski lodge building is characteristic of National Park Service (NPS) Rustic architecture with Swiss chalet influences. From 1936 through the 1990s, the original building underwent multiple expansions and modifications to meet the changing needs of the ski industry. Some of the changes implemented after 1953 were not compatible with the original NPS Rustic architecture of the 1935 building. Its location in a high-elevation alpine meadow exposed the lodge to temperature extremes, heavy snow loads, snowmelt runoff, and saturated ground conditions. These environmental stresses, coupled with inadequate site drainage and snow-melt management systems, contributed to structural deterioration of the lodge. In addition, the building did not fully meet current building code standards. Repair and rehabilitation of the ski lodge was necessary to protect its historic integrity, ensure visitor safety, and maintain ski-area visitor services while preserving the natural and cultural resources at the ski area.

In May/June 2010, the park released an environmental assessment analyzing the No Action Alternative and four action alternatives for the rehabilitation of the Badger Pass Ski Lodge. On June 30, 2011, the National Park Service signed a Finding of No Significant Impact identifying Alternative 3 (Rehabilitation and Improvements) as analyzed in the environmental assessment, as the Selected Action.

The Selected Action addressed project requirements while protecting the historic character of the lodge, enhancing building performance, and improving facility operations and levels of visitor service. The existing lodge footprint was maintained with some physical alteration.

The Selected Action:

• Removed a portion of later additions that do not contribute to historic character of the site and reorganize program uses to better accommodate functional needs

• Maintained and strengthened existing features that contribute to the historic character of the site

• Improved accessibility through improved path of travel and other building changes to areas such as the restrooms

• Improved visitor circulation to include an entry plaza, exterior passages, and new orientation and wayfinding mechanisms throughout the lodge

• Maintained all current program functions at the lodge
• Remodeled and reconfigure the west building
• Included other visitor service improvements on the first and second floors of the lodge
• Repaired and replaced systems to improve structural integrity and energy efficiency
• Improved site drainage
• Replaced the temporary nordic and alpine rental facilities with permanent structures

Documents

• Badger Pass Ski Lodge Rehabilitation Plan Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
• Badger Pass Ski Lodge Rehabilitation Plan Environmental Assessment (EA)
• Badger Pass Ski Lodge Rehabilitation FONSI Factsheet [113 kb PDF]
• Badger Pass Ski Lodge Rehabilitation Scoping Report [673 kb PDF]
• Public Scoping Comments 16-30 [4.5 MB PDF]
• Public Scoping Comments 1-15 [3.75 MB PDF]