The Story of Sierra Sky Ranch
150 Years of Shelter in the Sierra
Sierra Sky Ranch sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Oakhurst, 12 miles below Yosemite’s South Entrance, and it has been standing since 1875. Over 150 years, it has been a cattle ranch, a supply stop for loggers heading into the hills, and eventually a guest lodge. Every time the region changed, the place adapted. What stayed constant was the function: taking people in.
From Working Ranch to Mountain Outpost
The ranch started as a cattle operation in the 1870s. This stretch of the Sierra Nevada foothills was working country — cattle moving through, loggers heading up toward the Sugar Pine and Soquel camps, supply stops strung along the route. The property was one of them. Not a destination then. A place you passed through and were glad existed.
The original ranch house went up in 1875. The beamed ceilings and stone fireplaces that guests sit near today are the same ones that were here when this land was being worked for cattle and timber.
The Middle Years
The ranching era quieted as the 20th century got going, and the property shifted with the times. What can be said with confidence: at some point in the 20th century, the working ranch became a lodge. The quiet, the cool evenings, the Sierra air — those were the draw then, same as now.
The Ranch Today
The 30-acre property still centers on the original Ranch House, with the Guest House added behind it. 28 rooms total. The beamed ceilings and stone fireplaces in the Great Room are original. The rooms have been updated — modern bathrooms, reliable WiFi, individually controlled heat and air — but the structure is the same structure.
Most guests stay one or two nights. They come to use the ranch as a base for Yosemite, heading north on Highway 41 in the morning and back in the evening. The Great Lawn sits out front. Wild turkeys cross it most mornings. Deer show up most evenings. The fire pit is lit after dark.
Continental breakfast is included — coffee, fruit, muffins, bagels, juice, served 7 to 9am. Not elaborate. Enough to get you up the mountain.
Weddings, Gatherings & Local Exploring
The property hosts weddings on the Yosemite Lawn. The Great Room, with its stone fireplaces and original beams, is available for events. The library is at the end of the hall — books, board games, a quiet place to land after a day in the park.
Oakhurst’s shopping centers are four miles south. El Cid and Oakhurst Grill are both a short drive for dinner. Bass Lake is four miles in the other direction.
The South Entrance to Yosemite is 12 miles north. About 20 minutes on Highway 41.
Experience Sierra Sky Ranch
If you’d like to see the place for yourself, visit sierraskyranch.com.