Baker Station cabin

High Sierra Institute at Baker Station

About the High Sierra Institute

Far from urban distractions and surrounded by Sierra Nevada backcountry, the High Sierra Institute provides a unique opportunity for California and out-of-state students to study at a location with both natural beauty and ecological diversity. The Institute was established in 2000 via a partnership between the Yosemite Community College District and USDA Forest Service. The Institute is located at Baker Station, a historic California Department of Transportation maintenance station. At 6,200 feet in elevation, HSI operates under a special use permit on the Stanislaus National Forest and occupies a 2.5-acre area accessible to roughly 200,000 acres of high country meadows, forest, ponds and marshes just below Sonora Pass.

The diverse High Sierra Institute courses reflect holistic learning via the integration of academic concepts with place and experience. HSI offers learning experiences that enhance personal connections to place and reinforces the relationship between human culture and the environment surrounding and sustaining it.

The Institute has on-site living spaces for 18 students in the barracks and 15 additional spaces at on-site camp spots. There is a fully-functioning kitchen and a modest bathroom facility with showers. That course participants live together creates a climate of intellectual exchange which builds strong group dynamics and enhances overall learning.

Mission Statement

We create challenges that connect to the natural world through experiential learning in the high Sierra. We transform lives.

Vision Statement

To be the most dynamic learning experience in the Sierra Nevada.

“The Yosemite Community College District's Beyond Tolerance Initiative's purpose is to ensure that our learning and work environment and climate are characterized by inclusiveness, tolerance and respect for all of our students, staff and community.”

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

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