A number of the earliest opening days in years had Pacific Northwestern skiers and snowboarders rejoicing even earlier than that they had downed their turkey dinner. Snow lovers gave loads of thanks for a La Niña winter off to a particularly good begin, which is able to hopefully bode nicely for a protracted season forward.
Snowy locations sprawl throughout the Cascade backbone, with slopes for skiers, snowboarders and each form of winter-sport fanatic from Oregon to British Columbia. (Whistler Blackcomb in Canada’s Coast Vary will get honorary Cascadian standing for this listing.)
Notice that many ski areas promote carry tickets with a dynamic or fluctuating pricing scheme. Value ranges are correct for on-line ticket buy as of press time. Purchase on-line prematurely for lowest costs. Raise tickets usually price extra on the ticket window and a few ski areas don’t promote walk-up tickets on peak days.
Do your homework, then head out this winter and pattern the wonderful ski choices reachable from Seattle on a day or weekend journey. However how to decide on? See under for recommendations that cowl each potential state of affairs from no-frills powder to vacation spot trip.
For Ikon Move resort aspirations: Crystal Mountain
33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd., Enumclaw; 833-279 7895; crystalmountainresort.com
Washington’s largest ski space and solely limitless Ikon Move consultant is a spot the place you’ll be able to ogle Mount Rainier up shut, take pleasure in après-ski on an out of doors patio, tie one on on the Snorting Elk Cellar and keep in a single day to do all of it once more tomorrow. With its highest level cresting 7,000 ft, Crystal has intensive above-tree-line terrain, one other rarity amongst Cascade ski areas, and wins arms down for sheer selection. Whereas it has a popularity as a skier’s mountain, snowboarders discover loads to like as nicely. As a dead-end street reasonably than a mountain cross, the drive is much less liable to avalanche closures than Snoqualmie or Stevens, however the higher mountain additionally suffers from wind holds. With all of the bells and whistles, plus an ongoing capital plan that resulted in a brand new day lodge this season and a doable new resort on the horizon, Crystal is priced accordingly.
Distance from Seattle: 85 miles (roughly 2 hours)
Raise tickets: $89-$189 for adults; $42-$89 for ages 5-12; $81-$172 for ages 13-22; $42-$89 for ages 70-plus
Vertical rise: 2,612 ft
Skiable space: 2,600 acres
Night time snowboarding: Open weekends and holidays solely
Getting there: Crystal Mountain Street is a two-lane street with curves and a few publicity. Chains typically not required however needs to be carried. Resort runs free shuttles from parking heaps to base space. Free coach bus on weekends and holidays from Enumclaw Expo Heart beginning Dec. 21 by mid-March; reservations required. Parking is $10 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; reservations required. Free with legitimate season cross or carry ticket.
Offers/particular pricing: $62 tickets on second Tuesday of each month. Children 12 and below ski free Dec. 7-13 and all of April. Cheaper tickets out there for afternoon and evening snowboarding solely (beginning at 1 p.m.) and newbie carry solely. Three-day Wild Playing cards legitimate on nonblackout days are $329; midweek just for $249. Folks 80 and older ski free. Go to crystalmountainresort.com/plan-your-trip/special-offers for particulars.
Problem degree: Restricted newbie choices, ample intermediate runs, a great deal of skilled terrain, from bowls to chutes to timber.
Adaptive program: No
For Indy Move desert powder: Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort
7500 Mission Ridge Street, Wenatchee; 509-663-6543; missionridge.com
For the attract of drier, lighter snow and a whole lot of days of sunshine per 12 months, head east to attempt Indy Move darling Mission Ridge. Perched excessive above the Wenatchee Valley, you’ll be able to ski with a view of the bone-dry desert under on clear, fogless days. The surreal visible is a pointy distinction to the inexperienced cover of the Western Cascades. With a smaller close by inhabitants, carry strains are usually shorter, although the modest ski space has only one high-speed carry, which options Washington’s solely bubble chair. Mission Ridge additionally boasts the second-longest vertical for evening snowboarding within the U.S., whereas its decade-old growth plan grinds by paperwork. Want the ski hill luck by rubbing the B-24 bomber wing — a relic from a World Battle II coaching accident — perched atop the resort.
Distance from Seattle: 161 miles (roughly 3 hours)
Raise tickets: $79-$139 for adults; $49-$109 for ages 8-12; $59-$119 for ages 13-17; $69-$129 for ages 18-24; $15-$69 for ages 70-plus
Vertical rise: 2,250 ft
Skiable space: 2,000 acres
Night time snowboarding: Dec. 20-21, Dec. 26-Jan. 4, and Wednesday by Saturday from Jan. 8 to Mar. 1
Getting there: From Seattle, vacationers should cross at the least one mountain cross, by way of Interstate 90 or Freeway 2. Test the Washington State Division of Transportation web site ( wsdot.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. Free SkiLink bus service from downtown Wenatchee to the resort on weekends and holidays by finish of April besides Christmas Day and New 12 months’s Day, plus Friday afternoons and nights in January and February.
Offers/particular pricing: None presently.
Problem degree: Restricted newbie terrain, the resort is nice for intermediate skiers to push themselves, with plentiful off-piste terrain.
Adaptive program: No
For Ikon Move volcano laps: Mt. Bachelor
13000 S.W. Century Drive, Bend, Ore.; 541-382-1709; mtbachelor.com
Washington might have the Cascades’ largest volcanoes, however Oregon has much more of them. Protect volcano Mount Bachelor, 20 miles west of Bend, is the one one fully wrapped in ski infrastructure — so convey your Ikon Move. A lot to cartographers’ consternation, you’ll be able to ski and trip 360 levels on this aesthetic snowy cone. Volcano snowboarding isn’t the steepest, but it surely’s reliably good: 450-plus inches of common annual snowfall on the dry and fluffy aspect of the Cascades, although volcanic storm publicity means storm days are exceptionally windy. Whereas there isn’t any slopeside lodging, in a single day stays abound in Bend, the excessive desert outdoorsy boomtown with a famed Ale Path.
Distance from Seattle: 350 miles (roughly 6 hours)
Raise tickets: $99-$224 for adults; $69-$137 for ages 6-12 and 70-plus; $79-$174 for ages 13-18 and 65-69
Vertical rise: 3,365 ft
Skiable space: 4,323 acres
Night time snowboarding: No
Getting there: The quickest route from Seattle crosses the Cascades close to Mount Hood on Oregon Freeway 26. Seek the advice of the Oregon Division of Transportation’s TripCheck web site ( tripcheck.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. The ski space is 40 miles from Redmond Municipal Airport, with each day service from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport.
Offers/particular pricing: Ikon passholders get 5 days (base cross) or seven days (full cross). Raise tickets are $99 on Thursdays from January by March. Children 12 and below ski free with buy of 3-day grownup carry ticket (should ebook at the least one week prematurely). Ski or Board in 4 program presents 4 days of classes and leases for $499-$549.
Problem degree: Mellow newbie and intermediate runs, skilled terrain at mid-mountain and above, and Woodward Mountain Parks for all talent ranges.
Adaptive program: Sure, by Oregon Adaptive Sports activities
For all thrills no frills: Mt. Baker Ski Space
Finish of Mt. Baker Freeway, Deming, Whatcom County; 360-734-6771; mtbaker.us
It snows right here. Lots. Mt. Baker Ski Space nonetheless hangs its hat on the world-record-breaking 1998-1999 season, when it snowed 1,140 inches. Modest elevation can have an effect on snow ranges, so watch the climate intently earlier than making this lengthy day journey from Seattle. Keep in a single day in close by Glacier for a weekend getaway. Should you nail the forecast, convey a powder board or your fattest skis and your brightest goggles — sunny days are a rarity right here within the North Cascades, however after they do come, superb Mount Shuksan looms overhead. Notorious for its ski-at-your-own-risk “extreme danger” zones and a pure half-pipe that hosts the annual Legendary Banked Slalom (Feb. 7-9, 2025) that has cemented the mountain’s popularity within the snowboarding world, no-frills Mount Baker nonetheless appears like a neighborhood secret in an period of ski-industry consolidation.
Distance from Seattle: 133 miles (roughly 2 hours 45 minutes)
Raise tickets: $94.27 for adults ages 16-59; free for ages 6 and below; $40.20 for ages 7-10; $58.23 for ages 11-15; $79.48 for ages 60-69; $55.45 for ages 70-plus
Vertical rise: 1,500 ft
Skiable space: 1,000 acres
Night time snowboarding: No
Getting there: Freeway 542 (Mt. Baker Freeway) is a slender, winding, two-lane street with uncovered sections; it dead-ends on the ski space. Baker Bus runs one round-trip per day from Bellingham by way of Glacier (from Kendall on weekdays); reserve on-line at bakerbus.web.
Offers/particular pricing: $57.30 for newbie chair solely. Discounted tickets out there after 12:30 p.m. ($81.33 for adults). Fifth graders trip free with proof of faculty enrollment. Two adults eligible for half-price carry tickets after 10 a.m. if youngsters ages 4-6 are enrolled in Powder Pups program.
Problem degree: Inexpensive studying space for inexperienced persons, not many groomed intermediate runs, a lot of ungroomed skilled and excessive terrain.
Adaptive program: Sure, by Transfer United
For family-friendly Indy Move vibes: Mt. Hood Meadows
14040 Oregon Freeway 35, Mount Hood, Ore.; 503-337-2222; skihood.com
The biggest and most sprawling resort on the flanks of Mount Hood, Indy Move affiliate Meadows might supply essentially the most family-friendly facilities — like day care for youngsters as younger as 6 weeks outdated. A kindred spirit to Mt. Baker, with which it operates reciprocal season cross privileges, Mt. Hood Meadows is a funkier cousin to historic Timberline up the street. With a bit extra skiable acres than Mission Ridge, there may be room to roam. The brand new six-seater chairlift has additionally vastly improved carry strains out of the bottom space. Households with cross-country skiers within the crew will even recognize the 15 kilometers of trails on the Meadows Nordic Heart, plus easy accessibility to a further 24 kilometers of trails at Teacup Lake Sno-Park (separate path cross).
Distance from Seattle: 232 miles (roughly 4 hours)
Raise tickets: $59-$164 for ages 25-64; $15 for ages 6 and below; $29-$89 for ages 7-14; $59-$154 for ages 15-24; $49-$119 for ages 65-74; free for ages 75-plus
Vertical rise: 2,777 ft
Skiable space: 2,150 acres
Night time snowboarding: Wednesday-Sunday from Dec. 19-Mar. 2, plus Dec. 30-31, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, and Mar. 7-9
Getting there: Freeway 26 is a multilane state freeway over a mountain cross prone to winter climate. Seek the advice of the Oregon Division of Transportation’s TripCheck web site ( tripcheck.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. Oregon Sno-Park allow required ($4 each day, $9 for 3 consecutive days).
Offers/particular pricing: Raise tickets bought with variable begin occasions (9 a.m., midday, 3 p.m.) — begin later and save. Newbie tickets with restricted carry entry ($49-$109 for adults). $99 peak and $49 non-peak all-day carry tickets for licensed ski and snowboard instructors, ski patrollers, and army.
Problem degree: A bit of little bit of all the pieces, with 10% newbie, 55% intermediate, 15% superior and 20% skilled.
For Epic Move powderhounds: Stevens Move
Summit Stevens Move, 93001 Freeway 2, Skykomish; 206-812-4510; stevenspass.com
After encountering a number of moguls since Vail Resorts acquired the lovably scruffy ski space in 2018, Stevens Move has righted the ship. Seattle-area Epic passholders at the moment are benefiting from a number of years of funding in upgraded chairlifts, which have eased infamous front-side carry strains, although the again aspect can clog up on the backside of Jupiter Categorical and Southern Cross. A beginning elevation of 4,000 ft mixed with its mountain cross geography means snow stacks up large time. With restricted parking out there, plan to depart residence early, particularly on weekends and powder days, as heaps typically attain capability. Cross-country skiers additionally love the Nordic Heart. Keep in Leavenworth for a correct getaway. Because the locals say: SPKA. Look it up.
Distance from Seattle: 82 miles (roughly 1 hour half-hour)
Raise tickets: $137-$187 for adults; $96-$131 for ages 7 to 12; $44 for ages 70-plus
Vertical rise: 1,784 ft
Skiable space: 1,125 acres
Night time snowboarding: Wednesday by Sunday, Dec. 18-Mar. 16
Getting there: Freeway 2 is a generally multilane, generally two-lane state freeway over a mountain cross that’s prone to winter closures for avalanche management and spinouts. Carry chains — they are often required below penalty of positive. Test the Washington State Division of Transportation web site ( wsdot.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. Heaps A, B, E and G require a reservation for parking earlier than 10 a.m. on peak days (weekends plus Dec. 26-27, Jan. 1-3, Jan. 20 and Feb. 17). Parking in these heaps is free for automobiles with 4 or extra passengers, in addition to one grownup with two youngsters; $20 for all different automobiles. Remaining heaps are free and first-come, first-served. Resort runs free shuttle buses from satellite tv for pc parking and Nordic Heart to major base space.
Offers/particular pricing: Children 6 and below ski free. 50% off evening snowboarding for school college students with legitimate faculty ID on Thursdays from Jan. 19-Mar. 13. $103 for adults and $72 for ages 7 to 12 for army service members with present ID. Save as much as 65% on carry tickets with Epic Day Move (should have bought by Dec. 2).
Problem degree: Over half of runs are intermediate. Restricted newbie snowboarding on entrance aspect. About one-third superior runs.
Adaptive program: Sure, by Outdoor for All Basis
For Seattle’s yard ski hill: The Summit at Snoqualmie / Alpental
1001 Freeway 906, Snoqualmie Move; 425-434-7669; summitatsnoqualmie.com
“Where Seattle learns to ski and snowboard” couldn’t be more true. An hour from the town with straightforward interstate entry and plentiful parking, The Summit at Snoqualmie started as a challenge of the Seattle municipal park board in 1934. Greater than eight many years later, Seattle skiers nonetheless carve their first turns alongside the mild slopes at Summit West and graduate to the steep cliff runs that mark Alpental’s soon-to-be-upgraded Edelweiss (Chair 2). On busy days, lap the Silver Fir high-speed quad at Summit Central. Along with a complete ski faculty, The Summit earns its family-friendly chops with an in depth snow tubing middle. The Nordic Heart’s close to 70 kilometers of trails are a hidden gem, whereas the nation’s largest evening snowboarding operation entices for post-work and college shred periods. Simply pack the Gore-Tex — at 3,000 ft, Snoqualmie is the lowest-elevation mountain cross within the Washington Cascades, which might imply rain right here when there’s snow elsewhere.
Distance from Seattle: 54 miles (roughly 1 hour)
Raise tickets: $68-$135 for ages 13-61; $21-$25 for ages 6 and below; $53-$91 for ages 7 to 12; $58-$99 for ages 62-69; $28-$33 for ages 70-79
Vertical rise: 2,280 ft
Skiable space: 1,994 acres
Night time snowboarding: Monday by Saturday at Summit Central, Wednesday by Saturday at Summit West, and Thursday by Saturday at Alpental from Dec. 27-Mar. 1
Getting there: Interstate 90 is a multilane interstate freeway over a mountain cross prone to winter closures for avalanche management and spinouts. Carry chains — they are often required below penalty of positive. Test the Washington State Division of Transportation web site ( wsdot.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. Resort runs free shuttle buses between base areas. Parking permits in impact by winter season. Each day permits are free for Summit season passholders, Flex Ticket Pack holders and tubing park ticket consumers; $5 for Ikon Move and each day carry ticket consumers, $55 for all different guests.
Offers/particular pricing: “Worry-Free Winter Assurance” reductions the value of following season’s cross if resort opens lower than 100 days this season. Flex Ticket Packs for two, 3 or 4 days with vacation and weekend blackouts for $140-$309 relying on blackout dates and Alpental entry. $30 evening snowboarding on choose Thursdays and $40 evening snowboarding Presidents Day week. Folks 80 and older ski free.
Problem degree: In depth newbie terrain at Summit West, good intermediate choices at Summit Central and East, rowdy skilled terrain at Alpental.
Adaptive program: Sure, by Outdoor for All Basis
For the film buff and summer time ski obsessive: Timberline
27500 E. Timberline Street, Timberline Lodge, Ore.; 503-272-3311; timberlinelodge.com
Imposing Timberline Lodge is a Northwest architectural icon relationship to the Nineteen Thirties, immediately recognizable to anybody who has seen “The Shining.” Soak in that Hollywood historical past within the renovated pool and sizzling tub, reopened this season. The historic resort has different claims to fame, just like the Palmer carry that stretches to eight,500 ft on Mount Hood, permitting for summer time snowboarding on the Palmer Glacier. Come winter, the carry stays shuttered and entry is by snowcat solely. Total the terrain is mellower than neighbors like Skibowl and Mount Hood Meadows. A straightforward day journey from Portland, however in case you are on the lookout for a snowy weekend getaway, there are lodging choices in close by Authorities Camp, the lodge itself and the coveted high-mountain rustic stylish Silcox Hut.
Distance from Seattle: 227 miles (roughly 4 hours)
Raise tickets: $149 peak and $117 weekday for adults; free for ages 6 and below; $79 peak and $77 midweek for ages 7 to 14 and 65-plus; $123 peak and $104 midweek for ages 15 to 17
Vertical rise: 4,540 ft
Skiable space: 1,685 acres
Night time snowboarding: Dec. 20-Jan. 4 (excluding Dec. 24), plus Fridays and Saturdays by March 1
Getting there: Oregon Freeway 26 is a multilane state freeway over a mountain cross prone to winter climate. Seek the advice of the Oregon Division of Transportation’s TripCheck web site ( tripcheck.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories. Oregon Sno-Park allow required ($4 each day, $9 for 3 consecutive days).
Offers/particular pricing: Three days of carry tickets on Sundays by Fridays, not together with holidays, for White Move and Mission Ridge season cross holders by Powder Alliance program. Discounted afternoon tickets beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Problem degree: Intermediate with extra dependable choices for powder skiers.
Adaptive program: No
For the final word winter vacationer: Whistler Blackcomb
4545 Blackcomb Manner, Whistler, B.C.; 604-967-8950; whistlerblackcomb.com
Host of the 2010 Olympic alpine and nordic occasions, Whistler Blackcomb is the massive kahuna of Pacific Northwest snowboarding, a real worldwide vacation spot resort. And should you’re a Stevens common with an Epic Move, you’ll be able to ski there all you need. You’ll want the time — with a vertical mile from prime to backside, 200-plus trails and extra skiable acres than the entire Washington Cascades ski areas mixed, you’ll be able to spend per week right here and barely scratch the floor. That’s earlier than you enterprise out for Olympic-class cross-country snowboarding or embark on an exhilarating bobsled run. This season, you may as well cheer on injured army athletes from world wide on the Invictus Video games (Feb. 8-16, 2025).
The Resort Municipality of Whistler isn’t any mere ski city; the complete place is laid out to encourage strolling (or a brief bus trip) from lodging to carry, a stroll by a wonderland village that folks even come to with no intention of snowboarding — content material to go to boutique outlets, fine-dining eating places, five-star lodges, cozy bars, bumping nightclubs, a movie show or the outside ice rink. The outside Scandinavian day spa can be divine. Whistler has the crowds and prices to match these facilities, however everybody — from the nonskier to the wannabe further in a Warren Miller film — returns residence completely satisfied. Professional tip: Don’t get discouraged by rain within the village. Keep dry within the gondola and know which means it’s snowing up excessive.
Distance from Seattle: 218 miles (roughly 4 hours, border crossing can range)
Raise tickets: CA$241-$329 for adults; CA$120-$164 for ages 7 to 12; CA$233-$280 for ages 13 to 18; CA$217-$296 for ages 65-plus
Vertical rise: 5,283 ft
Skiable space: 8,171 acres
Night time snowboarding: No
Getting there: Will need to have correct ID to cross the U.S.-Canada border (passport, inexperienced card, NEXUS card, Washington Enhanced Driver’s License). M+S or winter tires required on Sea to Sky Freeway below penalty of positive. Test DriveBC.ca earlier than you go. Common bus service to and from Vancouver Worldwide Airport and downtown, plus dependable free and paid native bus service all through Whistler.
Offers/particular pricing: Washington residents eligible for Edge Card providing discounted two-, five- and 10-day choices. Save as much as 65% on carry tickets with Epic Day Move (should have bought by Dec. 2).
Problem degree: One thing for everybody — huge studying space, countless groomed runs, big terrain parks, ample glades, excessive alpine runs.
Adaptive program: Sure, by Whistler Adaptive Sports activities Program
Indy Move motion on the Cascade crest: White Move Ski Space
48935 Freeway 12, Naches, Yakima County; 509-672-3101; skiwhitepass.com
A sleeper ski space hottest with South Sound residents, White Move nonetheless begins at 4,500 ft, greater even than Stevens Move. Like Crystal, the resort boasts gorgeous panoramic views of Mount Rainier — on this case, of the mountain’s south aspect. A 2011 growth (some 30 years within the making) has largely eradicated clogged carry strains, and an on-mountain yurt makes for a comfortable noon cocoa or beer break. With an enthralling inn, tubing middle, and a rising nordic middle, White Move is an ignored in a single day vacation spot. Don’t miss the large snow citadel on the annual winter carnival (March 1-2, 2025).
Distance from Seattle: 146 miles (roughly 3 hours)
Raise tickets: $85-$95 for adults; free for ages 8 and below and ages 73-plus, plus $25 one-time season cross processing price; $58-$66 for ages 9-16
Vertical rise: 2,050 ft
Skiable space: 1,400 acres
Night time snowboarding: Dec. 31, Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Mar. 1
Getting there: Freeway 12 is a multilane state freeway over a mountain cross. Carry chains — they are often required below penalty of positive. Test the Washington State Division of Transportation web site ( wsdot.com ) earlier than you go for chain necessities and traction tire advisories.
Offers/particular pricing: $40-$45 for newbie areas solely, $30 for evening snowboarding solely. Reductions for energetic obligation army.
Problem degree: A cruiser’s paradise with a lot of intermediate runs, together with mellow bowl snowboarding.
Adaptive program: No