Washington Activities
Snow Skiing

Washington has been a magnet for skiers for decades. From as early as the beginning of the 19th century, skiers have been drawn to the Northwest for its prime snow conditions and awesome vistas. Locations such as Mt. Baker, an active volcano that has been used as a winter recreation area since the 1920s and receives more than 600 inches of annual snowfall a year, can attest to the draw of the virgin slope. So can Crystal Mountain, southeast of Tacoma near Mount Rainer National Park, which dedicates more than half of its trails to intermediate skiers and is the largest ski area in the state.

Finding the right slope in Washington is often simply a matter of looking out one's window. Just about every geographic area of the state has a winter recreation spot on which to test skis or snowboard. Hurricane Ridge, in the Olympic National Park continues to gain notoriety as a small weekend ski destination, while 49˚ North on Chewelah Peak, north of Spokane, offers a full complement of trails for the experienced and novice Alpine skier. The Summit at Snoqualmie, between Seattle and Ellensburg at Snoqualmie Pass, boasts prime facilities for the experienced snowboarder. Steven's Pass, northwest of Leavenworth, began more than 50 years ago with a homemade tow system and is now considered a top ski and board destination. Like many ski areas in Washington, it offers accommodations and dining facilities and is within a couple of hours drive from city shopping and attractions.

Nordic skiing locations range from publicly funded sno-parks, to trails on the backside of ski areas. Prime backcountry tour opportunities in Washington include heli skiing and boarding, mountain climbing, snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Go Northwest!®    gonorthwest.com (tm)

Go Northwest!® gonorthwest.com (tm) and GoNorthwest.com (tm) are trademarks of Go Northwest, LLC
All original text, maps, photographs, and other images on this web site, as well as the compilation and design thereof, are
Copyright © 1997-2017 Go Northwest, LLC.   All rights reserved.

Revised: