The Summit at Snoqualmie

Mother Nature brought back to back storms to the Pacific Northwest early in the season and blessed the Cascades with massive amounts of snow that got local powder hounds frothing! In January, Snoqualmie Pass reached 236 inches of snow, and the Summit at Snoqualmie is having its deepest season in 20 years!

The Summit at Snoqualmie is nestled in the heart of the Cascade Mountains and is the closest ski resort from Seattle, only an hour along the scenic 1-90 corridor. Rated the Top Ski Resort in Washington State for 2022, the Summit at Snoqualmie offers an affordable resort experience with base area shops and eateries, tubing and terrain parks, Nordic skiing, the biggest night-skiing in the US, and four unique ski areas offering skiing and snowboarding terrain for every taste and style.

Mountain Stats

• Skiable Acres: 1994
• Beginner: 14%
• Intermediate: 33%
• Advanced: 42%
• Expert: 11%
• Lifts: 25 lifts
• Vertical Drop: 2,280 Feet
• Night-Skiing: 541 acres
• Annual Snowfall: 400+ inches
• 4 Ski & Snowboard Areas

Four Unique Ski Areas for All Levels

Each of Summit at Snoqualmie’s base areas has a well-stocked sports store with all your ski and snowboard rentals and essentials, ski and snowboard lessons for all levels, and a selection of restaurants, cafes and aprés bars to refuel (and have slopeside fun!). Summit at Snoqualmie does not offer childcare, but ski lessons start from age 4 to keep the kids happy on the slopes.

Summit West

Vertical Drop 765’
15 Trails (2 Beginner, 5 Intermediate, 8 Black Diamond)

Summit West has the best conditions for learning to ski or snowboard with beginner surface lifts near the base area, a kids club, and a natural progression from the green runs to blues as you grow in confidence during the day. Grab a beer and live music at Timberwolf Lodge or head to the Dru Bru Taproom & Brewery, a Summit West hot spot for refueling with a heated outdoor patio, fresh brewed beer, stunning views and the Squatch Box Food Truck serving a tasty selection of hot dogs.

Summit Central

Vertical Drop 1,025’
30 Trail (4 Beginner, 12 Intermediate, 14 Black Diamond)

Summit Central is a great place for families and groups to spend the day with a wide variety of lifts and terrain for all abilities, a kids club and private ski and snowboarding lessons at Summit Central Learning Center, a thrilling tubing park, and the “Best in the West” terrain park. There’s a choice of eateries at the base area lodge or ski-in to the Silver Fir Lodge for craft brews and aprés cocktails on the outdoor patio.

Summit Central has two terrain parks: Greenhorn Acres is a mini progression park near the Central Base Area with easy features to warm up before heading to the more challenging features at Central Park, named the “Best Progressive Park in North America” by Snowboarder Magazine.

Personal sleds are not allowed anywhere on the mountain for safety purposes, but you’ll find a dedicated Tubing Park at the Central Base Area with over 20 groomed tubing lanes (500 feet long!), and an easy magic carpet for fun snow tubing for all ages (no age restrictions but children 6 and under must ride with an adult, at your own risk!).

Summit East

Vertical Drop 1,100’
20 Trails (4 Beginner, 9 Intermediate, 7 Black Diamond)

The Summit East area has fewer crowds and a wide selection of terrain with a mix of alpine ski runs and over 50kms of groomed and tracked trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. The Summit East Nordic Center next to the base area has equipment rentals for all your adventures with great learn to ski packages if you’re new to the sport. The powdery tree runs on Summit East are the perfect warm up for the challenging terrain on Alpental.

Alpental Ski Area

Vertical Drop 2,280’
24 Trails (1 Beginner, 4 Intermediate, 9 Diamond, 4 Double Diamond, 6 Bowl & Gates)

Alpental is nestled on the other side of I-90 and, while there’s a couple of easy slopes, it’s a haven for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders with gates to over 500 acres of Alpental back bowls and backcountry, Washington’s steepest run (International), and legendary expert terrain. The iconic Edelweiss Chair 2 takes you to spectacular views of Chimney Rock, Mt. Rainier and Glacier Peak, and some of the steepest and deepest runs in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s here you’ll find Seattle-ites and locals on a good powder day – skiing and snowboarding the tight trees, heading out the gates into the bowls and backcountry (pass required!), and sipping cold craft beers (or warm winter cocktails!) at an aprés ski bar.

Winter Snowshoeing

Aside from the trails accessed at Summit East Nordic Center, many of the Snoqualmie Pass hiking trails are open during the winter months for snowshoeing. Pick up snowshoe rentals at a Summit base area rental store and head into the old growth forests for a classic PNW winter experience.

Summit at Snoqualmie Lift Passes & Dates

In steps to control crowds, ski passes are limited this season, so be prepared. Ikon Passholders are required to make a reservation (reservations are not required after 2pm), reservations are not required for Summit Passholders, and daily passes are only available online. Tickets options include all day passes, afternoon passes, limited beginner passes, twilight tickets, and night skiing tickets.

The Summit at Snoqualmie closing dates are impacted by the snow conditions. Summit West and Summit East typically close first around mid-March. Summit Central remains open 7 days a week to the first week of April (then weekends only till the end of April), and Alpental usually pushes the season through the first week of May, if possible. Stay up to date with the snow conditions and lift & trail report when planning your trip to Snoqualmie.

Stay on the slopes of Snoqualmie!

Why drive home (and sit in traffic!) at the end of a fun snow day when you can wind down with a couple craft beers and après cocktails, listen to live local jams, watch a winter sunset over the mountain peaks, and stay in style on the slopes of Snoqualmie with Recreation Rentals!

Our Snoqualmie cabin rentals offer a tranquil escape with high-end amenities, all the comforts of home, and easy access to the top things to do in Snoqualmie Pass. With a long ski season, there’s still time to plan a getaway to the Summit at Snoqualmie with plenty of fun for every type of traveler and powder hound!