Skiing & Snowshoeing: What to Know and Where to Go

Winter has arrived in the mountains. It's time to head out into the crisp cold air and do a little snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

• Snowshoeing Information
• Snowshoeing 101
• Winter Skills Courses and Guided Snowshoes
• Guidebooks
• Dan Nelson's Snowshoe Routes: Washington
• Tom Kirkendall & Vicky Spring's 100 Best Cross Country Skiing Trails in Washington

But where should you go? How does the Sno-Park permit system work? Where can you find groomed trails or gear rentals? Where is the avalanche danger the lowest? Should you bring your pup? If you've never been out before, or if you'd like to peruse the basics for a refresher, you can take a look at our Snowshoeing 101 resource. 

WTA has pulled together dozens of winter recreation resources by region for you to ponder and plan your next adventure. The State Park website offers route maps for each of their Sno-Parks - great for using with a topo map. The Forest Service offers several trail summaries, especially for popular areas. Most of the downhill ski areas offer some Nordic opportunities and nearly all of them provide rentals of skis and snowshoes. And don't overlook the region's excellent ski clubs who do great grooming work on a volunteer basis.

Hurricane Ridge. Photo by Terra Compton. 

General Information

Always check these websites before heading into the mountains in winter. At the very least, they can help you choose the most rewarding route. And with Washington's notoriously unstable snow conditions, they could save your life.

• Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center online
• Avalanche Hotline:  206-526-6677
• State Road conditions: WSDOT mountain pass conditions
• Winter Road Conditions: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Gifford Pinchot, Colville, Mt. Rainier N.P., Olympic N.P.
• Ranger Station Info: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Gifford Pinchot, Colville, Mt. Rainier N.P., Olympic N.P.
• Sno-Park permit Information
• Also, please see WTA's Winter Safety Tips and lists of resources for Winter Skills Courses in the state.
• Check WTA's Trip Reports - Fellow outdoor enthusiasts are posting about hikes, snowshoes and cross-country skiing trips all winter long.

Mount Baker/Mountain Loop Areas

• Mount Baker/Methow Non-Motorized Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes
• Nooksack Nordic Ski Club: cross-country grooming info
• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest's Winter Recreation page provides links with information on several skiing and snowshoeing routes around the Mountain Loop Highway.
  
  

Methow Valley/Lake Chelan Area

• Mount Baker/Methow Non-Motorized Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes
• Methow Trails:  The nordic center in the Methow offers nearly 200 kilometers of machine-groomed trails. Check out the Methow Trails Maps before you go.
• Lake Chelan Nordic Ski Club:  The Echo Ridge Nordic Area has 20 miles of groomed ski trails and is located on the Chelan Ranger District.  Some snowshoeing also available.
  
  

Highway 2 Corridor/Lake Wenatchee/Leavenworth

• Leavenworth/Chelan Area Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes
• Stevens Pass Nordic Center:  Groomed trails, rental gear, lessons, and route maps - for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest's Winter Recreation page provides links with information on several skiing and snowshoeing routes off of Highway 2.
• Leavenworth Area Trail Guide:  Maps and stats for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
• Leavenworth Winter Sports Club:  Groomed cross-country skiing, alpine and snowshoeing trails near Leavenworth
  
  

Snoqualmie Pass/I-90 Corridor/Blewett Pass

• I-90/Blewett Pass Area Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes
• The Summit at Snoqualmie:  offers rentals, and 50 km of maintained trails.
• Forest Service Ski & Snowshoe Info: Summaries of road and trail routes appropriate for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing near Cle Elum, the Teanaway, Blewett Pass and the I-90 Corridor.
  
  

Mount Rainier/White Pass/Highway 410 Areas

• Mount Rainier National Park:  Park's website includes road and parking info and some general information on winter recreation. Operating hours.
• Mount Rainier/Yakima Area Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes

• Naches Ranger District & Vicinity Recreation page:  Groomed and non-groomed summaries of winter-appropriate trailheads and trails in the White Pass and Hwy 410 areas (at bottom of page).
• White Pass Ski Area:  Rentals and groomed cross-country ski trails.
• Mount Tahoma Trails Association:  Hut-to-hut trail groomed system with more than 50 miles of trails (20 miles groomed).
  
  

Mount Adams/Mount St. Helens and South

• South Cascades Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes
• Gifford Pinchot Sno-Park and trail information:  Provides current conditions and trail route info for Packwood, Randle, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and Wind River ranger districts.
  
  

Olympics

• There are no Sno-Parks on the Olympic Peninsula
• Olympic National Park: Park's website includes road information, guided snowshoe hikes, and a map of routes around Hurricane Ridge.
  
  

Inland Northwest/Eastern Washington

• Inland Northwest Sno-Parks:  Maps, plowing/grooming info, and trail routes north of Spokane and in the SE corner of Washington.
• Friends of Mount Spokane: Snowshoeing information for Mt. Spokane State Park.
• Spokane Nordic Ski Education Foundation:  Groomed cross-country ski information for Mt. Spokane State Park.
• 49 Degrees North Nordic Center:  North of Spokane, the ski area features trails, parking and rentals
• Colville National Forest recreation page has information on a few ski trails.
• Umatilla National Forest winter recreation page