The best thing about Summit at Snoqualmie is its proximity to the Seattle Metro area. It's about 45…read moreminutes from the Eastside and about an hour and change from Seattle. That easy access allows for skiing after work or doing something else on a weekend afternoon after skiing in the morning. Other than the Alpental part of Summit at Snoqualmie, the ski area is pretty big, but not particularly exciting. It's pretty much a number of smaller ski areas along a ridge that got merged together. Vertical drop for Summit West, Summit Central and Summit East (Hyak) maxes out at about 1000 feet so none of the runs are particularly long. With base areas at a relatively low elevation, the quality of snow at all three of these areas is highly tied to changing weather conditions. What ends up being rain at the base elevation for Summit at Snoqualmie can be snow at Crystal Mountain's higher base elevation. Also, being at a lower elevation, conditions at Snoqualmie can also be subject to melt-refreeze cycles. Despite all of this, a season pass at Snoqualmie is a great deal. Ease of access allows for more days on the slopes.

Bit of a drive, but worth it for the snow. Wish that there was better communication from this…read moreresort when open hours are and when the season opens/closes because conflicting information from what is online vs what staff there tells me. Nice to have more runs for the green level so that I can totally warm up, but I like the blue runs for what they are. Appreciate that there is one freestyle run here, but would not mind if there was more. Staff is helpful and actually addresses concerns, but tend to be caught up in conversation with each other, so u feel a bit pushed to the side. Have to be able to speak up for yourself early on so that you are not just on standby. Parking is fine...just watch for the slush. The cleaners do their best to clear out the snow on the road so u do not have to pull out and use your snow chains.

ALPENTAL IS NOT FOR AMATEURS…read more... They even have signs on the second lift that says "Expert only". The whole terrains are amazing. If you have a chance to go to up, I recommend Snake Dance and International. They are the most difficult run you can find in the area. I also like here because there are less people on the lift compare to Summit Central and Summit West. If you are an amateurs, this is a good place to up your skill to the next level. After you get proficient in here, all passes (Stevens, Whistler and Baker) will be really easy for you. You might be intimidated at the beginning, because all the cool people hangs out on Alpental ;)

The ski terrain here is actually quite good given the size and proximity to Seattle. There are 4…read morelifts (+ magic carpet) - 1 serves exclusively greens, 1 serves mostly blues with some green, 1 serves blue/black and 1 exclusively blacks. So technically there is something for everyone, but not a lot of variety particularly for beginners. The views from the top of the resort (the expert terrain chair) are awesome - really impressed and could sit up there for hours if there was a place to rest but luckily you can enjoy most of the way up on the 2 person lift. As a heads up, if you have the IKON pass you need to make reservations on the IKON website in advance to ski. For weekends, this can mean at least a few days if not a week in advance (although spots can open up the day before). Also, while there is a shuttle between Alpental and the Summit you cannot ski between the two even though they share the same lift ticket. We signed up for the Alpental Mighties ski lessons which have been a mixed bag. Some of the instructors seem good, but some of the group sizes, particularly for blue-level skiers are out of control. For my 7 year old, she is in a group with 12 kids! Each week there is a new kid that has been dumped in the group that can't keep up which means the instructor spends 80% of her time with the one kid. I don't think that she can tell me anything about my kid (and that's after 4 weeks now). For my other kid, the learn to snowboard group is much more manageable although it is a different instructor every week. While I would have been more understanding given COVID, the organizer is completely unapologetic (and unresponsive) about the circumstances and claimed that lessons continued when the power went out for most of the afternoon (which was downright false since my kids were waiting to be picked up with the rest of their group when I made it down the mountain). Given COVID, there are limited services (food / indoor dining) so have not tried those and usually bring our own lunch and each by the car. Some of the more prepared come ready for a full tailgating experience which I admire.

This is a fantastic easy to do kid friendly paved hike. $5 entry pass which can be purchased from…read moreself service station. Even on a hot sunny day the hike is covered by trees. The water is cold. Even during the hike there are stops where you can be just next to water.

This is a fantastic hike in the Greater Seattle area, which rewards you with an up close view of…read morethe falls from the base, where you can bask in the cool gentle mist before beginning the trek back. I typically stick with hikes that are considered "easy", popular with families, and don't require hiking boots. This one fits the bill. At about 2 miles roundtrip (out and back), the trail is made up of well-kept dirt pathways and you'll experience a gradual incline of only about 400 feet. There were several short sets of wooden steps along the way, which were pretty easy to navigate since they were of even height and not too tall. Just be careful towards the end while heading down to the base of the falls. You'll go down a set of stone steps, then the pathway narrows and becomes pretty rocky with a jagged surface, so watch your footing and take it slow. You can also hang on to the rock wall on the right side for balance. I saw some people equipped with their hiking poles and hiking boots which would come in handy for this small section of the hike, however I was able to traverse it with my running shoes, taking small steps. I was grateful there weren't many bugs and the hike is mostly shaded by all the trees above. It was over 80 degrees on the day we went, but it felt like the 70s since we were never really in direct sun. The trail runs parallel to Denny Creek below, so for the duration of the hike, you can hear the tranquil sound of the flowing water. There are two sections of parking which cost $5 per day, unless you have the "Washington Forest Pass" or "America the Beautiful Pass". Toilets are located near the parking lots, but there are no sinks, so make sure to bring some hand sanitizer. During the summer, weekends can be pretty crowded, so I recommend going on a weekday for a more relaxed atmosphere. We went on a sunny Monday and there was plenty of parking left even when we headed out around noon.

Admittedly, we have not done a lot of camping at campgrounds like this one, in fact we haven't done…read morea lot of camping at all. That said, this is the sort of place that we want to go camping all the time now! We're definitely not go out in the woods and sleep on a camping pad under the stars type people. We're more camp where we can see the car and have a bathroom around type people. This definitely trends towards the latter. This little campground is about 17 miles past Bron Yr Aur in Naches and is an absolute gem of a spot. Upon checking in, you find they have a small store with plenty of food and beverage options. They have spots for tent camping, cabins with beds, and plenty of RV parking. We went up here for a friends birthday weekend and opted for one of the small cabins. It was named "mamas place "and was lovely. The cabins are newly renovated and have small kitchenette's, a nice TV, And most importantly were warm! The two that we saw in so I did not have bathrooms, but there is a shared central bathroom and shower house that's close to everything, and is also heated! On the grounds, they have a small beach area where the kids could go throw rocks in the River and during the summertime everyone is able to get into the water to cool off. They have tons of play equipment for kids to run around and play on, some awesome area for people to ride 4 x 4's if they brought them, and they even have a meadow type area where they hold weddings. It's incredibly picturesque with the river in the background and the cliffs behind it. Go out there at night and check out what they called the fire flies - a bunch of lights set up in the meadow the dance on the trees. It's pretty awesome! You are just close enough to be able to run into town for something you forgot, but also far enough away that your cell phone isn't going off all the time because the reception is bad. This is actually about as close to perfect spot as we've been, and we're really excited to go back!

What a great family friendly campground. Water and electric hookups only, but the onsite bathrooms…read moreand showers were nice and well kept. They are located in a remote area, so there is no cell service, and wifi is only available right by the office, but they do have a great selection of loaner DVDs, which kept my hubby . They have a gathering space with movies and popcorn, an onsite store. They even had a great DJ on Saturday night.

I am so excited to leave such a positive review! The staff at Crystal Mountain went above and…read morebeyond for me during my first ski trip. Before I even got to my ski lesson, the staff fixed me up with rental gear, heard my concerns around my boot fit feeling too tight and allowed me to exchange the gear with ease. I forgot a pair of goggles, and the nice young man assisting me with my skis lent me a pair without charging me. During my lesson they even assisted me with getting my lift pass for me from my locker when I didn't realize I needed it on me. It truly was above and beyond! I took my first ski lesson at Crystal Mountain with Chane. He was knowledgable, patient, and very encouraging. His instruction was clear and had me ready for the slopes by the end of our lesson. I spent the rest of the day practicing and even had lunch in between! Their Fireside Cantina was delicious and hit the spot (try the wings! they were crispy and delicious). Getting to and from the mountain was easy as well-the shuttle from the Enumclaw Expo Center was on on time and a smooth ride. I am so excited to go back and get to skiing again because I know I can look forward to another amazing experience.

My favorite place in Washington to snowboard. The one and…read moreonly gondola, straight to the top where you can a long run or interconnect to several main chair lifts. Several restaurants at various peaks & summit. Bars and some food trucks. Snowboarding services available too. Snow gift shop. Tickets are not cheap. ~$150 Paid reservation only parking on weekends Very busy on powder weekends. Like don't even bother but werkdsys are promising.

shoutout to Mae Mae because she taught me to ski here back in January 2025. so thankful for her…read morebecause she really took it upon herself to teach me something new when I was hella doubting myself I like that there are multiple runs at different levels...except for green circle, which is the beginner one :( the green one is still a good run, especially with the obstacles being available if you want to try some tricks on the side, but I hate that the runs are limited in quantity. for the blue square levels, I feel as though the types of runs represent three different intermediate levels, so try all of them to gauge what level you are at. as for the bunny hills, nothing crazy and the magic carpet worked the entire time, but it shuts down earlier than when the rest of the resort closes. I like that there are slots that you can have your equipment stay at while you go inside to eat or go bathroom. food and drinks here are expensive, but at least it is warm. I was able to even take a nap inside when I was resting from the slopes. staff was quick at their job, but kind of rude. it is to the point that they are rushing you to make a decision on what to order and for you to check in at the front with your membership. Oddly cliquey with the staff who scan the membership cards before you go on the lift. but, at least the staff who control the lifts are really bubbly and kindhearted. I liked talking with them and they are very encouraging to those who are having their first time skiing or snowboarding :) so thank u to those people

A couple years ago, the ski resort came under new management and they did fantastic things to make…read morethis ski resort a fun and enjoyable experience. First off the parking lot situation was much better than it was after the pandemic. I do appreciate the reservation system, and also the dedicated carpool parking area during the peak periods.Plenty of staff manning the parking lot area to help us find a spot. My kid took a few ski lessons here. The instructors were very patient and very good at their job. My kid ended up skiing very quickly after his lesson and was excited to continue to ski for the rest of the season. All of the staff here always have a positive attitude and are great to be around. All of the chair lifts were functioning properly and they had everything moving very well. The main runs were groomed nicely and the first few times I came up. There was fantastic powder, so the ski experience was great. I appreciate Stevens being a part of Vail resorts as I am able to use my epic Pass here. The selection of food is good. There are several cafés that you can get grilled food and a sit down restaurant as well. Appreciate the discount you can get off of the food with your epic pass. All in all, this has been my go to ski resort this winter and probably will continue to be. Looking forward to the next ski season.

visited January 23rd and 25th 2026, and mainly skiied down Sun Spot and Tumwater for most of the…read moreday. This intermediate terrain had some steep faces and wide terrain to accomdate a crowd of people. There was one day, the winds were blowing up Sun Spot and was blowing snow up the hill, which I was told was not the norm. There were some icy spots but never any rock skiing danger. I did not venture out to Chair 4 where there were two other runs open. I had lunch both days at Midway Lodge. One pulled pork rice bowl and one pulled pork sandwich. Both pork products were juicy and well seasoned, great for a mid day break. There was pleanty of seating inside as well as outside. At the base lodge area, there are multiple places to access the bathroom and getting RFID card was a snap. Just showed them my payment email and was printed a card right away. The lifts were generally fast, and they did show down for the ski schoolers occassionally. Lines were mainly only about 4 to 6 people deep and once you got your lift ticket scan, off you were to sit a spell and enjoy the views. The staff was great, answered questions and nice all around. Since it was early in the season, parking was not a problem and I was always close to the base lodge. I did not try the night skiing, so if you did buy the day pass, you could continue into the night skiing hours if you had the energy. I ended my day bot times in the 3:30 range. I did download the PDF trail map but they also had posted trail maps at certian locations avaliable. As for wifi, this worked at the base lodge area and not at Midway Lodge. Cell service worked at Midway but I noticed a few times my text messages failed to deliver, but on the second try went through. I would return here since Stevens Pass has gotten very busy in the past few years and due to road damage, I opted to try MIssion Ridge, I am glad I did.

I spent a little over $300 today for lift tickets and rentals to teach my nieces to ski. After a…read morefew hours, one of my nieces had frozen toes. I took her back to the rental shop to have her boots adjusted. When I explained to the boot guy, Al, that her feet were freezing, he said, "Well, it's because it's cold." He didn't move to do anything. I told him he needed to adjust her boots. He did. Her feet were fine and toasty the rest of the day. But had I not said anything, he wouldn't have done anything. When I went back later to get the guy's name, I asked a man, Steve, what the boot guy's name was. Steve said, "Well, he's wearing a name tag." I said, "Seriously?" Then he gave me Al's name. I found it interesting that they wanted me to complain to their administrative office. I'm more interested in saving others from the same experience. I doubt their administrative office would do anything. David in Rentals was wonderful. The people on the rope tow were wonderful. But I'm not going to give my money to a resort that treats people the way these guys did us in their rental shop. I'll go to Steven's Pass.

We live in the biggest town near here so when I looked up hotels that have pools, the Loge Alta…read moreCrystal looked intriguing. It had everything we needed so we packed our bags, grabbed a pizza & wings (knowing there are no dining options up that way) and headed up the mountain. Just prior to our arrival we received a text with our room # and door code. Virtual check in is always preferred. Upon arrival, we unloaded our truck to a well appointed and clean room. I was surprised that it had a true kitchenette with all the necessities. The couch was stained but it wasn't off putting - I'm sure it's seen a lot of use. It pulled out to a full size bed which my teenager slept well on. The bedroom had a queen that I had to share with my 11 year old but it was comfortable and the whole place had just what we needed for bedding and toiletries. The boys wanted to go swimming so we all got dressed and headed to the heated pool. It is older and again stained but clean and well maintained. I could tell that they do a good job with keeping the chemical right (I formerly had to maintain a small apartment pool & tub). While the boys swam, I decided to take the dogs for a walk around. Nice grassy field with poo bags & can for waste. We then just started walking further up the hill past the cabins where I discovered a sign "Trail" so I followed it. It led me to a beautiful waterfall. Had I brought the right shoes, I probably could have kept exploring. Returned to the boys and we wrapped up the night watching a DVD (found in the office after launching an inquiry as to why the Direct TV wasn't working - hello satellite! Lol) Slept through the peaceful night and checked out early around 9am (11am is check out time). I plan to stay again...this time with appropriate footwear.

Enjoyed our stay here. Plenty of room in the one bedroom cottage like room. Had a full kitchen and…read moreliving room. Pool was refreshing. Hot tub was out of order. Staff are located off proper after 6/7 pm. A quick text away of you need something. Check in was easy. Don't even need a key. You get a code texted to your phone. Check out is simply texting you left.

I have been to this area probably a half dozen times or so throughout my life and it is…read morebreathtakingly beautiful. On our most recent visit last month, we did some camping, hiking, exploring and made sure to visit the Gondola at Crystal Mountain. The weather was glorious, even in the summer heat it is always cool and enjoyable here. We even got some rain while we were camping which was so lovely having come from 100 degree scorching days. We loved the view on our hikes as well. You will get a mix of forests, meadows and some incredible mountain views. We were able to bring our dog with us everywhere and she loved it as well. We even had to break out her harness with a coat to make sure she didn't get a chill. This whole place is beautiful no matter the season and I can't wait for my next visit.

Came here with my friends, Lee & Landon, for my first ever sunset hike, so hiked back to our car by…read morethe inn when it was completely dark outside. That said, bring your headlamp, gloves, layers for top & bottom (if applicable), snacks, and hand warmer packs to keep yourself comfortable and safe with warmth. Took the skyline loop trail and did not go all the way up, but stopped at a sweet spot where we were able to watch the sun go down and the sky turn pretty ombré colors with the pink, orange, etc. it honestly looks like cookies and cream ice cream during the wintertime, which I is my first time to see it be like this. I wear my waterproof garmont boots because the sloshy ice that surprise u on the ground during the wintertime are almost at every step. I recommend !