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    Washington, Usa · Indy

    49 Degrees North

    2,325 acres, 89 runs near Chewelah. Uncrowded eastern Washington powder, Indy Pass access.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    6 Dec 2025
    Closes
    13 Apr 2026
    Days open
    128
    Annual snow
    19ft
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    49 Degrees North's summit reaches 5,774 feet, dropping 1,850 vertical feet to a base at 3,924 feet across 89 runs spread over 2,325 acres near Chewelah, Washington. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent beginner, 26 per cent advanced and 4 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 229 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Seven lifts, including one quad chair and five triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.

    The resort's substantial acreage relative to its lift count gives skiers plenty of room to spread out, a hallmark of eastern Washington's less crowded resorts compared with the busier Cascade mountains closer to Seattle. Its light, dry powder and extensive tree skiing have built a loyal regional following. The mountain sits within the Colville National Forest, offering a genuinely rural setting relative to Spokane, its nearest city.

    Winter recreation on Chewelah Peak began in 1935 when the Forest Service issued a permit, with Cy's Hut completed the following year and a rope tow installed in 1939. A two-story Chewelah Mountain Lodge and a double chairlift followed in 1950 and 1951, driving a surge in visitors, but by 1968 the original area closed due to an obsolete chairlift and deteriorating facilities. On 6 May 1970, the newly formed Chewelah Basin Ski Corporation won approval to develop a resort in a basin roughly two miles east of the old site, opening for public use in late 1972.

    The ski area filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 1990. Local resident John Eminger purchased the resort in June 1996 and operated it for the next 23 years, before selling in spring 2019 to CMR Lands LLC, led by Seattle-area businessman Tryg Fortun, whose group also owns Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho, purchased three years earlier. Adult daily tickets run from 79 to 99 US dollars, with season passes from 699 dollars.

    1,850ft
    Vertical
    89
    Runs
    2,325 acres
    Skiable
    19ft
    Annual snow
    Indy
    Pass
    The Terrain

    89 runs across 2,325 acres skiable

    49 Degrees North spreads 89 runs across 2,325 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 27 beginner runs to find your feet and 27 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    89
    runs
    89 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner27 runs · 30%
    Intermediate36 runs · 40%
    Advanced23 runs · 26%
    Expert4 runs · 4%
    Time it right

    When to visit 49 Degrees North

    The 2025-26 season at 49 Degrees North ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 229 inches. This snowfall total, combined with the resort's substantial acreage, supports a comfortably long season without excessive crowding even during peak periods. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.

    Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the resort's varied terrain. Given its location roughly 50 miles from Spokane, 49 Degrees North draws primarily from eastern Washington and the Inland Northwest rather than national destination traffic, keeping crowds notably lighter than Cascade resorts closer to Seattle.

    As an Indy Pass resort, 49 Degrees North draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core regional base. Nordic trails are included as part of the resort's broader offering beyond alpine skiing. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial beginner and intermediate terrain.

    Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since CMR Lands LLC's 2019 purchase, investment has continued to build on the foundation established during John Eminger's 23 years of ownership from 1996. The resort's spacious, uncrowded character remains its clearest point of differentiation from busier Washington resorts.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    6 Dec 2025
    Opens
    13 Apr 2026
    Closes
    128
    Days open
    19 ft
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to 49 Degrees North, and where to stay

    49 Degrees North sits in the Colville National Forest near Chewelah, Washington, with a base elevation of 3,924 feet and a summit at 5,774 feet across a 1,850-foot vertical drop over 2,325 acres. This eastern Washington location places the resort within the Selkirk Mountains, distinct from the Cascade Range that hosts most of the state's other ski areas.

    Chewelah is the nearest town, offering local lodging and dining, while Spokane, roughly 50 miles to the south, provides more extensive services and supplies much of the resort's weekend visitor base. The broader Colville National Forest offers additional outdoor recreation beyond skiing throughout the year.

    US Route 395 connects Spokane to Chewelah, with local roads then leading the final distance into the Colville National Forest to the resort. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, though the route is well used given the resort's role as the region's primary ski destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.

    Spokane International Airport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly an hour's drive from the resort. This makes 49 Degrees North reasonably accessible for visitors flying into the Inland Northwest, though most skiers are regional locals driving from Spokane, Chewelah or the surrounding communities.

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    49 Degrees North Trail Map

    49 Degrees North trail map↓ Download PDF
    Terrain split
    89
    runs
    Beginner30%
    Intermediate40%
    Advanced26%
    Expert4%
    2,325 acres skiable941 hectares
    Resort Stats
    Elevation
    Base3,924ft
    Summit5,774ft
    Annual snowfall
    19ft
    Season
    2025 - 2026
    6 Dec 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
    Trail coverage
    89 runs
    2,325 acres (941 ha)

    About 49 Degrees North's trail map

    Explore 49 Degrees North's full trail map with 89 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗

    More 49 Degrees North intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.