Hurricane Ridge
11 runs inside Olympic National Park. Rare national park skiing with Pacific Ocean views.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
20 Dec 2025
Closes
30 Mar 2026
Days open
100
Annual snow
400in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Hurricane Ridge's summit reaches 5,498 feet, dropping 698 vertical feet to a base at 4,800 feet across 11 runs within Olympic National Park, Washington. Terrain splits 40 per cent advanced, 35 per cent intermediate, 15 per cent expert and 10 per cent beginner, with average annual snowfall of roughly 279 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation and operates as a small, weekend-focused ski area within a national park rather than a conventional commercial resort. Three t-bars serve the entire mountain.
Hurricane Ridge is one of very few ski areas operating inside a US national park, giving it a genuinely wild, backcountry-adjacent atmosphere unlike almost any other lift-served mountain in the country. Its modest scale, with just three t-bars and eleven runs, reflects a deliberate choice to keep the operation low-impact within the park's protected setting. Sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains define the visitor experience as much as the skiing itself.
The ski area opened on 1 January 1958 with two rope tows relocated from Deer Park on Blue Mountain, which had been Washington's premier ski area through the 1930s. Deer Park's light snowfall, sun-exposed slopes, narrow winter access road and tiny 50-car parking lot made it impractical to expand, prompting the move. The National Park Service's Mission 66 program, launched in 1956 to modernise park infrastructure ahead of the agency's 1966 fiftieth anniversary, funded the paved road that made Hurricane Ridge accessible.
A Poma surface lift was added in 1971 as the ski area's infrastructure continued to develop within the park. On 7 May 2023, the historic Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge and visitor centre, built in 1952, was destroyed by fire during preparations for a planned renovation. Adult daily tickets run from 32 to 42 US dollars, with a season pass from 195 dollars, reflecting the modest, community-scale nature of skiing within the park.
699ft
Vertical
11
Runs
400in
Annual snow
Indy
Pass
The Terrain
11 runs
Hurricane Ridge is a small, community-run ski area inside Olympic National Park on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, with 11 runs and three surface lifts. The base sits at 4,800 ft (1,463 m) and the top at 5,500 ft (1,676 m), a vertical of about 700 ft (213 m). It is one of only a few ski areas in the United States operating entirely within a national park. The run split is 10% beginner, 35% intermediate, 40% advanced and 15% expert, weighted towards the steeper end for such a compact hill.
The front side holds the bunny slope, a small tubing park and one intermediate run, so beginners and families get an easy start. The real skiing is on the backside bowl served by the Poma lift, an in-bounds, backcountry-style mix of snowfields, trees and chutes. A ski school, ski team and terrain park round out the offering. Treat it as a friendly local hill with big views rather than a destination, ideal for learners, families and anyone visiting the national park who wants a few laps on a nonprofit mountain.
Terrain split
11
runs
11 runs across 4 grades
Beginner1 run · 10%
Intermediate4 runs · 35%
Advanced4 runs · 40%
Expert2 runs · 15%
Time it right
When to visit Hurricane Ridge
The 2025-26 season at Hurricane Ridge ran from 20 December 2025 to 30 March 2026, a comparatively short season of roughly fourteen weeks. Average annual snowfall of around 279 inches supports this window, though the ski area's weekend-only operating pattern, typical for a national park facility, shapes the practical rhythm of the season more than snowfall alone. Season dates can shift depending on weather and road conditions.
Midwinter, from January through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions on the mountain's advanced-weighted terrain. Given Hurricane Ridge's location within Olympic National Park and its road access via a route that can close during storms, conditions and access can vary considerably from week to week. Weekend operations are standard, reflecting the ski area's status as a small, community-run facility rather than a full-time commercial resort.
As an Indy Pass resort, Hurricane Ridge draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core Olympic Peninsula visitor base. The spectacular Pacific Ocean and Olympic Mountains views are a significant part of the experience regardless of skiing conditions. School holiday periods bring some increase in family visitation, weather and road access permitting.
Specific event programming beyond standard weekend operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Following the May 2023 fire that destroyed the historic day lodge, planned rebuilding efforts continue to shape the resort's near-term development. Hurricane Ridge's identity as a rare national-park ski area remains its clearest point of distinction each season.
Season 2025 - 2026
20 Dec 2025
Opens
30 Mar 2026
Closes
100
Days open
400 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Hurricane Ridge
Daily snow reports at Hurricane Ridge go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
11 in
Snowiest day
7 Jan 2026
0 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
68 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Hurricane Ridge, and where to stay
Hurricane Ridge sits within Olympic National Park on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, with a base elevation of 4,800 feet and a summit at 5,498 feet across a 698-foot vertical drop. This remote, mountainous setting offers sweeping views across both the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, a combination unique among the ski areas covered here.
Port Angeles is the nearest town, serving as the gateway community to Olympic National Park and offering lodging, dining and services for visitors. The broader Olympic Peninsula combines the ski area with extensive hiking, wildlife viewing and coastal recreation, giving the region a four-season appeal well beyond winter sports. Seattle lies across Puget Sound, requiring a ferry crossing or a lengthy drive around the sound to reach the peninsula.
Hurricane Ridge Road, built during the National Park Service's Mission 66 program in the 1950s, provides the sole route from Port Angeles to the ski area, climbing steadily into the park. Winter driving conditions on this road can include snow and ice, and the road is subject to closure during storms or for avalanche control, a genuine consideration for visitors given the ski area's national park setting. There is no direct public transport service to the ski area itself.
William R. Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles offers limited general aviation access, while Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, requiring a ferry or lengthy drive, provides far more extensive commercial flight options. Most Hurricane Ridge visitors travel from the Olympic Peninsula or the broader Puget Sound region by car and ferry rather than flying in directly.
Where to stay
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Hotels and lodges near Hurricane Ridge, powered by Stay22.
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Hurricane Ridge Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 14 Nov 2026
5,499ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Heavy Snow30°F / 33°F · S 37mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Typical winter 68in
Total lifts3
Live open status isn’t available right now.
20 Dec 2025 - 30 Mar 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 44 hours· Updated Nov 14, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
5,358 ftUpdated Nov 14, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
11"
Days 8–14
6.3"
Sat, Nov 14
Heavy Snow
Temp33° / 30°°F
Snow2.0"(100%)
Wind37 mph S
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Hurricane Ridge snow report
See what's happening on the mountain at Hurricane Ridge right now — snowfall, snow depth, and weather data to help you plan your day in Washington.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Hurricane Ridge, summit conditions (1676m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Hurricane Ridge are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
Hurricane Ridge snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 3 lifts in total.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Hurricane Ridge's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.