
1,704 acres, 55 runs inside Mount Spokane State Park. Home of the world's first double chairlift.
Mt Spokane's summit reaches 5,889 feet, dropping 1,690 vertical feet to a base at 4,199 feet across 55 runs spread over 1,704 acres within Mount Spokane State Park, Washington. Terrain splits 42 per cent advanced, 33 per cent intermediate, 22 per cent beginner and 3 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 230 inches. The resort operates independently without major multi-resort pass affiliation. Seven lifts, including five double chairs and one quad chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Mt Spokane sits within Washington's largest state park, a distinction that shapes both its operations and its identity as Spokane's hometown mountain. The ski area carries a genuine claim to lift history: a Riblet Tramway Company installation using a converted mining ore tramway in 1946 is cited as the birthplace of the world's first double chairlift. Extensive night skiing across the mountain's five distinct terrain areas remains central to its appeal for the nearby Spokane population.
The mountain, previously known as Mount Baldy and Mount Carlton, took its current name in 1912 after businessman Francis H. Cook purchased the summit in 1909 and began building a road to the top. Mount Spokane State Park was officially dedicated in 1927 with 1,500 acres, becoming the first state park established east of the Cascades. The Spokane Ski Club formed in December 1931 under the leadership of Cheney Cowles, building a log clubhouse and installing rope tows, jump hills and night-skiing lights.
Through the 1930s, the Spokane Ski Club, the Selkirk Ski Club and the Spokane Mountaineers together purchased more than 500 acres for lodges, tows and jump hills, while a Civilian Conservation Corps camp established in 1934 built trails, shelters and roads. The historic Vista House, built from native granite as an emergency relief project in 1933, still stands at the summit today. Adult daily tickets run from 55 to 75 US dollars, with a season pass at 479 dollars.
Mt Spokane spreads 55 runs across 1,704 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 42%, with 12 beginner runs to find your feet and 25 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season at Mt Spokane ran from 6 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 230 inches. This snowfall total supports reliable conditions across the mountain's five distinct terrain areas throughout the season. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the mountain's advanced-weighted terrain. Night skiing is a defining seasonal feature, extending the useful ski day for Spokane-area residents well beyond daylight hours, consistent with the mountain's identity as the city's hometown ski area. Weekday evenings see strong local demand alongside typical weekend patterns.
As an independently operated resort without major pass affiliation, Mt Spokane draws primarily from the Spokane metropolitan area and the broader Inland Northwest rather than national destination traffic. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial beginner and intermediate terrain. The mountain's setting within Washington's largest state park adds a distinct four-season recreational dimension beyond winter skiing alone.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. The historic Vista House, built in 1933, remains a fixture at the summit throughout the season, connecting today's skiers to the mountain's Depression-era development. Mt Spokane's century-long history as a community-built ski area continues to shape its accessible, locally focused character each winter.
Mt Spokane sits within Mount Spokane State Park in eastern Washington, with a base elevation of 4,199 feet and a summit at 5,889 feet across a 1,690-foot vertical drop over 1,704 acres of skiable terrain within the park's much larger overall footprint. This makes the resort one of relatively few US ski areas operating inside a state park rather than on Forest Service or private land.
Spokane, Washington's second-largest city, lies a short drive from the mountain and provides the resort's primary lodging, dining and visitor base, with the ski area functioning as the city's genuine local mountain. The broader Selkirk Mountains region offers additional recreation within the state park beyond winter sports, including extensive summer hiking and mountain biking.
Local roads connect Spokane directly to Mount Spokane State Park, with the drive typically taking under an hour depending on the starting point within the metropolitan area. Winter driving conditions on the approach can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled route reflects the mountain's role as Spokane's primary local ski destination. There is no direct public transport service to the resort.
Spokane International Airport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, making Mt Spokane one of the more accessible ski areas covered here for fly-in visitors. Most visitors, however, are Spokane-area locals driving up for day trips or evening night-skiing sessions rather than fly-in destination travellers.
Hotels and lodges near Mt Spokane, powered by Stay22.

Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.

South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.

Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.

La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.

The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.

Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.

Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.

Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
Full day access to Mt Spokane's 52 runs and 7 lifts. Eastern Washington's largest ski area features 1,700 acres of skiable terrain and night skiing Wednesday-Saturday. Located just 30 minutes from Spokane.
Buy passFull day youth lift ticket for Mt Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park. Enjoy Eastern Washington's premier skiing with terrain parks, night skiing, and family-friendly slopes in the Selkirk Mountains.
Buy passChildren's full day ticket at Mt Spokane, Washington's nonprofit ski area. Access to beginner-friendly terrain and ski school programs. Ages 7-12 with proof of age required.
Buy passComplimentary skiing for children 6 and under at Mt Spokane. Processing fee applies for season pass convenience. The region's only nonprofit ski area welcomes families.
Buy passFree skiing for seniors 80 and older at Mt Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park. Enjoy complimentary access to all lifts and terrain at Eastern Washington's premier ski destination.
Buy passAfternoon skiing at Mt Spokane starting after 12:30pm on 4pm close days. Perfect for locals and those wanting a shorter ski day at Spokane's home mountain.
Buy passTwo consecutive day pass for Mt Spokane. Must be used on consecutive days with no rescheduling allowed for second day. Save money on extended ski trips to Eastern Washington.
Buy passUnlimited access to Mt Spokane all season long. Includes night skiing privileges, partner resort discounts, and buddy ticket benefits. Best value for frequent skiers in the Spokane area.
Buy passDay passes start from US$35, with peak rates up to US$75.
More Mt Spokane intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.