
1,994 acres, 65 runs across 4 areas near Seattle. Ikon Pass access, night skiing, one hour from the city.
The Summit at Snoqualmie's summit reaches 3,865 feet, dropping 1,024 vertical feet to a base at 2,841 feet across 65 runs spread over 1,994 acres at Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. Terrain splits 42 per cent advanced, 33 per cent intermediate, 14 per cent beginner and 11 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 450 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass access. Twenty-five lifts, including nine double chairs, seven quad chairs and three triple chairs, serve four distinct base areas alongside six surface lifts.
The Summit is unusual among major resorts in combining four formerly separate ski areas into a single operation: Alpental, Summit West, Summit Central and Summit East each retain distinct character despite operating under one ownership and one lift ticket today. This structure gives visitors genuinely varied terrain, from Alpental's steep, advanced-focused slopes to the gentler beginner areas elsewhere on the pass. Its position roughly 52 miles east of Seattle on Interstate 90 makes it the closest major ski area to the city.
Each of the four areas has its own separate ownership history: Ski Lifts, Inc. bought Ski Acres in 1980, Alpental in 1983 and Hyak in 1992, gradually consolidating what had been independent ski hills along the pass. Booth Creek Ski Holdings purchased all four areas together in 1997, formally uniting them under a single company for the first time.
Boyne Resorts became the lease-holder and management company for The Summit at Snoqualmie in 2007, before purchasing the resort outright in March 2018. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 125 US dollars, with the Unlimited Pass at 929 dollars, reflecting a resort built from four once-independent mountains into Seattle's primary local ski destination.
Summit at Snoqualmie spreads 65 runs across 1,994 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 42%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 34 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season at The Summit at Snoqualmie ran from 19 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly fifteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 450 inches. This substantial snowfall total supports reliable conditions across the resort's four base areas throughout the season. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from January through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the pass's varied terrain. As Seattle's closest major ski area and an Ikon Pass destination, The Summit sees very heavy weekend traffic from the Puget Sound region, with Interstate 90 access making it a straightforward day trip for a large metropolitan population. Night skiing extends operations across the resort's substantial terrain park, among the largest in the Pacific Northwest.
The resort's four-area structure means conditions and crowding can vary meaningfully between Alpental's steep terrain and the gentler slopes elsewhere on the pass, giving visitors flexibility depending on ability and preference. School holiday periods bring particularly heavy demand given the resort's proximity to Seattle's large population base. Nordic skiing and tubing add non-alpine options across the broader Snoqualmie Pass area.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Boyne Resorts' ownership since 2018 has continued to invest across all four base areas while maintaining their distinct individual character. The Summit's role as Seattle's primary local mountain remains its defining seasonal identity despite its Ikon Pass destination status.
The Summit at Snoqualmie sits at Snoqualmie Pass in the Washington Cascades, roughly 52 miles east of downtown Seattle on Interstate 90, with a base elevation of 2,841 feet and a summit at 3,865 feet across a 1,024-foot vertical drop over 1,994 acres spread across four base areas. This makes it the closest major ski area to Seattle of any resort in the state.
The pass itself has limited standalone town infrastructure, with most visitors day-tripping directly from the greater Seattle metropolitan area rather than staying overnight near the resort. North Bend, a smaller community at the base of the pass, offers some additional services. Seattle's western Washington population base supplies the overwhelming majority of the resort's visitors given the direct interstate access.
Interstate 90 provides direct, high-capacity access to the resort from both Seattle to the west and central Washington to the east, making Snoqualmie Pass one of the most straightforward major ski area approaches in the country. Winter driving conditions on the pass can include heavy snow and occasional chain requirements during storms, though the interstate is well maintained given its importance as a major transportation corridor.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the nearest airport with extensive commercial service, roughly an hour's drive from the resort under normal conditions. This convenient combination of interstate access and airport proximity makes The Summit at Snoqualmie one of the most accessible major ski resorts in the country relative to a large metropolitan area.
Hotels and lodges near Summit at Snoqualmie, powered by Stay22.

Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

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.
Open to close access at Summit at Snoqualmie. Four mountain areas including Summit West, Central, East, and Alpental just 40 minutes from Seattle. Perfect for day trips from the city.
Buy passYoung adult daily ticket for Summit at Snoqualmie. Access to all open lifts and terrain at Seattle's closest ski resort with extensive night skiing options.
Buy passChildren's lift ticket for Summit at Snoqualmie. Family-friendly terrain across four mountain areas with excellent beginner slopes and ski school programs near Seattle.
Buy passFree skiing for children 6 and under at Summit at Snoqualmie. All children must have a lift pass while skiing. Seattle area's most accessible family skiing.
Buy passSenior daily ticket for Summit at Snoqualmie. Discounted access to four mountain areas with 65 slopes and 20 lifts. Easy access from Seattle metropolitan area.
Buy passAfternoon skiing at Summit at Snoqualmie starting after 12:30pm. Great value for shorter ski days at Seattle's premier ski destination with night skiing available.
Buy passNight skiing at Summit at Snoqualmie until 9:30pm at Summit West & Central, 9pm at Alpental. Extensive lighted terrain makes this Seattle's premier night skiing destination.
Buy passFlexible 2-day ticket pack for Summit at Snoqualmie. Use any operating day during the season for maximum flexibility. Save money with multi-day packages closest to Seattle.
Buy passFlexible 4-day ticket pack offering best value at just $56 per day. Use on any operating days throughout the season at Summit at Snoqualmie's four mountain areas.
Buy passUnlimited access to Summit West, Central, and East all season. Does not include Alpental. Best value for frequent skiers at Seattle's closest ski resort.
Buy passUnlimited access to all four mountains including Alpental. Full access to Summit at Snoqualmie's 65 slopes, terrain parks, and night skiing from Seattle.
Buy passAccess after 2pm all winter, then 12pm from March 22nd. Perfect for locals who can ski after work or school. Includes night skiing at Seattle's premier destination.
Buy passDay passes start from US$55, with peak rates up to US$125.
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