Mountain Review: Mission Ridge
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
6
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
5
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
7
Challenge:
5
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
6
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $89-$159
Pass Affiliation: Indy Pass, Powder Alliance
On-site Lodging: No
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Wenatchee (30 mins), Spokane (3 hrs), Seattle (3.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Light, dry snow for the Pacific Northwest
Robust snowmaking system
Washington State’s only bubble chair
Extensive night skiing footprint
– Cons
Lower snowfall than other Washington resorts
No on-mountain lodging
Longer driving distance from Seattle than competitors
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 4
Trails: 70
Beginner: 10%
Intermediate: 60%
Advanced/Expert: 30%
Mountain Review
When it comes to Washington State skiing and riding, people often think of wet snow—and too many Seattleites. However, on the east side of the Cascades lies Mission Ridge, which is home to light, dry powder, well-balanced terrain, and largely-uncrowded slopes. Looking over the city of Wenatchee and the Columbia River, Mission Ridge provides an alternative to the much busier ski areas on the Cascade crest such as Snoqualmie, Crystal, and Stevens Pass. So is it worth the extra drive to get to?
Size
Mission Ridge is a midsized ski area with over 1,000 skiable acres, though only around 900 of those acres are accessible by lifts. This is about on par with a few other popular Washington ski areas such as Mt. Baker, 49 Degrees North, and Alpental, though it is much smaller than Crystal Mountain.
Mission Ridge’s Wenatchee Express is a luxurious lift that provides protection from the elements.
Lifts and Terrain Layout
Mission Ridge has a decidedly unique lift layout. Two fixed grip double chairs, Chair 1 and Chair 4, provide out of base capacity, while a high speed bubble quad chair, the Wenatchee Express (Chair 2), serves the upper mountain. This is actually the only place in Western North America where a luxurious bubble chair is only accessible by first taking a fixed grip chair.
Chair 1 brings guests to a mid-mountain hub that hosts the base of the Wenatchee Express and Chair 3. This hub also contains a restaurant and a small terrain park served by a rope tow. Chair 4, the other out-of-base lift, serves its own pod to the lookers left of the rest of the mountain. Also at the base is the beginners area, which is served by a carpet and a rope tow.
Wenatchee Express Bubble Chair
The Wenatchee Express bubble quad serving the upper mountain has an interesting story. The chair it replaced was the Liberator Express, named for a B-24 Bomber that crashed on the mountain during World War II. That chair was originally from Winter Park and was one of the oldest detachable chairs in use when it was replaced in 2020. The chair that replaced it was used as well, this time from Austria—and it was actually originally built only a few years after the old Liberator Express.
The new lift is certainly luxurious, with red leather seats and a bubble that provides welcome isolation from the elements. The load and unload areas are also protected, and there is a loading conveyor to lessen loading errors.
TRAIL MAP
Crowds
Thanks to its greater distance from Seattle compared to other Washington ski areas, Mission Ridge experiences far less crowding than destinations like Crystal Mountain or Stevens Pass. Lift lines rarely reach unsustainable levels, and each junction point offers multiple lift options; if the line is too long at one lift, there is always an alternative uphill route.
The most congested spot at the resort is usually the beginner-oriented Mimi trail, which both functions as the best beginner-pitched run at the resort and serves as a funnel from several upper mountain areas.
Snow
Mission Ridge stands out among Washington ski areas for its snow quality, which is significantly drier and lighter than resorts further west in the state—and more akin to the conditions found at resorts in Utah or Colorado. However, Mission Ridge significantly lags behind in terms of snow quantity than other Washington ski areas. Average annual snowfall is only around 200 inches per year, which is around half of the 400+ inches that places like Crystal or Stevens Pass often get.
Mission Ridge has a plethora of intermediate and groomed runs accessible from Wenatchee Express.
Beginner Terrain
Mission Ridge’s beginner terrain is quite limited, and even the few trails that do exist are not the best designed for less-experienced guests. There are only two real green routes down the mountain, both served by Chair 1. One of these runs, Mimi, is also the main runout for most of the resort—and as the most beginner-friendly run outside the bunny hill and the primary route down from the upper mountain, it naturally attracts a lot of traffic. Fortunately, this run is quite wide, which helps keep congestion from getting out of control. The other green route is the Summer Road trail on the other side of the creek, and while this trail is typically less busy than Mimi, it’s also much narrower.
Intermediate Terrain
Mission Ridge is a great option for intermediate skiers, with an abundance of cruisers tailored to this ability level. The upper mountain Wenatchee Express and Chair 3 offer outstanding groomed blue runs, each with its own unique character. Terrain off the Wenatchee Express features open and lightly-gladed intermediate runs, while Chair 3 provides access to somewhat steeper, tree-lined groomers.
Chair 4 complements these offerings with additional blue cruisers and Otto’s Outback, an area featuring ungroomed, bowl-like terrain. However, Otto’s Outback sits at a lower elevation and may not always be open, as surface conditions there can be variable.
Mission Ridge offers isolated areas for advanced and expert skiers who are willing to hike.
Advanced Terrain
Advanced skiers and riders will find somewhat limited options at Mission Ridge, and this level is where the mountain’s smaller size becomes more evident. Chairs 3 and 4 offer several black diamond runs, though most are short, steep mogul trails that don’t demand much endurance. Between the top of the Wenatchee Express and Windy Ridge, there are additional short and steep bump runs marked as double blacks, but these are manageable for most advanced skiers.
Tree skiing for advanced-but-not-expert skiers and riders is limited, as the combination of thin snow cover and steep terrain tends to push tree runs more towards the true expert category.
For those who crave speed, the Skookum run is a standout. Though marked as a blue on the trail map, its wide-open layout is perfect for fast, sweeping turns and will satisfy any racer’s itch.
Expert Terrain
Despite somewhat demoralizing advanced terrain, true experts seeking a challenge at Mission Ridge have a few fairly enticing options. The rock lined Ka-Wham Chutes and Bomber Cliffs offer precipitous drops and require straight-lining or mandatory air in places. These areas are directly served by the Wenatchee Express, making for fast laps.
For a more remote experience, hike-to areas to the skier's right of the peak provide longer expert-oriented descents than the aforementioned areas. These areas—Windy Ridge, Microwave, and Bowl 4—are home to large corniced entries, rock-riddled bowls, and steep tree lines, with access requiring hikes of 15, 30, and 45 minutes, respectively. Due to their access difficulty, these areas also tend to hold snow better than other parts of the resort.
Chair 3 also serves a few steep tree runs best suited for experts, but their snow quality can be inconsistent due to limited snowfall and dense tree coverage. Meanwhile, the southeast-facing Central Park area offers thickly-treed terrain but suffers from poor snow conditions due to its sun exposure, often rendering it unskiable for much of the season.
In addition to providing protection from the elements, the Wenatchee Express allows for easy navigation to many areas of the mountain.
Terrain Park
Mission Ridge has multiple parks, though true park rats may be left hoping for more. The mid-mountain park hosts small to medium features and is served by a park-exclusive rope tow. This setup, uncommon in the West but popular in the Midwest, allows for quick laps and plenty of repetitions on the features.
Additionally, a smaller terrain park is located along the Mimi green run. This area is designed for beginners just starting out in the park, with smaller, more approachable features to help riders build confidence.
Resiliency
Despite the lower snow totals for the Pacific Northwest, Mission Ridge is able to get quite a bit of terrain open relatively quickly due to a robust snowmaking system. They have one of the largest snowmaking systems in the Pacific Northwest, which allows for a consistent opening schedule. In fact, Mission Ridge has opened on Thanksgiving weekend 11 out of the past 12 years.
However, off-piste trails can face more marginal conditions due to the suboptimal snow totals and lighter snow quality, both of which contribute to a snow base that is not as robust as many other competitors in the Pacific Northwest. Fortunately, the predominantly north-facing terrain and lower crowds do counteract these factors somewhat.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MISSION RIDGE
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Recommended intermediate ski
Recommended advanced ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended powder ski
Navigation
Getting around Mission Ridge is generally easy. All lift bases can be accessed from any lift summit, and all runs will eventually make it down to the base area. There are a few flatter catwalks, but these aren’t required to get to other areas and primarily function as easier routes within certain terrain pods. Some advanced and expert terrain, such as the Ka-Wham Chutes and certain runs off Castle Peak, can be challenging to locate due to their unmarked status. However, this contributes to the appeal, as it keeps the snow in these areas untracked for longer. The hike-to terrain is the most challenging to lap, though the hike itself is manageable, with modest elevation gain and a relatively safe bootpack.
For some visitors, an unexpected advantage of Mission Ridge may be its low elevation, which tops out at just 6,800 feet. For context, this is lower than the base elevation of every single destination ski resort in Colorado. This makes Mission Ridge an excellent choice for visitors prone to altitude sickness.
Facilities
Mission Ridge's on-mountain facilities are functional but not extravagant. The base area offers a few dining options, including a cafeteria and a sit-down restaurant with a full bar. On the mountain, the primary food and drink spot is Midway, located conveniently at the junction between the top of Chair 1 and the bottoms of Chair 3 and the Wenatchee Express. While Midway’s menu is limited, the prices are reasonable by resort standards, and it provides both indoor and outdoor seating. Its central location makes it easily accessible from almost anywhere on the mountain, including the hike-to terrain.
Additionally, on weekends and holidays, the mountain has a food-cat (snowcat turned food truck) called Tacocat that serves tacos, snacks, and drinks.
The facilities at Mission Ridge aren’t lacking, but they won’t blow anyone away either.
Mountain Aesthetic
One of Mission Ridge’s standout traits is its natural beauty. Volcanic rocks scattered across the resort create distinctive chutes, adding character to the terrain. From the top of the Wenatchee Express, skiers and riders are treated to breathtaking views of iconic Cascade peaks, including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Glacier Peak, and the particularly striking Mt. Stuart. Far below, the Columbia River and the town of Wenatchee are visible, offering a dramatic contrast, as the town sits at just 700 feet compared to the ski area’s base at 4,500 feet and peak at 6,800 feet. However, the views at the summit are partially obstructed by the unusually large top lift terminal.
Mission Ridge also boasts fascinating historical and quirky features. The Bomber Chutes and Bomber Bowl are named after a real World War II B-24 bomber that crashed here during a 1944 training mission. A piece of the plane—a wing—can be found on the Boundary Road trail, and local legend claims rubbing it brings good snow conditions. Another unique sight is the 11-foot-tall Yeti statue near the peak; on stormy days, it becomes encased in ice, while sunny, ice-melting weather reveals its steel construction, giving it a distinct Bigfoot-like appearance.
According to local legend, rubbing the World War II-era B-24 bomber wing on display on the Boundary Bowl trail brings good snow conditions.
Parking
Parking at Mission Ridge is all on-site and free, though those trying to camp in an RV or park overnight are asked to reserve a spot 24 hours in advance and pay $35 per night.
Getting There
Mission Ridge is located less than 30 minutes from the town of Wenatchee, a town of around 30,000 people on the east side of the Cascades. It is a little far for a day trip from Seattle, as the trip will be no less than 3 hours each way over either Stevens Pass or Snoqualmie Pass—and traffic can be considerable. Mission Ridge is also 3 hours from Spokane and around 2 hours from Yakima, although the drive from those areas is much easier.
For those without access to a car, there are other ways to get up to Mission Ridge. The local transit agency operates SkiLink, a bus service running from downtown Wenatchee to the mountain. SkiLink operates all day on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season, as well as on Friday nights, providing an easy and accessible way to reach the slopes.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MISSION RIDGE
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended powder board
Lodging and Après-Ski
Mission Ridge does not offer on-mountain lodging, and the après scene is relatively subdued, with just a casual bar in the base lodge. However, the nearby town of Wenatchee, just 30 minutes away, provides plenty of accommodation options. Wenatchee is a sizable town with a range of amenities, including bars, a nightclub, and several nearby wineries, making it a convenient and lively base for your ski trip.
Night Skiing
For those staying near the area, Mission Ridge offers the option to extend the day with night skiing. The resort features night skiing from base to summit, claiming the longest vertical night skiing drop in the country; however, only one trail is lit from top to bottom. A few runs off Chair 4 and the terrain park are open for night skiing as well. As a result, guests will find a limited but unique nighttime experience.
With sunny slopes, a nice nearby town, and an extensive snowmaking operation, Mission Ridge can make a nice weekend trip to the Cascades.
Verdict
With light snow, an extensive snowmaking system, great views, and plentiful intermediate terrain, Mission Ridge could be just what many folks are looking for in a Washington State ski destination. Compared to other Washington mountains, the offers fewer lift lines, better snow quality, sunnier slopes, and a nice nearby town that may coerce some to plan a weekend trip across the Cascades. However, powder days are not exactly abundant here, and those looking for long bump runs or easily-accessible expert terrain may be disappointed.
Pricing
Lift tickets at Mission Ridge aren’t crazy expensive, but they also aren’t the cheapest out there. One-day adult rates can go for as low as $89 on off-peak weekdays, but they rise up as high as $159 if you buy at the window.
Mission Ridge is also affiliated with both the Powder Alliance and the Indy Pass, providing additional access opportunities. Powder Alliance members receive three free days at each participating resort, including Mission Ridge. Indy Pass holders get two days of access at Mission Ridge, albeit with significant weekend and holiday blackouts on the Indy Base Pass.
