Mountain Review: White Pass
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
7
Snow:
7
Resiliency:
5
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
5
Challenge:
6
Lifts:
6
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
5
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $85-$95
Pass Affiliation: Indy Pass, Powder Alliance
On-site Lodging: Limited
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Yakima (1.5 hrs), Seattle (3 hrs), Portland (3 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Views of Mount Rainier
Unique glade terrain offerings
Beginner-to-intermediate terrain progression
Available on-site lodging
Value
– Cons
Lack of expert terrain offerings
Mountain layout that requires traversing between pods
Heavy snow accumulation that can become icy quickly
Farther from cities than the competition
Extremely limited night skiing operation
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 8
Trails: 42
Beginner: 14%
Intermediate: 55%
Advanced/Expert: 31%
Mountain Review
Located just south of Mount Rainier, White Pass is home to some of the best views one can find of Washington state’s tallest mountain. It is also an ideal resort for progressing from beginner to advanced terrain, with a particular emphasis on surprisingly diverse intermediate terrain. But how does it stack up against the better-known resorts farther north, like Crystal, Snoqualmie, and Stevens Pass? Let’s take a closer look.
White Pass’s terrain setup makes it an optimal place to progress from beginner to advanced terrain.
Size and Terrain Layout
White Pass consists of almost 1,200 acres and has a vertical drop of 2,000 ft. This puts it on par with several competitive Washington ski areas like 49 Degrees North and Stevens Pass, though it’s only about half the size of the state’s largest area, Crystal Mountain.
White Pass’s terrain is organized around the main mountain, Pigtail Peak, with additional terrain pods on Hogback Mountain to the west. The Great White Express, a high-speed quad, provides access to the summit of Pigtail Peak, while the Far East Triple serves beginner terrain near the base. On the west side of Pigtail Peak, Chair #4 (commonly referred to as the Paradise chair) is an old double chair that accesses intermediate cruisers with little traffic.
Further west on Hogback Mountain, the Basin Quad services the terrain park and several lower intermediate runs. It also connects to the furthest-back terrain zone, accessed by the Couloir Express, a high-speed quad serving the highest elevation terrain. This area features intermediate glades and a few steeper pitches that require a short traverse.
Lifts
The Great White Express and Couloir Express are both high-speed detachables, providing quick access to much of White Pass’s most frequented terrain. But while the high-speed lifts are a nice touch at White Pass, some of the older lifts involve frustratingly slow ride times. The Basin Quad is especially slow, taking over 8 minutes on a ride that only ascends just over 600 feet. This is especially annoying given that a ride on this chair is required to reach the Couloir Express pod. The Paradise chair is a little quicker, taking around 6 minutes, but its trail pod is quite a bit shorter than others at the resort.
TRAIL MAP
Crowds
Located less than three hours from Seattle, White Pass does experience some crowds, particularly on weekends. However, lift lines are generally shorter compared to busier resorts like Crystal and Stevens Pass. The resort’s high-capacity lifts efficiently manage traffic in its most popular terrain areas, helping to maintain a steady flow even during peak times.
Snow
Snow at White Pass is pretty typical for the Cascades, which is to say heavy but plentiful, though the Couloir Express serves some higher elevation terrain with some of the best snow conditions in the state. Average annual precipitation is upward of 300 inches a year, putting it in the upper echelon of North American ski areas. This makes for a deep skiable base that regularly allows for late season skiing into April and May. In addition, White Pass employs snowmaking during the early season in order to ensure a good base layer of snow, though this doesn’t extend to the peak yet, so if snow doesn’t fall naturally only lower mountain areas could open.
However, the snow at White Pass is also characteristic of the Pacific Northwest, tending to be heavier and wetter than in drier, colder climates. This can make powder more challenging to ski or ride—and can lead to crusty surface conditions a few days after a storm. Periodically, warmer temperatures may push above freezing, particularly at lower elevations, occasionally resulting in rain rather than snow.
Like most resorts in the Pacific Northwest, White Pass is endowed with an abundance of wet, heavy snow.
Beginner Terrain
Thanks in large part to its well-designed progression of learning terrain, White Pass is an excellent destination for learning to ski or snowboard. The resort features several covered carpet lifts, providing a comfortable and sheltered experience for beginners, even in challenging weather conditions. Once learners are ready to move on, the Far East Triple Chair serves a variety of beginner-friendly trails, including open slopes and beginner-focused glades. This area is also relatively isolated from advanced skier traffic, creating a more welcoming and less intimidating environment.
Beyond the beginner area at the base, additional opportunities exist for less-experienced guests ready to explore. The Holiday run, accessible from the top of Pigtail Peak, offers a longer descent but includes one somewhat steeper section, making it best suited for skiers or riders who are confident on all terrain served by the Far East chair. The Basin Quad also serves some longer beginner-friendly runs, while the Couloir Express features several runs that, while not officially designated as beginner terrain, can be navigated by adventurous and confident learners.
Intermediate Terrain
White Pass offers a solid and diverse selection of options for intermediate guests as well. The Couloir Express serves as a standout area, featuring lightly gladed runs and intermediate bowls that funnel down into gentle cruisers, making it one of the best intermediate terrain pods in Washington. The Basin Quad provides access to lower intermediate terrain, though its longer lift ride may deter some guests from frequent laps.
The Paradise chair also offers quiet intermediate cruisers, though the center-pole double chair may be challenging for some to load. Finally, on Pigtail Peak itself, intermediate skiers will find several enjoyable runs, though a steeper mountain section midway down means guests will need to funnel onto a crowded traverse to stay on intermediate-friendly terrain.
While White Pass’s advanced terrain is less extensive than that of some competitors, the resort does feature a variety of steep bowls, mogul runs, chutes, and glades across several mountain areas.
Advanced Terrain
White Pass offers some advanced terrain, though it is less extensive compared to advanced-focused resorts like Mt. Baker and Crystal Mountain. On the east side of Pigtail Peak, skiers and riders will find a few short, steep, open bowls, while the north side features steep mogul runs that funnel into narrow chutes. For those seeking tree skiing, the west side of the peak includes cleared glades that lead to the Main Street traverse.
It may look like there are some tree runs around the Hourglass run and down the north face of Pintail, but be warned—there is a large cliff band that runs across that area. These cliffs are visible from the Great White Express lift, and anyone exploring the trees in this zone should proceed carefully. The West Ridge area to skier’s left of the Couloir Express offers steeper terrain that leads into the trees; however, these steep shots aren't the longest, and the traverse to reach them includes some uphill sections. This terrain is marked as double-black by the resort, although it is manageable for most advanced-level skiers or riders willing to make the effort.
Expert Terrain
White Pass is not competitive for expert terrain. While there are a few double-black trails such as Hourglass, North Peak, and Evacuation, these trails will leave a lot to be desired by true experts. They consist of steep moguls that narrow into chutes, although the chutes themselves are still relatively wide, resulting in a lack of technical intensity that might be found at other resorts.
There are also some unmarked cliffs scattered across the front side, but many of these are either off-limits or too large to navigate safely due to uncleared landings.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR WHITE PASS
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
Terrain Parks
Like many other areas in the Pacific Northwest, the park at White Pass is quite competitive. The park off the Far East lift has small to medium features, while the park off the Basin lift hosts medium to large features, with unique aspects to ride such as a van and creative rails. The only real downside to these parks is the reliance on slow, fixed-grip lifts, which can make lapping the parks less efficient.
Navigation
One of the biggest drawbacks of White Pass is its ease of navigation. While each individual terrain pod is well-designed and easy to explore, moving between them can be cumbersome. The traverse from Pigtail Peak to the Basin Quad includes long, flat sections and is necessary to access the Basin and Couloir Express pods. Exiting these pods also requires traversing, including one path that is not marked on the trail map. This unnamed traverse, referred to as “Base Area Access” on the trail map, funnels into the Main Street trail, another relatively flat route back to the base area.
All in all, reaching the top of the mountain from the base requires three lift rides. While it is possible to return to the base from anywhere without using additional lifts, this often involves navigating at least one flat traverse.
The base area itself can also be tricky to move around. The Great White Express and Far East chairs are separated by the beginner carpet lifts, and accessing the Far East lift requires either riding one of the carpets and traversing over or taking the Great White Express up and skiing or riding down.
White Pass’s roomy High Camp Lodge makes spending time in the resort’s most remote areas significantly more enjoyable.
Facilities
But while it might be a pain to get around, White Pass offers several convenient options for taking a break, even in its more remote terrain pods. The base area Day Lodge is spacious and features a café, bar, and restaurant, along with standard cafeteria-style options. Just across the street from the base area, the village includes a gas station and general store, offering a more budget-friendly option for grabbing snacks or drinks for the lifts.
On the mountain, there are two main lodges. The backside High Camp Lodge is the larger of the two, offering food, drinks, and restrooms in a prime location accessible from both the Couloir Express and the Basin Quad. Its generous size and amenities make spending time in these remote areas much more practical and desirable. The second on-mountain lodge is The Yurt, located near the bottom of the Paradise chair. While a little difficult to find, The Yurt provides a laidback atmosphere with food, drinks, and restrooms.
Mountain Aesthetic
One of White Pass's standout traits is its natural beauty on clear days. The upper mountain offers some of the most breathtaking views of any ski area, with Mount Rainier, the largest mountain in the lower 48 by topographical prominence, looming across the landscape. Even the lower mountain provides picturesque views of the surrounding wilderness, though the proximity of US-12 can slightly detract from the scenery.
Unfortunately, like many Pacific Northwest ski areas, clear days are relatively rare during the core season. However, even on cloudy days, the lightly gladed terrain in the Couloir Express pod creates a uniquely atmospheric experience. Trees disappear in and out of the mist, adding an eerie charm to the runs—and the pod’s well-defined layout ensures that skiers and riders can navigate confidently, even in low-visibility conditions.
White Pass offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, at least on the rare occasion that it is clear enough to see them.
Night Skiing
White Pass technically offers a night skiing operation, but it is extremely limited, both in terms of the available footprint and number of dates. For the 2024-25 season, night skiing will only be offered on New Year's Eve, January 25th, February 8th, and March 1st, and will just be covered by the Far East chair and magic carpet lifts. Many other ski resorts closer to Seattle and Portland offer a lot more.
Parking
White Pass offers a relatively good parking setup compared to the often congested parking situations at other Pacific Northwest resorts. Early arrivals can secure free parking directly along the highway near the lodge. Additional free parking is available in large lots across the highway, including Lot C, which offers overnight RV parking with a reservation. Shuttle services run between Lots A and C, making it easier to cross the highway. For those walking from these lots to the slopes, the highway can pose a challenge, as traffic does not stop for pedestrians.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR WHITE PASS
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 touring board
Getting There
For drivers, the route to White Pass via US-12 is typical for a Pacific Northwest ski area, with access available from both sides of the mountains. The resort is approximately three hours from Seattle or Portland, two and a half hours from Tacoma, and just over an hour from Yakima. Unfortunately, there are no public transportation options to White Pass.
Lodging
Unlike many Pacific Northwest ski areas, White Pass offers limited on-site lodging. The White Pass Village Inn sits just across the highway from the ski area, featuring a mix of studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom condos. For off-mountain lodging, the closest options are in Packwood, approximately 20 minutes west of the resort, or Naches, about 40 minutes east.
For visitors with an RV, White Pass allows overnight parking for under $50 per night. There are no RV hookups in the lot, but it is right at the base of the Far East lift.
Après-Ski
The après-ski scene at White Pass is relatively low-key, with very little focus on partying. On-mountain bars close at 5pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends. For any true late-night activities, guests would need to venture off the mountain and into other towns.
Parking at White Pass is generally less painful than at many other Pacific Northwest resorts, which is a good thing due to the lack of public transportation to the resort.
Verdict
While it’s not as large or intimidating as nearby Crystal—or as accessible as Stevens Pass or Summit at Snoqualmie—White Pass has a lot to offer the Seattleite looking for beginner and intermediate terrain across a beautiful footprint. The terrain progression from beginner to upper-intermediate is perhaps the best in the Pacific Northwest, and high-speed lifts in key (albeit not all) mountain areas allow skiers and riders to get a lot in during their day. For those looking for a less busy alternative to other Cascade ski areas who don’t mind a lack of advanced and expert terrain, White Pass is unlikely to disappoint.
Pricing
White Pass offers relatively affordable skiing, with several packages that make it an excellent value, especially for beginners. As of this writing, daily lift tickets are priced under $100.
The resort’s EZ Ski/Ride Package is designed for beginners and includes a lower-mountain lift ticket, ski or snowboard rental, and a group lesson for $99. For those past the beginner stage, the Cruiser Package provides a full-mountain lift ticket, equipment rental, and an intermediate-focused lesson.
White Pass is also part of several multi-mountain pass programs, including the Indy Pass and Powder Alliance. These programs offer two and three days at the resort, respectively. However, the Indy Base Pass has severely restrictive blackout dates for White Pass, blocking out all holidays and weekends between January 11 and March 9. The Indy Plus Pass and Powder Alliance have no blackouts.
