Mt. Baker Ski Area, located in the North Cascades of Washington, averages a whopping average yearly snowfall of over 600 inches. The mountain’s 1,000 skiable acres are serviced by 8 lifts, 2 rope tows, 2 day lodges and 31 runs. Mount Baker’s summit elevation of 5,089 feet delivers skiers and riders 1,500 feet of vertical.
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest surrounds the ski area, providing numerous summer activities, including hiking, biking, fishing and more.
Mt. Baker is located approximately 130 miles north of Seattle, Washington, and 86 miles east of Vancouver, BC. It’s also a little over an hour from Bellingham and Abbotsford, BC. Snow chains may be needed to get to the resort during winter.
Mt. Baker has been known to claim that it has the best snow base in North America – despite the sometimes uneven snowfall. While you can go to the resort for a getaway weekend, it’s also close enough to Seattle (three hours) and Bellingham (one and a half hours) to do a day trip.
It’s typically not crowded unless it’s the weekends, and there’s fresh powder. So, if possible, head to resort during the week.
Mt. Baker has a few amenities for a small ski resort, including a café, ski rentals and shops. Group and private ski instruction are also available onsite. Kids six and under can get a free lift ticket. Besides skiing, your kids – or the kids at heart – can go sledding, snow tubing or snowshoeing. For tubing and sledding, head to Highwood Lake, and park at Heather Meadows Lodge to take advantage of these free activities. For snowshoeing, go to Artist Point, which is also accessible from Heather Meadows parking lot.
The easiest places to eat are right in the resort, and you do have quite a few options to satisfy every taste bud.
While there aren’t many nightlife options at this small resort, you can find a couple of places to go, including the following: