Photo of Backcountry Skiing Routes in Washington

The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Washington

Explore Backcountry Skiing Routes

Top 238 backcountry skiing routes in Washington

Page 1 of 12
1

Corral Pass

10.26 mi·
4,055 ft
Corral Pass is one of those ski tours that you come up with when finally bored of the Crystal Mountain Backcountry and want to try something different. Is it any better?? in my opinion no but it is nice to have options so I will write about my experience ski touring up in this rarely explored area....
2

Kendall Stumps

2.54 mi·
1,394 ft
Kendal Stumps is one of those tours you put into your pocket in case the weekend falls on a high avalanche day. This is not one of those ski tours that’s all about bagging a big summit but more of some open tree skiing on semi mellow slopes....
3

Flett Glacier turns in September

11.04 mi·
3,955 ft
The Flett Glacier is a good option to go to once you get the first snow of the season. With just a few inches of powder it allows you to make numerous laps without the fear of hitting any rocks....
4

Summit West Uphill

0.69 mi·
672 ft
At Snoqualmie Pass you can skin inbounds at any time with an uphill pass, even during resort open hours on certain routes. This is the designated up-track at Summit West. West is the shortest of the four ski areas at The Summit, so this uphill is good for a shorter workout or for linking lots of laps....
5

Summit East Uphill

1.56 mi·
1,131 ft
Of the three designated uphill routes at The Summit, this one offers the most vert with just over 1100 feet from bottom to top. The zigzagging route covers about 1.5 miles in distance, making a decent-length tour entirely within bounds of the resort....
6

Summit Central Uphill

1.79 mi·
1,032 ft
The Summit Central offers one designated route for uphill travel during operating hours. As mapped here it begins from the Silver Fir Lodge, but you could traverse over from the main parking or elsewhere in the resort instead....
7

Mount Aix and Nelson Ridge

13.62 mi·
6,228 ft
Have you ever been heading up the Crystal Mountain Gondola and looked to the south noticing a peak that is a tad bit higher than the surrounding peaks. Well if you have then this is Mount Aix which is a great area but be warned that just driving there is almost as long as the ski tour itself....
8

The Patrol Race

19.76 mi·
4,107 ft
The Patrol Race is a historic route within within Washington State from Snoqualmie Pass to Meany Lodge. Starting in 1938 and discontinued in 1944 this would be a semi cross country route until arriving at Meany Lodge, never heard of said lodge? It turns out that this was the original ski resort in Washington state put together by the Mountaineers....
9

Glacier Peak via the Cool Glacier

42.85 mi·
12,719 ft
The Gerdine and Cool Glacier route up Glacier Peak has become the standard way into this amazing zone but that doesn’t mean it is easy. There is a reason that this area in known as the most remote volcano within the entirety of the Cascade Range....
10

Mount Baker via Squak Glacier

14.77 mi·
7,732 ft
The Squak Glacier route on Mount Baker is possibly the easiest way to make your way to the summit of this iconic peak. When most other volcano lines are past there prime this run still holds good snow on a typical season until August....
11

Mount Baker via the Easton Glacier

13.31 mi·
7,851 ft
The Easton Glacier route on Mount Baker is a nice and consistent fall line run that holds late into the volcano season. While the Coleman Demmning route is a classic this line is much more straightforward both going up and coming down....
12

Mount Baker via the Coleman Glacier

11.23 mi·
7,239 ft
The Coleman Deming Route is possibly the most popular way to the summit for both skiers and climbers. Being that this area is on the Northwest side of Mount Baker it offers a great and semi technical way upon glaciers all the way to the top....
13

Northeast chute of North Twin Sister

2.53 mi·
2,492 ft
The North Twin Sister is a great ski tour outside of most peoples radars in the North Cascades. Being the first alpine range on the Western side of the Cascades the view alone makes this trip worthwhile....
14

The Worm Flows Route on Mount Saint Helens

8.82 mi·
5,231 ft
Mount Saint Helens is a great ski tour if looking to get into the basics of volcano ski touring. Being that the terrain is relatively mellow all the way to the Crater rim and non technical this is a great tour for people of all abilities....
15

Mount Adams via the Southwest Chutes

11.93 mi·
7,155 ft
The Southwest Chutes on Mount Adams have to be one of if not the most popular ski tour within the volcanoes of the Cascades. With its easy access all the way to the summit and a consistent 3,000 foot line this descent is great for people of all abilities....
16

Chair Peak lower Eastern ridge

3.66 mi·
2,370 ft
While this route is usually used to access snow lake that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great run on its own. Not only does it offer some nice and semi steep turns but it also gives great views into the valley....
17

The White Salmon Glacier on Mount Shuksan

6.52 mi·
5,272 ft
The White Salmon Glacier on Mount Shuksan is one of those lines you look at from the Mount Baker ski resort and dream of riding. Being that it is a wide open and semi steep north facing run it is the kind of line almost anyone can enjoy....
18

Doubtful Lake Gullies on Sahale Peak

6.74 mi·
5,484 ft
Sahale Mountain has some of the best views in all of the Cascades and the Doubtful Lake Chutes is the icing on the cake. Being that the ascent route is straightforward but pretty mellow this makes what would be a mundane ski run a much more enjoyable descent....
19

Faith's Right

0.26 mi·
20 ft
This broad, relatively easy face is a good run for non-experts wanting to challenge themselves on High Campbell. This run can be accessed from the top of Chair 6 either by taking the front traverse to OO Left or by following the Powder Bowl ridge until you reach the opening in the trees, then proceeding towards Chair 6....
20

Berry Patch

0.14 mi
This fun run is really three separate slots through the trees. Thanks to a large avalanche on Rock Face in 2013, many of the trees on the right side of Berry Patch were destroyed....
Page 1 of 12