The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Mount Rainier National Park

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....

The moment you read this you are already thinking “ Of course I know the Emmons Glacier Route” but this is a bit different. Because this route is Mid Winter this is just looking at the lower slopes up to Camp Sherman and not up higher....

The Northeast bowl of Mount Fremont is the perfect place to head once the snow has melted everywhere else. While this area isn’t the biggest line around you can still get turns well after the Sunrise road has opened up for the season....

The beauty of the Wahpenyo Peak ski tour is that you don’t have to deal with the Paradise Gate and wether it will be open. Since this tour starts at Longmire you can access it any time or any day....

If you account for how many visits a ski touring destination has all year I would say that the Muir Snowfield is the most popular spot in the Southern Cascades. Being that it has snow year round there isn’t a single month where people aren’t heading out to get in a few turns....

If you’ve ever driven up to Paradise on a clear day there is a good chance the Nisqually chutes have caught your eyes. Just driving across the Nisqually river bridge it is the slopes directly up valley that rises all the way to the Muir Snowfield....

The Van Trump Park zone is a stunning area within the Southern side of Mount Rainier with numerous options for ski touring potential. Being much less popular then the Paradise area the main reason for this seems to be the approach....

If you are driving up the Paradise River road in hopes of finding some good powder snow in the trees look no further than Castle Peak. Being that this are is in the Tatoosh Range with North facing slopes it holds good powder much longer than the tours based out of Paradise Visitor Center....

Just writing about this trip makes my legs burn but if you want to do something unique from Camp Muir this is the tour for you. Being a snowboarder I don’t really recommend it but if you are a skier this is a great and scenic trip is some stunning scenery....

Edith Basin is the go to area when you are looking for powder conditions leaving from the Paradise Visitor Center. Being just below alpine it allows for you to make the most out of this zone no matter what weather it is, sunny or stormy....

Sunbeam Basin is another option if you are looking to find north facing slopes within the Eastern side of Mount Rainier. Being that this bowl has numerous different aspects being both treed and open you can easily navigate in the worst of conditions....

Do you like skiing on an open glacier but are tired of the Muir Snowfield? Well look no further than the Paradise Glacier. This is a great alternative which has a a better descent up high with the downfall being the exit....

High Saddle starts just a few minutes up the Throne ridge hike. Look for the small alpine first that dot the upper section. Watch for the traverse track below. This is a relatively easy run for those wanting to hike for a few fresh turns....

A steep glade that opens into Avalanche Basin, Crystal Col consists of a broad face dotted with trees and narrow gullies. Watch out for cornices that form on the ridge. Drop into one of the many entrance points along the ridge....

Named for the cornice that often forms here, this run starts steep with a few rocks to navigate. Once through the first few turns, this slope opens up below Sasquatch Rock into an open bowl....

Like West Ridge Chute B, Chute A is more of a face than a chute. It starts at the False Summit along the hike to the summit of the Throne. This is a good run for non-experts hoping to challenge themselves, but requires a short ten-minute hike up the ridge....

This narrow couloir is guarded by large buttresses on either side. From a distance, the rock above this chute looks like a Sasquatch climbing the ridge. This is the first of the classic couloirs on the north side of the King that you come to when hiking....

A steep open glade, False Summit starts just before the first Southback gate. Access by hiking the Throne until you reach the first flat spot. False Summit starts here. A few small alpine firs dot the upper slope early season....

OO Right is a broad face with some trees and a variety of open lines. From the top of the Chair 6, traverse towards the Throne. OO Right is the broad face between the chairline and Hamburger Basin....

A shallow face that opens into a wider bowl, West Ridge Chute B is not really a chute. It is more of a narrow face between treed ribs. Access by hiking the Throne just pass the Southback gate at the False Summit....