Stevens Pass
City:
Skykomish
Region:
West Coast
Updated:
October 31, 2024
59
PeakRankings Score
To give each resort a Mountain Score, we assess 10 equally weighted categories that paint an overall picture of the typical mountain experience.
2025 Rankings
Overall Rank
#
65
Rank In
United States
#
51
Rank In
Washington
#
4
Category Scores
Snow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort gets top accumulation and snow that forms in a way that feels light and powdery all the time.
9
The resort sees very good accumulation and gets powder that takes awhile to track or feels notably light.
8
The resort sees very good snow accumulation each season that tends to stay powdery for several days in a row.
7
The resort sees very good, powdery snow accumulation each season, but powder doesn't always last long at certain places in the resort.
6
The resort sees good accumulation that forms a solid base each season and sometimes sees powder but sometimes suffers from variable cover.
5
The resort sees decent accumulation each season but sometimes suffers from variable cover and rarely sees powder.
4
The resort sees okay accumulation each season. Non-snowmaking trails regularly suffer from thin or variable cover.
3
The resort sees mediocre accumulation each season. Thin cover is a given on all non-snowmaking trails.
2
The resort receives poor accumulation each season and must heavily rely on snowmaking to stay open.
1
The resort would have little to no snow if it weren't for snowmaking. If you're not on a trail, you probably don't see any accumulation.
0
The resort doesn’t get any snow.
7
Lifts
Criteria Breakdown
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10
High-speed lifts exist across every mountain area. Helper lifts are high-speed as well.
9
Most lifts are high-speed, with only a few areas serviced by helper fixed-grip lifts.
8
All but a few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts may be fixed grip.
7
Most areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts are fixed grip.
6
Many areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but some are only serviced by fixed-grip lifts.
5
About half of areas are accessible by high-speed lifts.
4
A few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but most areas only see fixed-grip lift service.
3
All lifts are fixed grip but some are at least modern.
2
Lifts are extremely old or low-capacity. Some places are only serviced by surface lifts.
1
Surface lifts only.
0
No lifts.
5
Resiliency
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain can quickly recover from the worst conditions and deliver the exact same experience as on a good day.
9
The mountain can quickly recover from almost any poor conditions thanks to excellent poor snow and weather mitigation.
8
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in nearly every mountain area and across all terrain categories. A few parts of the resort may occasionally see significant impacts.
7
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in most mountain areas, but some parts of the mountain are highly affected by inclement weather or poor conditions.
6
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in many mountain areas, but other parts are highly susceptible to inclement weather or poor conditions.
5
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but struggles to mitigate poor conditions in many mountain areas.
4
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close a few major parts of the mountain. Under severe circumstances, the mountain may be forced to completely suspend operations.
3
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close multiple major mountain areas. Occasionally, the mountain may be forced to suspend operations completely.
2
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses most of its skiable terrain, with restoration regularly taking several days or weeks. A few small runs may stay open.
1
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses its entire skiable footprint and may take weeks to recover.
0
Any inclement weather issues are season-ending.
7
Crowd Flow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain's infrastructure is perfectly set up for crowd flow and capacity and does the best possible job to mitigate crowding.
9
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with excellent capacity.
8
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with good capacity. One or two areas could use a capacity upgrade.
7
The mountain's lift infrastructure is usually direct and well-placed with good capacity. A few areas could use a capacity upgrade or better placed lifts. Trails themselves rarely become chokepoints.
6
The mountain's lift and trail network is usually direct with good capacity. Some areas suffer from indirect lift placements or poorly thought out junctions.
5
The mountain’s lift and trail network comprises a comparable mix of direct, well-placed routes and indirect or capacity-constrained ones.
4
The mountain's lift and trail network is set up in a way that causes major crowding or indirect routing for many popular routes. Some areas are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
3
The mountain's lift and trail network causes serious crowding or indirect routing for most areas, but a few places are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
2
The mountain's lift and trail network is not equipped to handle crowds on a normal day and sees backups of more than half an hour.
1
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are seriously flawed. Poor lift placement and uphill capacity can cause backups of more than an hour.
0
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are so bad that you shouldn't expect to get on the mountain on a typical day.
5
Size
Criteria Breakdown
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10
7000+ skiable acres
9
3500-7000 skiable acres
8
2500-3500 skiable acres
7
1800-2500 skiable acres
6
1200-1800 skiable acres
5
800-1200 skiable acres
4
500-800 skiable acres
3
250-500 skiable acres
2
100-250 skiable acres
1
1-100 skiable acres
0
0 skiable acres
5
Facilities
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges at every major and minor junction area.
9
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges throughout most mountain areas.
8
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. A few minor mid- or high-elevation areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
7
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. Some major mountain areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
6
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across multiple areas, but some places lack easy access to the closest facilities.
5
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area but suffers from limited, low-capacity, or impractically placed on-mountain facilities.
4
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area. Any on-mountain facilities are limited, low-capacity, and impractically placed.
3
The mountain consists of at least one high-capacity base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
2
The mountain consists of a moderately-sized base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
1
The mountain consists of a singular base lodge that's either impractically small or hard to reach.
0
The mountain doesn't consist of any on-site lodge facilities.
4
Terrain Diversity
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain has an abundance of terrain in all categories for all ability levels.
9
The mountain offers multiple options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
8
The mountain offers at least some options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
7
The mountain offers terrain in most categories for a range of ability levels, but may fall short in one or two areas.
6
The mountain offers terrain in many categories but either falls short or lacks terrain in a few others.
5
The mountain offers terrain of varying lengths, gradients, and widths but lacks terrain in multiple categories.
4
The mountain offers similar terrain of moderately different lengths, gradients, and widths.
3
The mountain offers similar terrain of slightly different lengths, gradients, or widths.
2
The mountain consists of runs that are similar to one another but vary slightly by difficulty.
1
The mountain only consists of runs that provide nearly identical terrain experiences.
0
The mountain has no terrain.
6
Navigation
Criteria Breakdown
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10
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from any place.
9
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from most places. A small fraction of trails don't have direct access to all other mountain areas.
8
It's easy to get to and from most mountain areas. A few minor areas aren't directly accessible from all other parts of the resort or may be hard to find.
7
It's reasonably simple to get between most major mountain areas. A few areas require catwalks or traverses to get to or from or are hard to find. Some areas require multiple direct lift rides to travel between.
6
It's reasonably simple to get between many major mountain areas, but some areas require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
5
Some mountain areas are easy to navigate while others require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
4
Some mountain areas are easy to get between, but navigating many major areas can be confusing. Some major trails may suffer from poor signage or require catwalks.
3
It can take multiple lifts or be notably confusing to get between major resort areas. Many resort areas suffer from indirect trail routes, poor signage, or multiple catwalks.
2
It takes a substantial amount of effort and multiple indirect lifts to get between resort areas with little enjoyable terrain in between. Expect to occasionally get lost.
1
Expect to regularly get lost at this resort due to poor signage and lift placement. Getting between mountain areas requires notable effort and extremely unenjoyable terrain.
0
It's impossible to get around this resort. You will likely get lost or spend your whole day trying to get from one place to another.
6
Challenge
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort boasts truly extreme terrain across several prominent areas. Any double blacks should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
9
Select resort areas boast some of the most challenging runs in the world. The most challenging terrain should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
8
The mountain boasts extremely demanding terrain with sustained pitches, cliffs, drop-ins, and/or tight turns.
7
The mountain offers a range of very steep, ungroomed terrain with features like cliffs, drop-ins, or tight turns.
6
The mountain offers a range of steep, difficult terrain, with expert features like cliffs in some places.
5
The mountain offers some fairly steep groomed and ungroomed runs.
4
The mountain offers some steep runs but very little ungroomed terrain.
3
The mountain primarily offers groomed terrain with moderate pitches.
2
The mountain offers mostly gently-sloped terrain.
1
None of the mountain's terrain is more difficult than a typical bunny hill.
0
The mountain is completely flat.
8
Mountain Aesthetic
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort offers one-of-a-kind views, terrain, isolation, and vibes. You probably won't find a resort that feels like this again in your lifetime.
9
The resort offers unique terrain, views, and isolation that you'll rarely find anywhere else.
8
The resort clearly distinguishes itself with class-leading views, terrain, and isolation.
7
The resort feels unique, with high-quality views, terrain, and isolation across the footprint.
6
The resort doesn't boast the same unique terrain as some competing resorts but offers excellent views and isolation in many areas.
5
The resort offers some cool terrain and great views and isolation in some areas. Some areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
4
The resort offers decently cool terrain, nice views, or pockets of isolation in places. Major areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
3
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up around more than half the resort or offers only moderately interesting terrain, views and isolation.
2
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up in most areas or offers only mildly interesting terrain, views or isolation.
1
The resort barely feels like a mountain, with intense commercialization and very little in the way of views, terrain, or isolation.
0
The resort is completely flat or indoors.
6
Good To Know
Aprés-ski:
Limited
On-site Lodging:
No
Nearest City:
Pass Affiliation:
Epic Pass
Epic [Backend]
Ikon [Backend]
Mountain Collective [Backend]
Other [Backend]
Recommended Ability:
From
Beginner
To
Advanced
Beginner [Backend]
Intermediate [Backend]
Advanced [Backend]
Expert [Backend]
Extreme [Backend]
Pros
- Generous snow accumulation
- Diverse advanced and expert terrain
- Competitive terrain park experience
- Available night skiing
- Local feel
Generous snow accumulation
Diverse advanced and expert terrain
Competitive terrain park experience
Available night skiing
Local feel
Cons
- Perennial foggy, low-visibility conditions
- No on-site lodging
- Limited parking and inconvenient overflow lots
- Short vertical drop
- Very little beginner terrain
- Limited on-mountain facilities outside base area
Perennial foggy, low-visibility conditions
No on-site lodging
Limited parking and inconvenient overflow lots
Short vertical drop
Very little beginner terrain
Limited on-mountain facilities outside base area
Mountain Stats
1125
acres
Skiable Footprint
1125
acres
Total Footprint
94
%
Lift-Serviced Terrain
5845
ft
Top Elevation
2024
ft
Vertical Drop
10
Lifts
52
Trails
11
%
Beginner
54
%
Intermediate
35
%
Advanced/Expert
Comprehensive Review
Stevens Pass is a modestly-sized ski area a few hours away from Seattle. Strong snowfall totals, a local feel, and challenging expert terrain have attracted regional visitors for years. Although a few notable changes have come to pass, the resort still largely offers the same experience it did before Vail Resorts acquired it back in 2018.
Stevens Pass’s character has somewhat changed since the Vail acquisition, with new LED trail status maps installed at the base and price hikes across food venues. However, the mountain still maintains its local feel, with very little buildup past the base complex. Despite its very modest stature, the area still feels quite removed from the outside world; a two-lift requirement to reach all summit areas helps with this, even if upper-mountain chairs are quite short in length. Prominent power lines on the back side may remind you of the outside world, but there’s very little trace of civilization back there besides that.
Stevens Pass’s overall aesthetic heavily depends on the day you visit. The mountain experiences some of the heaviest fog of any Washington resort, with visibility on the worst days dwindling down to the point where you may not even be able to see a few feet in front of you. But on clear and sunny days, you’ll have a clear line of sight to the stunning mountain ranges surrounding the area.
Stevens Pass is not for beginners. Beginner terrain exists solely in lower-mountain areas, and some of it is too flat to pick up speed, resulting in a less-than-ideal experience even for those learning. A bunny hill, newly upgraded with a higher-capacity quad lift, exists at the base.
Stevens Pass offers decent intermediate trails for its size, but the terrain doesn’t stand out. Intermediate runs exist across most mountain areas, but some upper-mountain areas are advanced-only. The mountain does offer a few cool intermediate-accessible glade areas, but most blue trails are typical, tree-defined trails with ordinary terrain elements.
On the other hand, Stevens Pass offers some unique, seriously technical terrain. Advanced and expert runs span the entire resort and comprise many forms, including trails, glades, and bowls. Certain lines boast technical pitches that extend the entire mountain length, resulting in some leg-burning challenges. Others require demandingly tight turns or steep drop-ins with very little room for error. The toughest lines exist off Cowboy Mountain, a short hike from the 7th Heaven chairlift, which comprises cliff- and chute-riddled terrain with few in-bounds danger markings. An out-of-bounds backcountry warning sign exists at the start of the hike, but the guidance only applies to the terrain off the back side of the ridge.
Stevens also boasts three competitive terrain park areas with features ranging from extra-small to large. Features include boxes, rails and jumps, as well as one of the only half-pipes in the Pacific Northwest. The setup falls short of top-tier, however, due to a lack of extra-large features.
Stevens Pass’s toughest terrain is especially avalanche-prone, and due to the nature of the terrain, extensive avalanche mitigation work must be done after snowstorms. However, the work hasn’t been done as fast under the new management, and some trails or lifts can take hours or days to open. This can especially be inconvenient if a storm falls on a weekend, when the fewer open areas leave less room for crowds to spread around.
Speaking of crowds, Stevens sees serious traffic on peak days. The resort’s convenient location from Seattle makes it a favorite for locals, with long lines common throughout the entire peak season on weekends and holidays. However, Stevens’ parking lots quickly reach capacity on weekends, so there’s a limit to how bad the crowds can really get. Crowds tend to be non-existent on weekdays.
Stevens’ lift setup does a decent job of handling crowds in certain places. Three high-speed lift options exist from the base, which helps move traffic efficiently. One of these lifts—the Hogsback Express, which provides the main access to the resort’s back side and the only access to non-bunny-hill beginner terrain—always sees longer lines than the other two. The fourth major base lift, the Kehr’s double chair, provides an alternative route to the back side for advanced and expert guests and generally experiences somewhat shorter lines than the other three lifts. The 7th Heaven and Double Diamond chairs rarely get backed up, but their terrain is very difficult to directly lap, and most guests will end up waiting at another chair after a run down one of these. Stevens’ popular back side often bears the brunt of resort traffic, with its two lifts often seeing long lines on weekends.
When it comes to lift infrastructure itself, Stevens offers a mix of high-speed quads and slow, lower-capacity fixed-grip chairs. High-speed service holds down many lower-mountain areas as well as the Jupiter backside area. All other lifts are slow, but the advanced-only Double Diamond and 7th Heaven lifts are so short that their speeds barely matter. It’s worth noting that the short, frontside Double Diamond and backside Southern Crossing chair are the same lift starting on different sides, sharing a top mid-station for unloading; failing to get off at the right time means a grueling download to the bottom and ride back up.
While fog can severely hamper visibility, getting around Stevens isn’t terrible overall—although there are a few quirks. Slopes across the resort’s compact footprint funnel down to just one base area and one backside junction point, making it tough to get truly lost. However, while signage is decent, some resort areas could use more trail maps posted around. Getting around the base can be tricky due to a large hill required to reach to most facilities and the Kehr’s chair from other popular lifts; a short rope tow provides convenient transportation up this hill, but it’s tough to grab and hold onto.
Like other Washington state resorts, Stevens Pass sees incredibly high snowfall totals each winter—often among the highest in the country. Immediately after a snowstorm, the resort can offer light, untouched powder stashes. However, wet and heavy snow conditions often plague the mountain, making for unpleasantly difficult snow to plow through. Weather can vary as well, and the resort can see occasional rainstorms—followed by ice-overs—throughout the core season.
Stevens Pass offers night skiing during the core winter season, with operations extending as late as 10pm Wednesday through Sunday. These operating hours are generous, but limited terrain options stay open throughout the evening, with few options for advanced and expert visitors. Intermediate and freestyle guests will enjoy night-skiing the most, as much of the terrain in these categories tends to remain open.
Lodging
Stevens Pass doesn’t have any on-site lodging, and the nearest options are approximately 20 minutes away in Skykomish or 40 minutes away in Leavenworth. The mountain is about 60-to-90 minutes away from certain Seattle neighborhoods.
Stevens offers very limited parking—and even more limited convenient parking. Getting a parking spot within walking distance to the slopes means arriving incredibly early in the morning due to limited upper-lot capacity.
Overflow parking is quite inconvenient, with the lots about 5 miles down the mountain pass from the resort along a considerable gradient. Access to the resort from these lots comes through shuttle buses. Backcountry trails back to some of these lots do exist, but they’re not marked. However, even the furthest overflow parking can fill up by 9:30am on peak days.
Aprés-ski
As a local mountain with no on-site lodging, Stevens Pass doesn’t really offer an aprés-ski vibe. However, the resort boasts a few enjoyable base area bars that generally stay open late thanks to night skiing.
Verdict
Stevens Pass gets really busy on weekends, and the mountain may not be the best choice for destination-goers due to its lack of nearby lodging and modest dimensions. But for those who go at the right time, Stevens can be really awesome thanks to generous snowfall and unique, technical terrain. Despite some operational challenges since the Vail acquisition, the area is still one of the most competitive in Washington state. Ticket prices have risen in recent years but remain a solid deal, especially for experts.
NOTE:Mountain Score criteria for this resort were adjustedon October 12, 2021.
