Summit at Snoqualmie
City:
Snoqualmie Pass
Region:
West Coast
Updated:
October 31, 2024
50
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.
[Year] Rankings
Overall Rank
#
97
Rank In
United States
#
83
Rank In
Washington
#
6
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.
6
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.
4
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.
6
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.
6
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.
4
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.
6
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.
2
Good To Know
Aprés-ski:
Limited
On-site Lodging:
Yes
Nearest City:
Pass Affiliation:
Ikon 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
- High annual snowfall
- Convenient location from Seattle
- Extensive selection of bunny hills
- Available night skiing
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Cons
- Wet, heavy snow
- Meager vertical drop
- Slow lifts with no safety bars in many areas
- I-90 highway background noise
- Summit East closed on weekdays
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Mountain Stats
920
acres
Skiable Footprint
1194
acres
Total Footprint
100
%
Lift-Serviced Terrain
3865
ft
Top Elevation
1100
ft
Vertical Drop
20
Lifts
65
Trails
15
%
Beginner
40
%
Intermediate
45
%
Advanced/Expert
Comprehensive Review
While Summit at Snoqualmie and Alpental are technically part of the same resort, the two are separate ski areas separated by a few miles. Snoqualmie is the family-oriented mountain of the two. Both resorts are only an hour or so from Seattle along Interstate 90.
The first thing you’ll notice about Snoqualmie is that it’s more of a hill than a mountain. The vertical drop is only 1,100 feet at its highest point, on par with resorts in much flatter places, and as low as 765 feet in major areas. Aesthetic-wise, no mountain features especially stand out, although some decently striking mountains exist in the backdrop. With Interstate 90 just feet away from the resort, highway background noise looms just about everywhere.
The Summit at Snoqualmie essentially consists of three distinct areas connected by a series of traverses: Summit West, Summit Central, and Summit East (nearby Alpental, which we’ve covered in a separate review, is part of the same ticket but not connected to the rest of the resort). The three zones cater to different groups and offer distinct terrain experiences.
Summit West, the resort’s shortest area vertical-wise, mainly functions as a mega bunny-hill. A series of magic carpets and chairlifts service wide beginner and intermediate hills, although a few short black runs exist in the area as well.
Summit Central, the resort’s middle area, primarily contains runs that start with advanced pitches then mellow out. Despite the very short fall line, some of the glades in this area contain fairly technical advanced terrain. This area also boasts Snoqualmie’s two terrain parks, which offer engaging features ranging from small to large. Lower mountain areas also comprise a variety of bunny hills.
Summit East is not open on weekdays or for night skiing. But when it’s open, this area offers the resort’s best advanced terrain, longest vertical drop, and most isolated runs. The East front side offers a few genuinely trying mogul runs as well as some beginner and intermediate slopes. East also contains Hidden Valley, the resort’s only backside area and the only real escape from Interstate 90 across all of Snoqualmie.
Lifts at Snoqualmie are a mixed bag, with two high-speed lifts in the Central area but slow, fixed grip lifts everywhere else. But given the resort’s short footprint, no lift rides last particularly long. However, lines can build up on weeknights, weekends, and holidays, especially at the Central high-speed chairs. Multiple chairlifts lack safety bars—a surprising omission from a resort that caters so much towards families. It’s pretty straightforward to get around Snoqualmie thanks to good signage and the short footprint, although getting across the wide footprint can require some traversing.
The Summit receives remarkable snow totals each winter, with accumulation often among the top ranks of U.S. resorts. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that the snow itself is always enjoyable to ski in. The mountain sits in an extremely wet climate at a relatively low elevation, making for some of the wettest, heaviest conditions we’ve tried anywhere. Many visitors will find themselves preferring non-powder days to powder ones. Temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing throughout the season, and early-season months commonly see rain. Fog is omnipresent through most of the winter, although the skies tend to clear up in spring months..
As a generally day-tripped mountain, you might not expect Snoqualmie to have the fanciest on-mountain facilities. However, decent options exist across the resort, with a sizable, modern lodge at the base of Silver Fir as well as indoor and outdoor cafeterias at the East, Central, and West bases. The Central and West lodges reach capacity on busy days, so while smaller than the other two, the East base lodge can often be the best place to find a seat.
One of Snoqualmie’s strongest suits is its night-skiing operation. Summit Central stays open until 10pm six nights a week during the peak season, while Summit West stays open late four nights a week. Terrain of all ability ratings stays open at night, making for a fun experience for just about everyone who would frequent the mountain during the day.
Lodging
A limited number of condos, inns, and motels exist alongside the mountain. Some of these options offer ski-in/ski-out access. However, the mountain is about 20 to 30 miles from nicer, more varied hotel selections in the town of Snoqualmie. In addition, parts of Seattle with extensive hotel, inn, and Airbnb selections exist only about an hour away.
Apres-ski
As a family-friendly day-trip resort, Snoqualmie generally lacks an aprés-ski scene. However, some base lodges offer bar service and beers on tap.
Verdict
Although Snoqualmie’s eye-catching snow totals and West Coast location may entice out-of-towners, those thinking of booking a destination vacation here will want to look elsewhere. However, for those in the area, the Summit at Snoqualmie is a solid learning area and a more-than-decent option as a short day trip. Lift ticket prices, while still high, are cheaper than other major nearby resorts and will probably give beginners and intermediates the most bang for their buck in the Seattle area.
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The resort is a true winter wonderland, with stunning scenery and fantastic skiing conditions. The après-ski activities were a blast, and the staff went out of their way to ensure everything ran smoothly. I especially enjoyed the variety of trails and the relaxing atmosphere after a day on the slopes.
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