Mount Baker

Closed
Angie Horel
SnowPak Local Insider
Angie Horel
Pros
  • Record-setting snow!
  • Relatively long season
  • Back and side-country opportunities abound
Cons
  • Long drive from Seattle

Overall

3.8

It might be remote, but Mt Baker's extreme terrain and huge powder dumps make it a must visit for powderhounds. The local ski hill even holds the World Record for snowfall in a single season in 1998/99 with 1,140 in! 

Best month to go

February

February is the best time to visit Mount Baker! The snowpack has been established, it's still cold enough for lighter snow, and the weather can bring in some good dumps.

FLY TO

Vancouver International Airport

DRIVE TO

Mount Baker (2.5 hours)

Glacier (18-20 mi)

  • Best for groups
  • Accommodation is limited to condo and cabin rentals
  • Very limited restaurants and shops

Find accommodations around here

Bellingham (51-54 mi)

  • Wider range of accommodation for everyone
  • Close to the Baker Shuttle Bus stops to take you to the resort
  • Close to various restaurants and stores

Find accommodations around here

For beginners

Mt Baker isn't our best choice for beginners. There are only a few green runs available for beginners but most of them are off the super-slow loading Chair 2 around Heather Meadows Day Lodge. The low-angle slopes are perfect for never-evers while there are some banks and jumps for beginners looking to gain some confidence!

For intermediates

Intermediates have a lot of challenging options at Mt. Baker with plenty of groomed and ungroomed blue runs around Chair 8. Our favorite is the Oh Zone to Daytona run since it's one of the longer runs and you can find powder stashes along the sides and tree bands. To top it all off, you can even enjoy the amazing views of Mt. Shuksan and the White Salmon Glacier!

For experts

Cliffy terrain, barely-groomed runs and dumps of powder makes Mt. Baker an expert skier's dream. The epic double black diamond runs and various adventures through the cliff faces are all the hype here. Start off on Gabl's before checking out other must-try runs off Chair 1, but be sure to know where you're going or else you're in for a long hike out.

Find freshies

Small crowds and low grooming definitely means freshies are everywhere. After a day or two, you might have to get a little more creative and duck into trees and under Extreme Hazard rope lines, but finding snow is rarely a problem at Baker.

Ditch the crowds

Crowds? What crowds? The biggest crowds are the lines to buy your lift ticket in the morning or buying food at Heather Meadows Day Lodge around lunch time. On the mountain, grab a few extra turns on the shoulder above Pan Face.

Non skiers

As a local ski hill, Mt Baker lacks the activities that other ski resorts provide. Non-skiers won't have much to do here besides snowshoeing up to Artist Point, but they must keep in mind that when there is high snowfall, comes high avalanche danger!

Families

While Mt. Baker is a local ski hill and works hard to provide for its families, there is limited terrain for the little ones. Most of the old fixed-gripped lifts are without safety bars and the cliffed out terrain means it's definitely not the type of hill to let young ones take off on their own.

Save up to 35% when you book a Mount Baker package!

View Mount Baker packages

Mount Baker Reviews

Very Good 4 / 5
based on 18 reviews

How well the resort caters for beginner skiers / boarders

Beginners

How well the resort caters for intermediate skiers / boarders?

Intermediates

How well the resort caters for advanced skiers / boarders

Advanced

How accessible and convenient it is to get to this resort from a major destination

Accessibility

Quality of the off-piste terrain

Side/Backcountry

Overall value for money of the resort

Value for money

Quality of lifts, lift speed and lift layout in the resort

Lifts

Quantity and quality of the snow

Snow

How uncrowded is the resort

Uncrowded

Après ski and dining options

Town

Services and facilities e.g. child care, tubing, health care, equipment hire

Facilities

How family friendly is this resort?

Family Friendliness
Superb!5 / 5Nov 11, 2017
JJake
advanced snowboarder
I've been here many times last year and it was worth every penny I spent. Plus it's about 20 dollars cheaper than crystal and there's many more natural jumps that makes getting better a lot more fun. Hoping for an amazing year!... More
Very Good!3.9 / 5Nov 10, 2017
SCSennet C.
expert snowboarder
I love Baker. My friends and I hit it at least 3-4 weekend's per season for what is arguably the best powder in Western WA and the coast of the PNW (smokes whistler). Baker is great because of terrain, snow quality/quantity and proximity. The mountain is a family owned (I think), family friendly spot that never disappoints on powder days. I... More
Fabulous!4.2 / 5Nov 09, 2017
DHDrasil H.
beginner snowboarder
Noice thank my baker is a day resort lodges down the road The mountain gets crazy amounts of snow Pls hope I win to snowboard this year have a good day ... More
Average!3.3 / 5Nov 09, 2017
TSTylor S.
intermediate snowboarder
This is my home town go to ski resort because its the closest to me . It does not have a park but it gets an incredible amount of snow every year and hasfun runs... More
Good!3.7 / 5Nov 08, 2017
SOMSeamus O M.
intermediate snowboarder
Mount baker is a very sick mountain to board. There is always great powder there. You may have to go up further to get it but at least if it's a bad year for snow you can be guaranteed a great day out.... More
Average!3.5 / 5Nov 08, 2017
TCTrey C.
intermediate snowboarder
Baker is a snowboarder's paradise. The mountain receives the most snow of any resort in the US. Access to amazing side country and backcountry is as simple as taking chair 8 to the top. The lifts are slow attached quads throughout. There is rarely a line.... More
Average!3 / 5Nov 07, 2017
JCJp C.
advanced skier
Great mountain, but hard terrain and slow lifts. The lack of on hill accommodation is a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, great terrain, low prices and friendly staff make this an awesome outing.... More
Superb!5 / 5Oct 23, 2017
QVQuinlan V.
I've been skiing here my whole life and is by far one of the best powder mountains ever. Small enough where it's rare to wait in line but big enough to get some good steep terrain.