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.

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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