The coolest ski area in Washington – Mission Ridge

-Abundant sunshine, dry snow, extreme steeps and good Spring skiing are not things that usually come to mind when thinking about mountain resorts in the State of Washington. However this unassuming ski area in the Eastern Cascades has all of those things plus a whole lot more! Mission Ridge is what we like to call a “hidden gem ski area,” one that has amazing attributes, but manages to fly under the radar and is not very well known throughout the ski travel community.

-Open 7 days per week through March and weekends for as long as they can in April, Mission Ridge is one of the most unique and fun ski areas in the State of Washington, and should be an essential stop on any Pacific Northwest ski road trip. Especially for those who crave good terrain and great vibes! Keep scrolling to find out more. ~Snow Life~  

Wenatchee, Washington

Nestled on the fringes of the Eastern half of the mighty Cascade Range, smack dab in the middle of Washington State is the quaint yet modern town of Wenatchee, often referred to as the “Apple Capital of the World.” The town of about 35k people is cut in half by the Columbia river and sprawls for several miles from North to South along it’s shores.

Mission Ridge and Wenatchee lie in the “rain shadow” of the Cascade Range, where Washington’s green and lush forests give way to a much drier and arid expanse. This results in less precipitation than on the slopes of the Western Cascades where most of the State’s ski areas reside, but it also makes the snow quality much lighter, and provides for an almost California-esque 300 days of sunshine per year.

Mission Ridge Trail Map
CLICK TO ENLARGE

200″

Annual Snowfall

36

Named Runs

2,250′

Vertical Feet

2,000

Skiable Acres

Rossignol Ads

SHOP Rossignol Skis!

Save up to 40% off with these limited deals at Rossignol Skis!

BROWSE ROSSI SKIS


Hidden gem ski area in Washington

Tickets & pass alliance

While Mission Ridge is more than happy to sell you a ticket on the spot, it’s suggested and encourage to purchase online, and they even offer a pretty deep discount for it. Non-discounted tickets range from $69-$99 depending on age and night skiing only is $49. Mission Ridge is a long standing member of the Powder Alliance which grants member pass holders 3 free days, and they’ve also recently joined the Indy Pass with 2 free days for it’s participants.

Lodging & transportation

Like most Washington ski areas, you can bring your RV if you want slope-side lodging, otherwise your best bet is just down the hill in the nearby town of Wenatchee, which has plentiful hotel, motel and Airbnb options. See deals here. Although a little off the beaten path, Wenatchee has an Amtrak station, commercial airport and is not terribly far from Interstate 90, the town also offers a free shuttle to the ski area with several stops in town. Details here.

Lifts & Infrastructure

Mission Ridge is one of a rare few ski areas in the country to have a Bubble Chair. This high speed quad runs right up the heart of the resort to the summit ridge and shields riders from the peak winds that swoop down into the basin. Aside from the high speed bubble chair, Mission Ridge also has 3 fixed grip double chairs, 2 rope tows and a magic carpet.

Skiing at Mission Ridge

Key attributes

 

 

Have you ever skied for 12 hours in a day? Well saddle up, because Mission Ridge offers Night skiing and is open from 9am until 9pm on 4 nights of the week during peak season, and on select nights, they even have live comedy at the mountain lodge for those wanting to warm up with some drinks and laughs in between ski runs.  

Night Skiing

 

Through the “Windy Ridge” hiking gate, Mission Ridge has some of the best steeps in the State, with an epic selection of black and double black diamond runs to choose from. The resort as a whole has a very aggressive pitch that provides for some excellent fall line skiing. The overall trail rating breakdown is: 10% Beginner, 60% More Difficult, and 30% Advanced/Expert.

Steep terrain

Black Diamond gear

The best ski jackets, on sale!

Take up to 40% off at the Black Diamond Outlet!

SAVE UP TO 40%!


This advertisement represents affiliate marketing for Snow Life LLC. By clicking on these ski and snowboard themed ads, you are showing your support for the One Life To Ski blog page and helping an avid skier stay on the slopes! Thanks for your support!

Photo gallery

 

 

dISCOUNT lodging HERE!

If you’ve looking to save money on lift tickets, lodging and rentals at Mission Ridge and Nation-wide, check out these awesome deals at Get Ski Tickets.

Location and hours

The following is the location, operating hours and opening dates for Mission Ridge Ski Area.

7500 Mission Ridge Road, Wenatchee, WA. 98801. U.S.A.

A normal season runs Late November to Mid April

9am – 4pm = 7 days a week, plus 4pm – 9pm Wed – Sat (Peak season)

Mission Ridge Website

THE FINEST SWISS CRAFTED SNOWBOARDS

SHOP THE HIGHEST QUALITY SNOWBOARDS HERE

SHOP NIDECKER SNOWBOARDS!


This advertisement represents affiliate marketing for Snow Life LLC. By clicking on these ski and snowboard themed ads, you are showing your support for the One Life To Ski blog page and helping an avid skier stay on the slopes! Thanks for your support!

Check out the most unique ski clothes & accessories here!

Skier hat

The Snow Life Shop

Web Market

Après ski shirt

The snow Life shop

Web Market

Ski coasters

The snow Life Shop

Web Market

Après Ski store

The best and most original ski hats, shirts, hoodies, and beanies about skiing and snowboarding.

Plus wall art, home décor and so much more!

Check out the great low prices and awesome selection. Visit the Après Ski Store now!

SNOW LIFE STORE!

Snow Life Network

Check out our two other awesome web pages brimming with cool content

 

 

Ski Town Low Down logo

Ski Town Low Down

Ski Resort Information Resource

Research your next ski trip with this unparalleled web page that’s full of all the stats you want to know! Vert, snowfall, trails, when to go and how to get there, it’s all here. 

Savage Snow Memes logo

Savage Snow Memes

Ski and Snowboard Meme Dump

The biggest Meme Dump on the internet for all things snow related: Ski memes, snowboard memes, snowmobile memes, gifs, demotivationals, it’s all here!

Thanks for reading about “The coolest ski area in Washington”