Not a Chairlift individual? No drawback. The winter wonderland past Seattle is not only for downhill snowboarding; there are tubing chutes, sleigh rides, sledding hills, campsites, groomed trails, and even snow-covered bike routes. Some are for adrenaline junkies, however most are, fittingly, fairly chill.
Tubing
Tucked behind the parking heaps for the bigger ski areas, Summit at Snoqualmie’s tubing hill simplifies the entire barreling down a snowy hill expertise. Riders ascend in a coated shifting carpet earlier than taking a trip down one of many 20 or so grooved lanes, all in a offered inflatable tube. Solely youngsters with adults are allowed to trip double, and the organized setting cuts down on a few of the chaos of freeform sledding. The draw back: Tickets have to be purchased prematurely and promote out usually throughout the December-to-April(ish) season, notably on weekends.
Leavenworth Ski Hill additionally operates a single tube lane with a rope tow and 100-foot drop; every $37 ticket scores six runs. And Hurricane Ridge in Olympic Nationwide Park has a walk-up tube run with inflatables offered. At White Move, the tubing tickets are solely out there on website and are discounted in the event you’re sharing a tube.
Sleigh Rides
You do not have to hum “Jingle Bells” on a glide with Eagle Creek Sleigh Rides, however being pulled by a pair of draft horses by means of an outdated dairy ranch exterior Leavenworth is likely to be the right place to take action. Journeys begin on wheels in early winter, however when sufficient snow falls, the old style sleigh runners hit the path for a half-hour tour of timber and valley views. Close by, Icicle Outfitters routes a model alongside the Icicle River, and Leavenworth Sleigh Rides boasts a hefty 16-seater for group outings.
Sledding
Seize Rosebud and begin slogging—DIY sledding means no motorized rides up the hill, however extra freedom to trip wherever. A number of Sno-Parks ($25 per day to park) throughout the state have devoted downhill areas, like Hyak at Snoqualmie Move with its molded lanes (to not be confused with the ski space’s official tubing hill) and Lake Wenatchee State Park’s downhill by means of the timber, each open depending on snowfall. And when a wintery combine hits Seattle, each steep road turns into a luge monitor.
Snow Tenting
The few, the proud, the probably deranged: sure, some individuals select to sleep exterior within the mountains when it is snowy. We broke down the steps to a profitable winter in a single day right here—spoiler alert, it includes sizzling water bottles and down booties—however the joys of snow tenting come within the superb views. Attempt spots round Mount Rainier or Mount St. Helens (some require permits) or Artist Level close to Mount Baker Ski Space for big-peak backdrops. Professional tip: Nights get shorter come March and April, however there’s nonetheless loads of snow up excessive.
Snowshoeing
What if mountaineering met the Ministry of Foolish Walks? Stepping by means of powder on snowshoes might take some follow to not really feel awkward, however the flotation units flip the entire wilderness right into a playground. The true problem lies in determining the place not to go, particularly into avalanche-prone or in any other case harmful terrain. Rangers lead guided snowshoe hikes—and supply the footwear—at Mount Rainier Nationwide Park and Snoqualmie Move. For DIY ease with the additional advantage of pre-vetted routes, each Crystal Mountain Resort and the Stevens Move Nordic Middle have marked trails and leases. Or, after all, you might dive into our checklist of the very best snowshoe hikes within the state.
Cross-Nation Snowboarding
Nordic snowboarding settles right into a rhythm one thing like a heartbeat, extra meditative than its ride-the-lifts and bomb-the-pow downhill cousin (to not point out cheaper and fewer harmful). Summit at Snoqualmie, Stevens Move, and White Move ski areas all provide classes and leases at their respective Nordic facilities, to not point out groomed, marked trails. These with their very own gear can discover the Kongsberger Ski Membership trails out of the Cabin Creek Sno-Park for under the price of a parking allow, positioned simply east of Snoqualmie Move. However the actual middle of the skinny-ski scene sits within the Methow Valley, the place 120 miles of path spiderweb throughout the terrain—the biggest community in North America.
Snowmobiling
The fun of velocity, the hum of an engine going brrrp brrrp as a 500-pound machine barrels by means of the wilderness—snowmobiling might not enchantment to the extra zen nature lovers, however the contraptions deliver far-off snow spots into day-trip distance. The city of Roslyn, not too distant from I-90 east of the mountains, morphs right into a snowmobile hub as soon as the snow falls, with leases on the Final Resort and Cascade Playtime. Groomed trails begin proper on the rental retailers, excellent for newbies with out motor expertise (or the flexibility to learn harmful backcountry snow).
Bobsledding
Gotta cross the border for this one: Whistler Sliding Centre operates one of many 16 or so bobsled (or bobsleigh, as they name it) tracks on the earth, a frozen maze of ice that prices $10,000 a day to function. Rides for most of the people assist fund the ability, with Olympic and World Cup athletes piloting every sled with as much as three riders behind them. The 40-second thrill is a tough one—greater than 75 miles per hour and a pressure of as much as 4 Gs—however an enormous helmet and thorough instruction reassure nervous friends. The expertise looks like an actual peek into a distinct segment sport, and it is tempting to join skeleton rides (the face-first one which’s like luge), additionally out there December by means of early spring.
Ice Skating
Due to the Kraken and a trio of amenities by Sno-King, indoor ice rinks are plentiful round Seattle. For out of doors triple lutz house after vacation pop-ups come down, a highway journey is so as. Suncadia Resort close to Cle Elum prides itself on extra chilly climate actions than the Winter Olympics—nearly the whole lot on this checklist, actually—and boasts a picturesque out of doors skating rink open to each friends and the general public. Far east in Spokane, the Skate Ribbon in Riverfront Park reimagines the pond form right into a one-way site visitors lane, a sort of frozen lazy river of skating.
Fats Biking
That saying about how simple it’s to hop again on a motorcycle applies even when the tires are greater than 4 inches vast and the route is totally on snow. Fats biking (normally not known as snow biking, since that refers to a motorized scooter) has grown in reputation, accessible even to newbies. Methow Cycle and Sport rents the bikes—and racks—to Winthrop guests, and so they direct riders to the ski trails that enable cycles and the 30-mile community close to Pearrygin Lake. Additional south, fats bike leases are additionally frequent in Bend, the place new bike-minded routes have popped up lately.
