The Best Cross Country Skiing in Washington

Considering cross country skiing in Washington is something I partake in every year with my family, I thought it was about time that I share all my favorite places and ones I hope to visit.

Cross country skiing isn’t something I grew up doing. I’m a snowboarder because I never quite got the hang of what to do when my feet are separate. Like seriously, how do you get up on skis when you fall?

But my sister got the family hooked on cross country skiing about 5 years ago. I’m still pretty terrible, but since I invested in cross country skis of my own this year, I guess I’m a legit cross country skier now.

My family as all different ski levels. Myself, younger niece, and sister are beginners, my older niece is intermediate, and my boyfriend and brother-in-law are expert. I note which trails are best for all levels, so no matter what you’re looking for you’ll be sure to find somewhere everyone will love cross country skiing in Washington.

Best Cross Country Skiing Washington

I organized all of these cross country skiing trails by area, starting with the areas closest to Seattle.

Don’t want to think about which area is best for your needs? I’m a certified travel planner that can build you a custom trip itinerary!

Leavenworth Cross Country Skiing

My family books a stay at one of the unique hotels in Washington near Leavenworth every year to explore the cross country ski trails in the area.

Lake Wenatchee State Park

website | get directions | 30 miles of groomed trails | all levels | Sno-Park Permit required

This is one of my favorite cross country ski areas in Washington. It has a 5-mile long clear blue lake surrounded by snow-peaked mountains. There are a bunch of trails weaving along the lakeshore and the forest, including separate trails for snowshoers.

The park itself is 492 acres and is a popular spot in summer, but the winter can be virtually empty, particularly on a weekday. And because it’s about 16 miles from downtown Leavenworth, it’s a great spot to venture if you’re looking to escape the crowds.

The park has a north and south area separated by the Wenatchee River. The north park area is where you’ll find Chiwawa Sno-Park with loops and longer runs ranging from 0.5 to 2 miles. One of the rare perks of this area is that you can bring dogs to ski or snowshoe after 10 am.

The south park area can be more crowded because it has a sledding hill popular with families. However, this is where you’d go to connect with the trails at Kahler Glen Sno-Park and Nason Ridge, the latter of which has backcountry trails and a challenging climb for the advanced skier.

Plain

website | get directions | ~15 miles of groomed trails | all levels, but mostly beginner and intermediate | trail pass required

This is where I come the most when cross country skiing in Washington. Plain is about 30 minutes north of downtown Leavenworth and is a quiet spot perfect for renting a romantic airbnb in Washington state.

There are 3 trailheads to choose from in this trail network. The Plain Trailhead is right across the street from Plain Hardware, the place you’ll need to go to get day passes and rent gear. It’s also the best place to go if you have beginners and expert skiers, as it has the highest concentration of green trails in one direction and advanced trails in the other. If you’re lucky you’ll see the local kids on the Plain ski team slaying it in the advanced section.

The Beaver Creek Trailhead is a quiet spot a few miles north of the Plain Trailhead. Here you’ll find a few longer blue trails that take you through farmland and then forest. You can park at the trailhead or ski to it from the Plain Trailhead on an intermediate trail.

The last area in Plain for cross country skiing in Washington is Clear Creek Trailhead. You can get to it from the Beaver Creek Trail area via an intermediate trail or you can park at the Thousand Trails lodge, home to an RV campground and the absolute cutest tiny homes that make some of the best winter cabins in Washington.

Icicle River

website | get directions | 5 miles of groomed trails | beginner | trail fee required

Icicle River is close to downtown Leavenworth. It’s right behind the popular Sleeping Lady Resort and has a small area of ski and snowshoe trails best suited for beginners. Because it’s near a hotel and mostly green trails, this spot can get crowded with families on the weekends.

The Golf Course Trail

website | get directions | 4.5 miles of groomed trails | intermediate | trail fee required

This spot for cross country skiing in Washington is at the Leavenworth Golf Course and offers groom tracks and skating lanes. There are a few hills to climb, but they offer spectacular views of the Wenatchee River below.

Waterfront Park

website | get directions | 3 miles of groomed trails | beginner | free

This tiny trail is dog friendly and perfectly situated for exploring the best restaurants in downtown Leavenworth. This completely flat trail weaves along the Wenatchee River and through some wooded areas for some magical views.

Stevens Pass Nordic Center

website | get directions | 15 miles of groomed trails | all levels | trail fee required

The Stevens Pass Nordic Center is a few miles past the popular downhill ski resort of the same name. Since it’s a bit more set up than other cross country ski areas in Washington, it can get quite crowded on the weekends. But it has a large network of trails for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skiers alike.

Summit Nordic Center

website | get directions | ~30 miles of groomed trails | intermediate | trail pass required

Most people think of downhill skiing when they think of Snoqualmie, but there is a nordic center for cross-country skiing too. While this ski area offers lessons and has some green trails, it’s more of an intermediate to advanced spot because of hills.

That doesn’t stop people from going though. Just like the downhill ski resort, this cross-country ski area can get crowded on weekends.

Salmon Ridge Sno-Park

website | get directions | ~15 miles of groomed trails | intermediate | parking permit required

This is the best spot to go cross country skiing near Mt. Baker north of Seattle. It has a network of mostly intermediate trails, with Razor Hone being the easiest and longest 3-mile option. I haven’t made it up to this area yet, but am adding it to my list for next winter!

Rainier Cross Country Skiing

There are a few backcountry and advanced cross country skiing areas near Mt. Rainier National Park, but here are the more accessible ones perfect for a day trip from Seattle to Mt. Rainier.

White Pass Nordic Center

website | get directions | ~11 miles of groomed trails | beginner and intermediate | trail pass required

White Pass is a good option for cross-country skiers of all levels, including your furry friends. It’s also close to downhill skiing and some of the best hikes at Mount Rainier National Park.

Mt. Tahoma Trails

website | get directions | ~20 miles of groomed trails | all levels | free

The Mount Tahoma Trails Association manages the largest no fee hut-to-hut cross-country and snowshoeing trail system in North America. There are about 50 miles of trail, 20 of which are groomed and well marked for all levels.

You an ski between 3 huts and a yurt, or book a stay for the evening for a truly unique winter vacation.

Echo Ridge Recreation Area

website | get directions | ~25 miles of groomed trails | all levels | trail pass required

Echo Ridge is one of my favorite cross country skiing areas in Washington. One reason is that it’s near all the best Lake Chelan wineries, but the other reason is that it was one of the most breathtaking cross-country ski trails I ever did.

The Nowhere to Hide Trail weaves around the edge of the mountain and offers uninterrupted views of Chelan Valley and snow-peaked mountains. This spot has trails for all levels, including snowshoeing trails.

Methow Valley Cross Country Skiing

The Methow Valley is the Holy Grail of cross country skiing in Washington. Heck, it’s the ultimate destination in all the USA. That’s because it’s the largest network of groomed cross-country ski trails in North America.

Since there are more than 120 miles of trails connecting from Winthrop all the way to Mazama, I can’t list every single trail available. So instead I’ll cover the main areas, what type of skier it’s best for, and my favorite trails at each.

When you’re done, make sure to check out my guide to the best Winthrop, WA restaurants to refuel!

Winthrop Trails

website | get directions | ~23 miles of groomed trails | beginner and intermediate | trail pass required

The Winthrop Trail network is the area closest to downtown Winthrop. There is parking and trailhead access next to the Winthrop Ice Skating Rink. It starts near a ranch field and then runs along the river until it opens up onto a big meadow with trails in all directions.

The area up to the meadow has green trails perfect for beginners. Particularly near the trailhead, you might be concerned that this is a rinky-dink trail network better for families, but it really opens up and offers a lot of variety of blue trails once you get through the meadow a bit. Keep your eyes peeled on the way while you’re by the river. You may see bald eagles soaring overhead.

My favorite area is the network of blue trails across the road. They’re accessible via the Winthrop Trail, which starts green and then transitions to blue with easy going hills and a few steep sections that I was able to navigate with only one fall.

This area also has trails that are dog-friendly. Or try your hand at a different winter sport with the few snowshoeing trails or the vast network of fat tire biking. You’ll see them as you cross country ski and will wonder if they are actually slaloms because they look so similar!

Sun Mountain Trails

website | get directions | ~27 miles of groomed trails | intermediate and advanced | trail pass required

Sun Mountain Trails has a few green trails, but the majority are blue and black. We went this past trip to Winthrop and thought the blues would be fine, but honestly we struggled. It is all uphill on both blue and black trails. This makes for fun downhill skiing on the way back down, but only for tose comfortable enough to do it. I was scared on some parts where there was a cliff and ended up walking a bit.

If you’re hoping to cross-country ski or snowshoe wit your pet, unfortunately dogs aren’t allowed on any of the trails in this area.

Big Valley Trails

website | get directions | ~15 miles of groomed trails | beginner an intermediate | trail pass required

This trail network is right in the middle of Winthrop and Mazama, connecting all the trails in these two areas. There are 3 different trailheads to chose from: Brown’s Farm Trailhead, Big Valley Trailhead, and Wolf Ridge Trailhead. From all you’ll find mostly green and blue trails weaving around the meadow and sometimes forests.

The Brown’s Farm Trailhead is a good option if you have kids in tow. I was surprised that these greens had a few slightly hilly spots, so there will be some entertainment as you pass farms and a meadow.

Rendezvous Trails

website | get directions | ~21 miles of groomed trails | intermediate and advanced | trail pass required

I’d be all over the Rendezvous Trails if I were a better cross country skier. That’s because you can ski and stay at the 5 Rendezvous Huts scattered at about 5-mile intervals. However, since I’m not that advanced of a cross-country skier I haven’t made it to this dog-friendly trail network yet.

Mazama & Jack’s River Run Trails

website | get directions | ~40 miles of groomed trails | beginner | trail pass required

Mazama is a large area of interconnected cross-country ski trails that make up the Mazama Trails area and Jack’s River Run area. There is only one trail that works for snowshoers and dogs, but since it’s only 2 miles long I wouldn’t suggest bringing them here.

Spokane Nordic Ski Area

website | get directions | ~15 miles of groomed trails | all levels | trail pass required

I haven’t been here yet, but I was surprised to discover there’s a cross-country skiing area in Spokane. I’ve only been to Spokane in summer, but I bet I’ll think it’s one of the best things to do in Spokane once I visit!