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Mt Baker Ski Area
Category: Hotels & Travel Ski Resorts Ski Resorts [Edit]
1420 Iowa StBellingham, WA 98229
(360) 734-6771
25 reviews for Mt Baker Ski Area
25 reviews in English
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Review from Georgia S.
Kirkland, WA
1/25/2011
Mt. Baker ROX for boarders! No high speed quads lifts or flashy gondolas, but lots of wide open runs with stunning views!
Mt. Baker caters to the boarders with minimal double black diamonds and grooming that favors less moguls and steep grades.
Surprisingly good full day rates: $51 will get you first tracks at 9:00 AM. with the last lift closing at 3:30 PM. SWEET!
When Baker gets a good dump of snow, you can expect powder galore.
One main lodge with good grub and even better...$4 for a brat and $2 for a MONSTER brownie! YUM.Listed in: Mini Vay Cay
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Review from Alice A.
2/12/2012
Fun blue runs, quite wide open and fairly long. I bet they'd be epic on a powder day which today isn't one of those days.
Spectacular views to enjoy on the lifts, especially since none of the lifts are high speed, and they take a long time to traverse the mountain.
No long lift lines, and at 44 bucks all in for half a day, it's well worth the drive up at least once or twice during season. -
Review from Jake B.
Lynnwood, WA
2/17/2011
I was able to finally purchase my ticket to Mt. Baker at 11:50 AM which is just 40 minutes away from the Half-Day rate. The ticket checker was unfriendly and didnt really seem to want to be there. I ended up having to rent boots and found out that it would then cost me 30 bucks. Now this did come with adjusting my skiis, but still the individual doing the adjusting was both stoned and seemed to hate skiiers. I have never been told "whatever" in a smart ass voice for more questions or comments before.
The mountain conditions were pretty nasty that day and winds had topped 60 mph at the top. As a result the mountain closed at 1:30 with no "sorry" or "here, to help you come back have a discount" or anything like that. No, the mountain just closed.
When speaking to the admin office, it was once again talking to one of the nastiest people I have ever talked to. No appologies, no nothing and the blame was set firmly on me for going there.
I wont be returning. -
Review from Garth C.
9/23/2010
if you are the type that likes to wander around a ski village sporting your goggles and ski equipment, but not actually intending on skiing, this place is not for you.
Mt Baker is a very minimalist ski area and for that reason it's my favourite place to board. There are no spa's, no shopping, no night clubs, just snow and a lot of it. This place is not often busy, long waits at the lift lines are rare sight.
The mountain has an excellent variety of terrain that you don't have to go very far to get to. You won't find a snowboard park on the scale of whistler but you will find so good all mountain riding. Oh did I mention it's cheap? For Vancouverites it's on par with the price to Cypress but the two mountains do not even come close for comparison.
Novice riders be warned, on a power day, and yes there are a lot of them, this ski hill is not for you.
One word of advice, don't plan a trip here weeks in advance, the unfortunate part of baker is the weather. Only a couple degrees separates you from knee deep powder to one awful wet day on the hill. I would suggest checking the forecast the night before or the day of before you decide to head there. -
Review from Michelle A.
Minneapolis, MN
2/14/2011
Baker has some great stuff:
-Best & cheapest mountain food I've ever had (no joke, the soup bread bowls are awesome and the salmon chowder is the best!)
-A good crowd of locals. You're bound to run into somebody (or many somebodys) you know if you ride or ski here often.
-The arm and the elbow on a good powder day. If you don't know, take an avalanche course and find somebody who does.
-Great avalanche courses. Yep. You should take one. Or more.
Also some not so awesome stuff:
-Too expensive. Yep, I said it. It's too expensive! Really, what other mountain charges so much for a season pass for college kids?
-"Too cool for school" attitude. There's a great aura of mystique about this place. And while it's good...it's not good enough to justify the Baker-can-do-no-wrong and the locals-are-always-right attitudes.
-Awful conditions when it isn't a powder day. I'd really rather be almost anywhere else but Baker if it doesn't snow. Ice and mogul fields appear when and where you least expect. Yuck.
It's altogether a mixed bag. I like it, but I'm not about to go out of my way to get back up there. -
Review from Susanne J.
9/22/2010
I love seeing the majestic mountain from Vancouver, even though it reminds me of the night I feel I could've come close to death. Mt. Baker is an inhospitable place, especially when you arrive unprepared as we did. We were to meet a friend in a camper van there after going to Seattle. It was midnight by the time we got to the Park and assumed we'd find him or some hotels on top of the hill. We drove up the windy uncleared road in my 4x4, moving slow and losing traction on the steep roads. There was zero visibility but an hour later we could at least see there was no where to go once we hit the ski lodge. The only building there was closed tight for the night.
We were tired and a bit freaked in the 2 foot dump of snow so we went to bang on a nearby door (about 10mins down the road) for help. The sign said Don't Even Think Of Knocking, No One Will Help You. (that's how I remember it anyway. We almost got stuck at that very driveway and would've considered sleeping in the truck if the weather wasn't so blistery. We gave it all we could and made it down the mountain in another hour, lucky to have not fallen over the side of the road, like one abandoned car we'd seen.
We had missed our friend at the bottom, in his camper van beside the bar, where we should've known to check. Some cell service would've been nice to prevent the debacle in the first place. We even tried two hotels near the bar before we found him, banging on those doors too, but no one would answer.
Next day we woke up exhausted and hit the mountain. Long lines for the lift ticket, but it was nice and cheap at $50. I didn't know my way around the hill and would get stuck on my board in flat parts with several feet of snow, losing my friends often. I really wanted to hit a run called The Canyon but it was closed in early season. Instead we went to a side track and as I caught up to my friends I saw their jaws dropped open. The run we were about to board down just got hit by an avalanche.
If you want a nice safe resort experience this is not the place to go.Listed in: Finding My Happy Place, West Coast Camping & Adventure
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Review from Jason P.
11/28/2010
If this place wasn't so far from Seattle, this would be the go-to snowboarding place. The snow it much better and much more plentiful (and I hear it consistently is) than other places in WA. At $50 for a lift ticket and much better conditions, it was worth the 3hr drive from Seattle!
It seems more like a mom-and-pops kind of place. The lines are much shorter, and areas less busy. There is a great variety of terrain (and there was quite a bit of uphill snowboarding...errr) and a nice half pipe. On a clear day, like yesterday, the mts. are gorgeous with Mt. Baker right there!
One not of caution is that the drive is much more challenging with snow and ice that Steven's and Snoqualmie. Lots of narrow switchback getting up to the place. We saw one car taking the turns too fast and slid off the road and luckily came out alive. -
Review from John S.
Friday Harbor, WA
1/23/2011
I hadn't been on a snowboard for over 15 years, my last experience being at South Lake Tahoe, CA. This day trip to Mt Baker was part of a Christmas present to my GF; she wanted a ski lesson in the Pacific NW before she returns back to Scotland. So we drove into Mt Baker and was immediately struck by how small an operation this is. But small doesn't mean bad, and the service from every staff member was excellent. Young, knowledgeable and friendly staff made renting our gear so easy. I think it took less than ten minutes from registration to walking out properly geared up.
We both signed up for group ski and snowboard lessons respectively. I was in a group of four, and the instructor (Levi) with ten years experience, guided us through the basics. He was patient and helpful, never taking us above our comfort level. I found myself remembering all the basics but it was still great to have him on hand for advice and encouragement. My GF scored and had an instructor all to herself, and she had a blast going all over the different runs. Rental of boots, binding, and board, plus 1.5 hour lesson, AND day pass cost about $47. You were limited to only one of the lifts, but for a basic day it was incredible good value.
Food at Mt Baker consisted of burgers and fries type cafeteria. The fries were excellent and the bacon burger quickly demolished. Prices are reasonable too.
Facilities were clean and tidy. We didn't explore much of the resort, as we were limited by our lift ticket to one lift, but there was plenty there to explore next time.
The only downside was that there was no lighted runs so the resort is only open to 4pm. -
Review from Shiho F.
Carmel by the Sea, CA
12/28/2009
I really enjoyed myself at this local's favorite ski resort. Actually saw several Canadians take advantage of this gem. With the exchange rate being as it is and so close to the border, many of the cars in the lot had Canadian plates. The snow conditions were not optimal as it hasn't snowed in a couple weeks and it was blue bird conditions (which was nice) but it was my first run though of the season and I enjoyed every minute of it. Half day is about 39 bucks incl. tax and a full day just about 8 bucks more. Funny though, the season passwards go from an upwards of $600 even though the day rate here is half of what you would find at most places in Colorado. The Colorado Pass that I had was less than $400 and included access to 5 mountains including Vail and Beaver Creek which cost at least $90/day.
Still a good deal I guess if you live near Mt. Baker. Friendly staff and look forward to hitting up the mountian today. -
Review from mel r.
Emeryville, CA
4/23/2008 1 photo
Inhaling snow flakes as I breathe deep...exhale a puff of steam
Drop into powder...
(heeeeey...lets cross the sea, and get some culture)
Float...
(reeeeeeed wine with every meal, and absinthe after dinner)
Carve to the right
(we look good, side by side)
Float...
(walking back to the hotel)
Carve to the left
(we got something to eat and to drink...)
Float...
(2 star hotel...hotel)
http://redheadedevil.b.../ -
Review from Daniella F.
11/19/2009
I haven't managed to ski in November before, but this season I got to at Mt Baker!
The mountain is a bit small and the runs are fairly easy, but there is So Much Snow! I did spent a lot of time waiting for lifts to start - they kept stopping. That might just be because it was the start of the season. Pretty good value for money. -
Review from James F.
Seattle, WA
4/2/2008 3 photos
I love to Wake and Baker on most weekends through the winter. No where else get this much snow! They still have over 200" in April!!! The Snowboard resort averages over 650" a season!
Still the cheapest place to ride in WA, not the largest or the highest, but by far the most snow of any resort anywhere. -
Review from Scott S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/20/2008
Mt. Baker does rule.
Boarding, skiing, or being on those gay little skate things - awesome.
For it's size, the terrain is impressive and varied.
They do receive an insane amount of powder days, owing to the fact that weather blows down the Straight of Juan de Fuca and smacks straight into Mt. Baker.
It's a great mountain in all aspects, and for those more familiar with Tahoe - Alpine Meadows would be it's twin sister, but Mt. Baker is the naughty one. -
Review from Melissa F.
Chicago, IL
3/4/2007
Last time I went it was my first time on skis... I managed to fall, flip over, slid halfway down the slope and my pants got pushed to my thighs, causing me to go butt-first. When I finally stopped and got up, I realized that some woman had been videotaping her kids and I had managed to fall and slide in front of all of them.
Good times! -
Review from Cami G.
Seattle, WA
11/11/2009
My all-time favorite place to ski in Washington state. And I've skied pretty much everywhere, except around town during our 2008 winter. Why? Because people who ski/snowboard in the streets of Seattle look ridiculous.
But I digress. Mt Baker truly is a natural wonder. It has a relatively small ski area but its natural beauty makes up for this. Also, it's really not that crowded if you decide to go up during a weekday, nothing like the passes near Seattle. And you know - this little volcano gets so much snow. In fact, world records have been broken in snowfallage in a single season. This was in 1999 --1,140 inches (95 feet or 2,896 cm)! In other words, it's a snowy world wonder.
Lots of powder days and last year I was able to ski until late April.
Also, I've met lots of hot Swedish men there. I'm not sure what it is with Mt. Baker and the Swedes. But hot damn. -
Review from green troll t.
Seattle, WA
5/4/2010
After not making it to the last day at Stevens this year, I felt like I had to get one more good run in. I looked up what areas were still open, and Baker was. I live in Seattle and it's a drive to Baker, I'd never been there, but thought why not. I was blown away by Baker, the terrain, and how open it was, and it's HUGE (imo), and I LOVED it. The Summit and Stevens has nothing on this place, although I love going there too.
Baker is not organized at all, maybe I choose to go on the wrong day where everyone is very chill and I'm seeing a Banana suit, Gorilla, Sponge Bob, Sumo wrestler and many more costumes just on the walk up to lodge, but I miss the ticket checkers at Stevens, it just seems more professional and the electronic gate as you pass thru to get to the lifts.
When people ski or board down to lifts they just start their own lines and come right up to the front as to ignoring the fact that there's a mob of people in line behind them. My friend almost got into it with one of the guys, and the other guy looked at us up and down and said something like... I'm a season ticket holder.
Whoopti do mofo! and your point?
That was rude! I felt like unstrapping my board and hitting it across his face. I have a season pass to Stevens but you don't see me acting like I have priority over everyone else. Service is everything... it can ruin your first experience and it'll stick with you forever. I know I shouldn't let this one incident set my opinoin about Baker, but there were some other things that just didn't jive with me.
Great mountain, and the best chocolate chip soft gooey cookie ever but I'll stick to Stevens. I might hit up once a year for their Golden Egg Hunt. -
Review from TM S.
La Jolla, CA
2/23/2011
Four of my friends, one of which lives in Seattle, and myself headed up to Glacier over Presidents' Day weekend for some skiing. I have a calf injury which prevents me from skiing or snowboarding. I am trained, licensed, and certified to use a skibike (including chair lift entry/exit). Prior to buying plane tickets and room reservations, my friend in Seattle e-mailed a Mt. Baker representative concerning the use of ski bikes, and was told that ski bikes are allowed on chairs 7, 5, 3/4, and 2. So, the four out-of-state guys buy tickets and make room reservations. On our first day on the slopes, I have a great time ski-biking all morning long. After lunch, on my second lift up (around 1:30), a lift operator stops me from getting on the lift, and tells me that ski biking is not allowed. I have to disassemble my snow bike, and I get escorted off the mountain on a snowmobile. I pleaded my case (me being a middle-aged out-of-state guy with a brittle calf muscle) at the Administrative Office. I was told by both an impolite agent and then a manager that regardless of my handicap and my training, I would not be allowed back on the chair lifts. Anyway, I requested that they simply observe my ability to safely use the lifts. The manager agreed to meet me an hour later at 3:00. The manager shows up at 3:25, and tells me to board the lift by myself in the middle of the chair, which is exactly how not to safely board a chair lift. I convinced him to allow me to get on the lift with an experienced skier so that I can correctly rest my bike frame on the chair lift arm rest. I gently explain this to him as he is the God of The Lifts, and I don't want to agitate this guy. As I ride up, he rides under for a bit, then races to the top lift station. As I meet him there, he ignores me for 10 minutes while talking to an employee about skate skiing. Then, he escorts me down the slope, as I take it easy with some slow turns down the mountain. Halfway down, he tells me I ski fine and that it is terribly dangerous to take a ski bike on a lift and that he will not allow me to use the lifts. He then quickly takes off on his snowmobile. What a drag! My ski vacation and vacation budget is shot due to the irrational inflexibility of this boss. He really did not care.
Anyway, my friends shortened our three-day visit to two days, and we left Glacier for Seattle a little earlier than we had planned. I want to let the folks in Glacier know that we had a great time there. The ski shops, restaurants, and live music were all good, and we met numerous great locals during our brief visit. It is too bad for such a nice community that the management at Mt. Baker is simply lousy. -
Review from Natty S.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
2/8/2011
Great experience for two first time snowboarders (one of which being 3.5).
Getting there was no prob. Roads are maintained really well. I kept my vehicle in 2hi all the way to the lower lodge with no issues.
Renting was a breeze. My son has all his own gear so I was just renting for one person, but they still got me in and out even though it was a busy Saturday am. The girl assisting me did give me the wrong size, but they exchanged it quickly with no issue.
I can't comment on the runs, as I didn't feel like ending my day in the hospital. I can comment on the "bunny hill", which is where we stuck to most of the day. It is a great little area to learn, but you are right next to the bottom of the runs and the lodge, so it is pretty busy with people skiing/riding by. I wouldn't say this ski area is super kid friendly, but nobody made us feel like a nusance, so that was nice. Especially because my tot lasted the entire day. I think they have an area close by where people can go sledding, but I can't confirm.
Staff is super laid back and friendly. Prices are amazing whether you're eating, renting or buying a lift ticket. -
Review from Justin M.
Ferndale, WA
5/9/2008
The problem with Mt.Baker is that it is between mountains like Blackcomb and Bachelor. Even Stevens blows it away. I haven't skied or snowboarded in years. The last time I went to Baker I saw this creature on skis. It weighed about 260 pounds and it pulled a full 360 off a jump. I am not saying this was some kind of Yeti or Abominable snowman but I saw it drive away in a silver Toyota Tundra.
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Review from Jonah L.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2006 1 photo
There is just this warm fuzzy place in my heart for resorts that are off the beaten path. Mt. Baker certainly fits the bill. On a clear day from Bellingham you can see the summit in all its snowy glory. After a brief 50 minute ride to the slopes you are treated to nice tree runs, little canyons, decent expert terrain and lots of intermediate. I spent some days up there this week and I think a crowd is considered the 8 people hanging out in the bar at the end of the day. All day passes for the growed ups are $32. Check the site for trail map and all else. You will see many riders here with Avy gear and tranceivers at the ready as there is numerous backcountry access points. A word of caution. Always check the Avy forecast and go with people who know.
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Review from nathan r.
1/14/2008
Baker rules. The snow is always great, the lines are never too long, and the price is right. I don't know of too many lodges where the food is superb- but hey they have a kick ass beer selection- including local boundary bay's "cabin fever", that is worth four stars alone! I will say- this mountain isn't the most ideal for beginners, but for all others- it's great. I think this is the best mountain in Washington, bar-none.
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Review from Dae Y.
1/4/2011
not too crowed for a sunday on a holiday weekend. bought my lift ticket quickly. short lift lines. the drive out there is a bit long. hopefully, you have some sort of good entertainment with you in the coche. the little place where i took lunch had beer although i didn't partake until the end of the day. curly fries - good. chili - good. siracha sauce for my chili - AWESOME. the hidden away little pub at the end of the day really hit the spot! good times with new good friends. prolly more like 4.5 stars. it's just that the drive out there is a bit long. but the windy road was kinda fun to drive on...
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Review from Nick D.
Puyallup, WA
2/16/2006
Baker's a sweet area especially when the snow is good-which is 99% of the season there. They have the world record for snowfall of over 1000 inches during the winter of 1999. If you go up skiing/boarding and look at the lift towers you can see a white line with a '99 painted next to it. These represent the depth of the snow during the record-breaking winter of 1999. They have a great variety of terrain and runs for all experience levels. Lots of back country space too. Their lodge and facilities are great as well. You can even rent your gear up there at the rental shop. Very nice staff as well but expect to pay around $45 for a lift ticket. They also have one of the country's few intersecting chairlifts where one chairlift passes over another at a 90 degree angle. Cool beans!
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Review from Grace Y.
Seattle, WA
2/29/2008
let me just start off by saying the mt Baker ski patrol, particularly a guy named Adam, rocks. We were snowboarding all around the resort when one of my more inexperienced friends managed to get stuck on a run, lose her board in the process, and ended up sitting on the side of a steep part of the mountain. Ski patrol saved her sorry ass, and Adam, the rock star that he is, went back up for a second time and found her board lodged in a thicket of trees. OK, so there may be other schmancier resorts with pretty lodges, super deluxe high speed quad chairs with leg rests and ski patrols with matching sparkly k2 outfits and gear, but if you want great snow, minimal crowds, and a view of glaciers and mountains as far as the eye can see, go to baker. Plus, a life could be saved!
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Review from Todd O.
Skykomish, WA
10/11/2007
It will never escape my mind.... a place who chose to use an infrastructure where two DOUBLE chairs with a few meters of variance from start to finish became part of a ski area. Also, although the area can boast such HIGH annual snowfall....well, they sure as hell need it.... It's not like you can do much other than trash your shit-skis you wanted to burn the last end-of-season anyhow unless they have a huge base. The lay-out must have involved a few too many chemicals on the part of the engineers. Although Shuk/Baker/Table Mtn and such are grand places....when last fiddling around the place.....i had most fun actually being on the actual peaks of Shuks/Baker/etc...... It used to be a cool place to go in the early 90's when prices were cheap, a small-minded, enjoyable atmosphere and open until early May..... but yeah, that was when it was cheap, the little lodge had good cheap food, and there was not much but a few Canucks and such
