If you can't wait for accumulating snow in The Valley, head for The Pass! Exit 54 offers some great places to play in the powder! One local mom took her boys (ages 8, 5, 2) to Hyak Sno Park recently and said, "We went sledding, built snowmen, snowball fights, you name it!"
Hyak Sno Park boasts heated restrooms, a tubing hill, designated snow play area. This snow park is "groomed" and requires the special groomed sticker. Open 8 am to 4:30 pm. CLICK HERE for more information.
Gold Creek Sno Park is shared with snowmobile users, snowshoeing, offers limited snow play and is not groomed. CLICK HERE to find out more information.
WHAT TO KNOW:
- The requirements for permits/passes at the Sno-Parks is a bit confusing. Be sure you check HERE to know what you'll need to purchase.
- The parking lots tend to fill up quickly, especially on the weekends!
- You may also want to check out www.parks.wa.gov/winter
If you want to find the coolest {less likely to be crowded} spots, Luke Talbott of Compass Outdoor Adventure is the right guy to ask! His favorites include the Commonwealth Basin and Denny Creek Campground, especially if you prefer to get away from lots of people. These two places are very serene and quiet, but it also takes a bit more work to get to them.
For the Commonwealth Basin, you park at the Summit West parking lot, hike under the highway, and then go up the trail towards the Pacific Crest Trail. There a a couple of bathrooms up at the trailhead and then miles and miles of cool forests/snow bridges, and sled runs to explore. If you climb the trail from the cut in stairs, and take your first left hand fork, you'll find a bathroom. Right behind that is a sled run that we build every year that is an absolute blast.
Denny Creek is a little different to get to and you absolutely need 4 wheel drive. If snow levels are low, you get off on Exit 47 go to the north side of the highway and follow the signs for Denny Creek Campground. At a certain point they stop plowing the road and there is a place to park. Snowshoeing or snow booting your way along the road you eventually get to the campground. A great place during the summer, it's really fun for some tree sledding as well as huge epic games of capture the flag snowball style. We've always had a blast there.
If you're looking for a more structured option, head to Tubing at The Summit. According to one local mom,"We took our 6 year old tubing at the Summit at Snoqualmie this weekend. SO MUCH FUN! She lasted all 3 hours of the evening session without complaint. There were also little ones riding along with parents, fun for the whole family."
WHAT TO KNOW:
- The tow takes you, and your tube, back to the top so you can maximize your fun on the snow.
- Tickets are sold in two hour sessions beginning at 9 am.
- The Tubing Area is a weekend operation maintaining hours Fridays - Sundays and during holiday periods.
- COST: Adults $20-$22, Ages 6-12 $18-$20, Under 5 $5
If you're looking for a road trip adventure, hop in the car and drive about two hours south to the Designated Sledding area at Rainier. You may want to get an early start because the area is only open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
WHAT TO KNOW:
- The snowplay area is immediately north of the upper parking lot at Paradise. Sliding and sledding in the park is permitted ONLY in this designated area.
- Check Twitter to find out when the road will open from Longmire to Paradise - it is not open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and closes nightly at dusk
- The nearby Jackson Visitor Center is the perfect place to warm up between runs. And food is available from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. when the visitor center is open.
- CLICK HERE for the Paradise Winter Recreation Map.
- COST: Admission to this National Park is $15 per car.
You can get out and take a guided snowshoe tour with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Service. "Kids in the Snow" Outings leave from the Visitor's Center at Exit 52. CLICK HERE for more information.
WHAT TO KNOW:
- Saturdays at 1:00 pm
- No experience is necessary and the Forest Service provides snowshoes.
- Learn about tracking, crawl into a snow cave and check out a snow crystal with a magnifier.
- Make reservations at 425-434-6111
- COST: A donation of $15 per person is suggested, $10 for youth 16 and under.
If/when we do get a decent snowfall here on the Plateau or in The Valley, check out these snow play suggestions from local parents.
- We enjoy using our summer toys in the snow. Instead of building sand castles, we build igloos and decorate them with seastars and fish.
- Make a snowman ... but make him upside down! My boys think a standing-on-his-head snowman is the most hilarious thing ever!
- We make car tracks out of the snow for Hot Wheels!
- I've always liked to take our toys out in the snow too. Like dump trucks, bulldozers, etc. If you lose them, you just have to wait for it to melt to get it back!
- Fill squirt bottles with food coloring (or washable paint) and water. Spray the snow to make pictures!
