Crystal Mountain Resort is located in the Northeast corner of Mt.Rainier National park, and is only an hour and a half away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The resort offers beautiful Mountain views with picture perfect backgrounds. Crystal Mountain has a variety of skiing terrain with a total of 85 trails, you’ll be sure to enjoy yourself no matter the experience level.
If this is your first time visiting Crystal Mountain then the following information will help ensure you have a great experience.
Visit CrystalMountainResort.com
First, make sure to visit the ski’s website before you visit to see what the weather will be like, what lifts will be open, and the road conditions. In addition, they also have an instagram account, where you can find special events they’ll host and pictures/videos of the beautiful views the resort has to offer.
Nearest town to the Resort: Enumclaw, Washington
The nearest town to the resort is Enumclaw where you can find affordable hotels, gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and some shops. Enumclaw has many hotel options with very affordable ranges. The town is about a 50 minute drive from the Resort, and about an hour away from Seattle making it a perfect midpoint were you have the flexibility to travel to the city at night for dinner.
Drive to the Resort
The drive to Crystal Mountain Resort is very pretty. There’s a stunning waterfall overlook on the way that you have to stop at. The road to the resort is very well maintained, and has multiple areas where you can pullover to let traffic pass you. Make sure to check the resorts website the morning of and see if they have any weather advisories. Have tire chains just in case they are needed, there is an area where you can pull aside and install them.
Parking at the Resort
The Resort has multiple parking lots with a letter name. Parking lot “A” is at the very front and is only for season pass members, the rest of the parking lots are for the general public.
If you want to get nearby parking then I recommend getting there early before they open. The resort does have shuttles that go to all parking lots and take you to the front of the resort. On the other hand, if you don’t get nearby parking, it’s really not a big deal since the shuttle goes to all parking lots.
The shuttles here were great! They have a lot of room, carriers for your skis, and are constantly cycling thru the parking lots. Because of this you will not have to wait long for a shuttle to come pick you up from the parking lots or the resort when leaving.
Lift Tickets
On their website you can purchase lift tickets, rentals, and possibly parking passes depending on the season. If you do purchase lift tickets or rentals online make sure you receive an email confirmation with a link that will show you a barcode.
The first floor has lift ticket stations, where you can simply scan that barcode you were sent in your email and you will receive your lift pass card. This card can be used at any of the lifts and all you have to do is scan it at any of the lift entrances. In this same level the restrooms are located, and the customer services.
Rental Equipment
A level above that is where you can pick up your rental equipment. Having the email confirmation for the rentals will be helpful, but they can also look up your information from your name.
They are very helpful in finding your perfect fit for your equipment, and they can store your shoes here where you can pick up after dropping off your rental boots.
In this same area, they have small lockers that can be purchased for the day.
Food at the Resort
The resort does have a 4 different restaurants where you can have burgers, tacos, rice bowls and more. So make sure to check out their Dining section on their website to see what menu you’d prefer, and which one seems more convenient.
Overall Opinion
Crystal Mountain Resort is very well rounded, and you are sure to find trails to ski/snowboard whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced skier/snowboarder.
The staff here were very really nice and helpful. The resort itself was pretty and vey well maintained, and the facilities were clean.
If you are visiting Seattle in the winter, I highly recommend visiting Crystal Mountain. The views are absolutely breathtaking, and you won’t want to