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Mount Baker Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Mount Baker Ski Resort

Mount Baker Ratings

Overall: 2.7. Based on 84 votes and 73 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.0

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Mount Baker is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 3.7

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Mount Baker has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 3.6

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 3.8

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 2.9

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Mount Baker.

Public Transport: 2.2

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Mount Baker, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 2.1

(1) No places to stay in/near Mount Baker, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 2.0

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 1.6

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Mount Baker.

Ski in/Ski out: 1.5

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 1.7

(1) There are no child care facilities at Mount Baker, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 1.3

(1) Mount Baker relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 3.0

(1) There are no snow groomers at Mount Baker, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Mount Baker are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.3

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Mount Baker is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 1.9

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Mount Baker, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.0

(1) Mount Baker usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 3.6

(1) The staff at Mount Baker are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Mount Baker are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.5

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 2.8

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 3.5

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 2.7

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 3.2

(1) No intermediate terrain at Mount Baker, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.0

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 2.1

(1) Not even a kicker at Mount Baker, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 2.3

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Mount Baker, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 1.5

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Mount Baker has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 2.9

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 2.8

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 2.1

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 1.4

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 1.7

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 2.3

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 3.6

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 3.7

(1) Overall, Mount Baker is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 3.7

(1) Overall, Mount Baker is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

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April 07, 2021
Genghis Khan from Ski United States United States
Please don't come here. Nah, just kidding! Every time I drive up highway 542 into the upper parking lot, I feel like I'm traveling back in time. Back before everything sucked. My only real gripe about this place is the lack of any sort of park. Otherwise, it's pretty much exactly what I dream about riding. Lots of snow, drops and short hikes. No hotels or stores. If you are planning a visit, I must warn you it may be a very rainy / icy / horrible experience and you might end up regretting the long drive. If you are lucky, it could end up being the greatest session of your life.
March 31, 2021
Paco from Ski United States United States
The amount of hater-ade that flow from some of these reviews is incredible. This place is probably not for you, haters. This is the Mecca of snowboarding. You don't come to Mt. Baker because of its lodges, its food, its groomers, etc. You come to Mt. Baker because it's legendary. It's one of the last true locally owned mountains in the west. It's no secret that the PNW has wildly variable weather (so stop whining). Baker sits in the convergence zone, so you may get something like 23 inches overnight, or you may get a little bit of rain, but at the end of the year, you've gotten the most snow out of any resort in the lower 48. Facts. Yeah, there is no cell service and the winding highway can be treacherous in the stormy weather. Don't bring your 2-wheel drive BMW up, you will have trouble. This is a mountain, in the wild. There are no hotels but you can overnight camp in the lot for a small fee, because, again, this is the Mecca, not a resort. You come here if you're a hardcore skier or snowboarder and you want to experience the legend. You want to ride snow deep enough to swallow you whole, near tree wells that'll bury you for good, by cliffs that'll chew you up like a blender dropped from a high rise and you shred it all within the glacier-faced glare of Mt. Shuksan that's quietly towering over you. Read these reviews, this mountain is probably not for you, snowflake (pun intended!). There are plenty of overly crowded Vail & Ikon corporate mountains in Washington state that'll probably be more your speed.
February 11, 2021
Kate H. from Ski United States United States
Horrible/rude staff. They made my 18yr old daughter pay a $250 fine for an expired lift ticket instead of just having her purchase a lift ticket (which she offered to do). And they were very rude about it.
December 15, 2020
Ryan from Ski United States United States
If you show up to this place, it could be highly disappointing or...what dreams are made of. The inbounds has only about 1500ft of vertical. If you don't know the place or go with a knowledgable local, don't bother traveling here. The inbounds is tiny. Short hikes and slack-country is the name of the game here. The weather and snow are extremely variable, but when it dumps, it dumps. I've experienced mashed potatoes, but I've also surfed 3+ feet of blower pow riding my way to faceshot heaven. These negative reviews below may be merited for their limited experiences here, but they just don't know the possibilities. The legend is real (especially for locals riding mid-week after a storm).
June 01, 2020
Eric Barkstad from Ski United States United States
Mt. Baker has some excellent terrain but it can be greatly affected by constantly changing weather patterns. You'll want to prepare accordingly. I came up on a whim but once there, I decided to stay for a few days. I quickly discovered that there aren't any hotels. One of the locals told me about Mt. Baker Lodging (mtbakerlodging dot com). I went to their office and rented a very nice cabin at a good price for my girlfriend and myself. It even had a private hot tub! If you're planning on coming to Mt. Baker for a weekend, I would highly recommend these guys. They can be reached at 1-800-709-7669.
February 10, 2020
JJH from Ski United States United States
People complaining about slow chairs and crowded runs realize faster chairs would make more crowded runs? Anyway, the management is amazing and that's one reason Baker has gotten so crowded unfortunately. Everyone to the north and south has figured it out and now it's just slammed and over-capacity for the available terrain.
January 31, 2020
Russell from Ski Canada Canada
I have skied here about 20 times and in all kinds of conditions. It's a fun resort when the conditions are good. With this resort you need to pay careful attention to the recent freezing level. It's common for the whole mountain to melt and then re-freeze and those days are horrid because there are not a lot of steep groomers (don't even think of going off-piste in those conditions). Lifts are slow and runs are relatively short but there are some nice steep pitches. Get there early on a weekend powder day because they turn cars around once the parking lots are full. The backcountry is very easy to access and can be fun, but again, watch that freezing level. Whiteout conditions are relatively common, but that usually means free refills. Live band at the Heather Meadows Day Lodge is one of my favourite things there.
January 09, 2020
ccfunker from Ski United States United States
Mt Baker is an enigma. When it's good, you can't beat it. When it's bad, don't go. If someone is planning on a trip to Mt. Baker (like, flying in), don't plan on it being either good or bad. It's all about the weather (obviously), and in some cases, it's like rolling the dice. Because Mt. Baker is so close to the Pacific ocean, it can be tricky to figure out when to go. The average temp in the north Pacific can be 'warm' and this affects the jet stream (if you don't know what a jet stream is, stop reading and go somewhere else). When there is a bulge in the jet stream near the Gulf of Alaska, and if that stream is sitting off to the west of the NW coast as it comes down, it means the systems hitting the NW will be cold and full of moisture. Why Mt Baker gets so much snow is this: as the systems come in, they are rotating counter-clockwise. Even though the system may be coming from the north, the moisture will be moving SW to NE because of rotation. When this moisture arm hits the Kulshan ridge, where the MB Ski resort is, it has to dump moisture to lift. These moisture arms are funnelled between Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. Kulshan ridge sits perpendicular to these moisture arms, and hence, the big snows that Baker gets. So if you go to Baker, you really have to watch the conditions. Generally, getting to Baker even from Seattle is a long drive and if you go and conditions suck, that's no good. On the weekends: Mt. Baker is kinda crowded, like any west coast ski resort on any weekend. Additionally, there is no lodging on the mountain and you may not have cell-phone reception. The lodges are nice and the food is decent but not great. The runs are fun but pretty short. One thing about the runs: if it is a double black diamond, they mean it. Only go if you are an expert. Quite a few runs on Baker are short but intense. To my knowledge, there are few runs at Whistler that are as challenging. Baker is not a great place to learn. If you are learning how to ski or snowboard, go to Snoqualmie Summit near Seattle. The terrain here is much flatter. If you ever do want to go to Baker, check the weather in Bellingham first. If it's under 45 degrees with rain, there is a good chance the conditions will be right. Mt Baker snow quality is entirely dependant on how cold it gets. Near 32 degrees, not so good, but if it's 25 or under, the composition of the snow will change and it will be a bit drier.
January 06, 2020
Sam from Ski United States United States
Possibly the most overhyped mountain in the state and greater PNW. The temps hover right around 33-35 degrees F so all you're skiing is mashed potatoes. The locals are stingy and rude to anyone not from there which leads me to the worst part. The mountain is located deep into the forest where there is no cell phone service for 40 miles. The snowplough staff don't know how to do their job so we got stuck on the side of the road. Not a single person pulled over to help us out. We were stuck in an area that was so far out from help that we had to hitch rides just to get to the closest landline phone to get a truck out there to help which took hours. The mountain itself is more times than not in a white-out so don't expect any views. The back-country is easily the most overhyped. You can find better snow and terrain up north in Canada. The town of Bellingham is full of stoner college kids who don't respect shit. Weekends are also a wreck with huge crowds and the mountain is skied out in about an hour.
December 15, 2019
hebegebe from Ski Canada Canada
I love these bad reviews of Baker. I'm pretty sure they are written by the locals. How anyone could come to this place and not fall in love is beyond me. But yes, if you are thinking of flying in here. Don't! Long lines, rude people, terrible snow, the beer sucks, scary wildlife, only one weed store in Glacier, uhhh...what else? Oh yeah, too many snowboarders. :)