Skiing & Snowboarding at Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area

The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area is a small ski area in the northwest United States, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. 

It is within Olympic National Park, seventeen miles south of Port Angeles. 

Hurricane Ridge is one of only three lift-serviced ski areas operating in a U.S. National Park.

The Hurricane Ridge Ski, Snowboard, and Tubing area is a small family-oriented ski area operated by the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club. The ski area includes two rope tows, a poma lift, and tubing park. 

This area is typically open from mid-December through the end of March, weather permitting.

If you're planning a trip to Hurricane Ridge to ski or ride, here are a few tips you might find valuable :

- Call ahead 

Weather permitting, Hurricane Ridge Road usually opens at 9:00 am, but times vary according to the road and weather conditions.

Winter storms can close or delay opening of the Hurricane Ridge Road; high winds and blizzard conditions are not uncommon. Road and weather condition updates are available on the Road and Weather Hotline at 360.565.3131

- Arrive early

Traffic to to the ski area could get busy ( especially on weekends, and during school holidays )...

B/c the ski area is located on the National Park grounds, you'll have to pay entrance fee ( ON TOP OF YOUR LIFT TICKETS !! )... This can make quite a bottle neck at the entrance, and the line can stretch for a half mile...

 🔥 If the parking lots get full early, you WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO THE AREA... EVEN IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR LIFT TICKETS ONLINE !!  🔥

- Fill up your tank 

The drive from the nearest gas station to the ski area is ~ 18-20 miles... And if you have to wait in car line, and you're already low on gas, you might have a problem...

- Bring (rubber) gloves you won't regret destroying

The main "lift" is a rope tow... sooo... if you've never used a rope tow, first, it's not easy ( especially at Hurricane Ridge with a pretty steep slope ), second - the rope tow can really make a number on your gloves... 

Want To Ride For FREE ?

Hurricane Ski & Snowboard Area is small... I mean, REALLY small... it only has two main "lifts" ( rope tow, and poma lift )... 

If you just want to do one run, or of you just want to snap a cool pic on top of the mountain, just grab your skis/snowboard , and walk uphill !!

It would better work when the ski area is closed, or after the season is over ( late March/early April )...

The views are absolutely magnificent !!! and just that is worth the trip !!

Below is a shirt video we shot during our trip :

Looking for more adventures while visiting Port Angeles area ?

- Snow and surf around Port Angeles

- Hiking Dungeness Spit

- Exploring the Olympic Peninsula : Port Townsend

Surfing Neah Bay : Part II

Skiing and surfing on the same day can be a rare experience. While there are some locations across the world where you could ski and surf on the same day like Chile and New Zealand, I wanted to put our state on the map of " World's Best Adventure Travel Destinations" by exploring the Olympic Peninsula.

The Olympic Peninsula is a place where surfing and skiing can be just a few hours from one another. You can start out early morning on the snow-capped mountains of the Hurricane Ridge, and finish the day off taking on waves along the coast.

For my surfing part of the trip I went to Neah Bay, a small town on the Makah Indian Reservation located in the north-westernmost point of the continental United States. It was my first time visiting this corner of our state, and the experience was amazing !

Driving along State Route 122 ( named the Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway ) was like driving along Big Sur ( in California )- beautiful views, amazing pieces of history and unique places to visit !

While in town, I couldn't resist the temptation to have my picture taken at the north-westernmost point of the contiguous United States ( with Tatoosh Island in the background ). A land of dramatic headlands, sea stacks, and deep narrow coves, Cape Flattery exhibits sheer rugged beauty.

After a short hike and a few pictures, I headed down to Hobuck Beach, an exposed beach break that has small, but quite consistent surf and can work ( mostly ) at any time of the year. The access to the beach ( that I found ) was through "gated" Hobuck Beach Resort. Though a day pass is $15, I was happily waived the fee ( you still have to pay $10 for your recreation pass to park anywhere on the reservation ). There are a few cabins and a dozen or so tent and RV spaces ( $20 a night ).

Just like La Push, Hobuck Beach is an average beachbreak that has some good days and a lot of bad days. It's a beautiful spot, however, and the drive here is well worth it, even if the surf sucks.


That day I was blessed with beautiful spring weather, light breeze, and lots of sunshine. But the slopes of Hurricane Ridge were waiting for me, and I still had 2 hour drive ahead of me.

Skiing the Hurricane Ridge: Part III

After spending a glorious morning surfing at Hobuck Beach I headed out to the Hurricane Ridge ski area. Though I visited Hurricane Ridge a couple years ago, I didn't have a chance to do anything other than just taking a few pictures. And that's what most people would do - drive for 17 miles from Port Angeles just to take a few pics, go for a short stroll in the snow, have lunch, and head back out.


If you're visiting the area, and all you have is just a few hours, I highly recommend to make a trip to the Hurricane Ridge ! It's so beautiful there !

Skiing at every ski area in Washington state has been on my Bucket List for the past couple years, and I really hoped to add Hurricane Ridge to my list this year. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions ( the road had been closed for a couple weeks ) and my schedule I was a week late.

Instead, I went "ski/alpine touring".


I haven't had a chance to write about my new "hobby" yet, but in short - for alpine touring you use your "regular" downhill skis with specially designed binding set-up ( AT/randonee bindings ) that allows the heel to free up for climbing and accessing backcountry. Then, the heel can "lock in", and the skis can be skied as normal alpine gear. To "walk uphill" on your skis, you use skins - removable pieces of nylon fabric whose nap runs at an oblique angle, allowing the ski to glide forward, but not back.

Avalanche danger was very high at the time of my visit, and I didn't want just "to wonder into backcountry".

As my trusted and favorite source I used " Snowshoe Routes Washington " , a great book for all skill levels, from beginner to experienced mountaineer.

I chose a relatively easy, yet very rewarding " Hurricane Hill " hike. It starts right behind the lodge, the trail is very used and thus easy to follow. I have to mention that for some ( inexperienced ) snowshoers the trail might get a bit tricky. Exposed ridgeline, two avalanche chutes, and knife-edged ridge crest might be more than you bargained for.

Even if the top isn't reached, the views are spectacular all along the trail. At the top you're rewarded with 360 degree spectacular views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Canada's Vancouver Island, upper Puget Sound, with Mount Baker rearing its icy head beyond, Olympus and Mt Angeles.

The way down was a breeze, and I was back to my car before closing time.

I wish I could just pass out in my car, but one thing that sucks about the Hurricane Ridge is that they close at dusk ( also, keep in mind that they open the gate at 8 am, and the lodge at 9 am, so it doesn't make sense to go there very early in the morning ).

Ski and Surf the Olympic Peninsula: Part I

How many places in the WORLD do you know where you can surf and ski in the same day ?

Skiing magazine knows 6. I can add 2 more : Iceland and ....Washington !

I've always thought of our state as one of the world's premier adventure travel destinations, and if you've been following my blog, you know we have it all : from world class mountaineering to the best cold water scuba diving, easily accessible hiking trails to one of the finest mountain biking playgrounds in the world. 

So when Ski Magazine failed to mention Washington state as one of the world's best places to ski and surf in the same day, I decided to go on an adventure of my own. 

The Spectacular Olympic Peninsula is known as one of the most photographed, and one of the most desired places to visit in our state. People from all across the globe come to experience the thrill of this Natures' Paradise.

This wasn't my first time visiting this corner of our state, but this time I had more time to actually do something fun !

I've already surfed at one of the popular spots on the Olympic Peninsula - La Push.

This time, I decided to explore another popular surf location and surf at  Hobuck Beach at the Makah Indian Reservation.

After spending half of the day surfing, I headed back towards Port Angeles to ski at the Hurricane Ridge.

What was suppose to be a day trip of surfing and skiing, turned into a weekend of unforgettable fun !

....to be continued...