The Crystal Mountain ski resort is inside the Mount Rainier National Park, in its most northeastern section. Crystal Mountain Washington is only 76 miles away from Seattle, making this a popular site for skiers from the Puget Sound and surrounding areas.

Enumclaw is the nearest major town, and is a great place to stop to get food, gear and supplies. To get to Crystal Mountain, all you have to do is go east on Highway 410. You will pass through Greenwater, where you will also find services. Once you are about 33 miles outside of Enumclaw, you need to take a left onto Crystal Mountain Boulevard. You stay on this 6-mile road until you reach the ski area. Aside from being in a National Park, the spectacular setting for the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort is also inside the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.

Even if you've traveled all over North America, the best slopes, Vail to Kicking Horse, will not even come close to what you will enjoy at Crystal Mountain Washington. There are a lot of trails for expert skiers and snowboarders and lots of backcountry woods to silently glide about. Every 30 minutes there is a shuttle that picks you up 3 miles down the road. Although the towering Mount Rainier impedes the passage of clouds, the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort still manages to get 350 inches a year of the finest dry powder.

Crystal Mountain also has several changes in the works with their development plan. These changes will include new ski areas to the north and the south, as well as two lifts across Bullion Basin and the East Peak valley areas that many hope will ease some of the crowds on the weekends. Parking here can be a bit of a challenge as well, so give yourself enough time to get here early in the day for the freshest slopes.

There are also several areas for beginners at Crystal Mountain Washington. There is a skilled set of instructors from all parts of the globe that are certified by National Ski and Snowboard Instructor associations. All of their group lessons are guaranteed, so you can have confidence that you skills will improve no matter what level you are at.

The season at the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort starts in mid-to-late November and generally lasts until mid-April, depending on the snowfall for the year. During the season, Crystal Mountain is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm, and from 8:30am to 4pm on the weekends. The resort is open on holidays, and the hours are the same as weekend opening and closing time. There is night skiing open on Friday and Saturday, from 4-8 pm, usually in January and February, for those who just can't spend enough time on the slopes.

Ski rentals at Crystal Mountain cost about $25 a day, and if you don't have boots or poles you can rent these as well for an additional $25. Snowboard and boots rental is $30 a day, and for children ten and under ski, boots, and pole rentals are only $15. To ski here, adults have to pay a daily fee, which is $58 for a full day and $53 for a half day.

Aside from the daily fees and ski rental, the price of a lift ticket, lodging, gas and food can really make it so the price adds up quickly. There are discount books that have five vouchers that you can redeem for one adult all-day lift ticket. You can get these ticket books for around $265, and they give you five days of skiing and snowboarding. You can get your discount lift tickets at the Washington REI, and Gart Sports stores. You could also look online if you want to save the inconvenience of waiting in line to get your discount lift tickets. This aspect of skiing can cost just as much as other rentals or fees, so the money you save by getting discount lift tickets can give you more days of fun and sun on the slopes of Crystal Mountain.