Stevens Pass WA

Stevens Pass WA is one of the most popular areas for Washington state ski trips, with dozens of terrific trails and a location that’s easily accessible from Seattle—it’s in the Wenatchee National Forest, just a couple of hours’ drive from the city. It makes a great day trip destination, but there is also plenty of lodging in the area, including Granite Peaks Lodge and the Leavenworth hotels, so it’s worth staying a few days if you want to really explore the ski area.

One of the best things about Stevens Pass is its array of trails at different levels of difficulty, which has been a focus of the resort ever since it opened. There are ten chairs in the ski resort, and 7th Heaven is one of the best known and most popular among advanced skiers, as it provides access to the double-black diamond runs.

The 7th Heaven chair lift was built in 1960 and reaches to the top of Cowboy Mountain, which at 5,845 feet has the highest summit in Stevens Pass WA. When this lift opened, it permanently altered the character of the ski area by opening up the mountain’s most advanced terrain to skiers. From Cowboy Mountain you can ski down the difficult Bobby and Nancy Chutes or take a more moderate route along the Cloud 9 or Rocky Garden Runs.

One of the three higher lifts on the front side of Stevens Pass, along with Tye Mill and Double Diamond, 7th Heaven is a fixed double chair that is accessed via the Skyline lift, which is similar to the Hogsback lift, meaning it’s a high-speed quad that takes skiers to the longest intermediate runs on the mountain’s front side. If you’re planning Washington state ski trips with experienced skiers and snowboarders, then 7th Heaven could easily end up being your favorite lift at Stevens Pass.