Washington Sno-Park 101 – What You Need to Know in 2020
It is snowing like crazy in the mountains and that means the time is NOW to enjoy everything the state of Washington has to offer outdoors.
You will need to get your mitts on the right permits, and then it's time to shred on that sled or whatever snow adventure you can conjure up in your head.
Three major changes are in effect this season to make your winter recreation odysseys even more awesome.
1. No Discover Pass required. You will still need to buy the right permit for your specific style of winter fun.
2. Sno-Bikes are now legal. A hybrid motorcycle and snowmobile? That's bad ass!
3. There's a map for that. With Washington's new interactive winter recreation feature, plan your perfect winter vacation getaway in advance.
Washington's Sno-Parks offer at least three distinctly different levels of winter fun like:
- Non-Motorized — for skiing, fat-tire biking, skijoring, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, skate skiing, etc.
- Snow Play — For sledding, building snow sculptures, etc.
- Snowmobile/Motorized — for snowmobiling and snow biking
Mount Spokane State Park is the only Washington state park that offers downhill skiing and snowboarding in addition to Nordic trails for classic skiing, skate skiing and skijoring, In addition, the park has groomed roads available for snowmobiles and all types of non-motorized use. Other designated trail systems that aren’t groomed are also open to non-motorized use including snowshoeing, back-country skiing, snowboarding and fat-tire biking. For information about downhill skiing, visit the Mount Spokane 2000 website or call (509) 238-2220.
When you buy a Sno-Park permit, you’re helping pay for trail grooming, snow removal, maps, brochures, signage, enforcement, warming huts, bathrooms and more! Snowmobile registration fees and a percentage of the state’s fuel tax also help pay for these services.