Crystal Springs Sno-Park—Trails for Every Winter Activity
Are you looking for a place to get out and enjoy the snow? No matter your sport, Crystal Springs Sno-Park just east of Snoqualmie Pass is for you. This large Sno-Park has four parking areas: two for non-motorized users and two for snowmobilers. Head out on trails groomed for snowmobiles, Nordic skiing, and even dog sledding. If you are looking for an overnight destination, you can catch a snowcat shuttle from the Sno-Park to Meany Lodge, the Mountaineers’ oldest winter sports resort with a skiing/snowboarding hill, overnight lodging, and food service. (Make sure to check the web page for reservations and requirements.) Use the Winter NW App for Apple and Android and web map to plan your trip. Make sure to get the app for Apple and Android and download the Central WA Region so you can navigate when you are out of cell range as most of the trails near Crystal Springs have spotty service at best.
Check out the Winter NW web map and app for more places to ride.
For snowmobilers, Crystal Springs sits at the top of one of the largest snowmobile trail systems in the state. Head north and do a loop up Meadow Creek and back down along the shores of Lost Lake, head over Tacoma Pass back down to Easton Reload, and then take the Palouse to Cascades Trail back to Crystal Springs. If you are looking for a longer ride, you can ride from Crystal Springs over to the Naches Watershed and all the way up to Greenwater. There are almost 390 miles of groomed trails and 11 Sno-Parks that make up this connected system. If you decide to ride across to Naches, make sure to stop at Gold Creek Station, one of our supporters, for food and drinks or even an overnight stay at their vacation house, and make sure to tell them you saw them on Northwest Portal by Washington Hometown and the Winter NW maps. Starting this season, if you prefer a slightly more comfortable ride, you can use an ATV that has been modified with tracks on most of the snowmobile trails in Washington State, including all of the trails in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and adjoining state lands. SxSs and ATVs must have valid snowmobile permits and weigh less than 2,000 lbs to use the groomed trails. The Washington State Snowmobile Association has pulled together a flier with more information about rules. You can download it here.
Non-Motorized Sports
If you prefer non-motorized winter sports, Crystal Springs is also a great place to head in the winter. You can ski on the groomed trails along the Palouse to Cascades Trail up to the Lake Keechelus Dam and then along the lakeshore all the way to the Hyak Sno-Park or head south from the trailhead and enjoy several groomed loops through a dedicated non-motorized area, with more groomed Nordic trails to the south and west. If you prefer some dog power, dogsledders can park in the back lot at Crystal Springs and enjoy a trail that is groomed for dogsledding that heads north and connects to a section of the Palouse to Cascades trail extending from Keechelus Dam south that is open to dogs. The section of the trail between Stampede Pass Road and the dam is groomed for both Nordic skiing and dogsleds; south of the Stampede Pass Road all the way to Easton Reload, the trail is groomed multi-use and thus open to dogsleds, which are allowed on groomed snowmobile trails. Snowshoers can park in the front lot at Crystal Springs and enjoy a marked loop trail through the woods or head out from the back lot along the dogsled trail.
The dogsled trail is also open to snowshoers and Nordic skiers; we always park in the back lot and head up from there. Snowshoers who use the groomed Nordic trails need to stay on the side and not walk in the groomed tracks. Snowmobile trails are open to all uses, but non-motorized users should be careful: stay to the side and step out of the way of snowmobiles.
Where to Ride
Snowmobilers are allowed to ride off-trail in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest with the exception of dedicated non-motorized areas, including one just south of Crystal Springs, and a total closure area along the east shore of Lake Keechelus that provides a buffer for animals using the I-90 wildlife bridge near Keechelus Dam and the underpass at Gold Creek. If you are heading over towards Naches, be aware that the trails cross Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lands. Snowmobiles must stay on the trails through these areas.
Dru Bru
At the end of the day, stop off at Dru Bru’s Snoqualmie Pass or Cle Elum Brew Pub to try one of their mountain-made beers on tap including their new release of a German-style Doppelbock Lager, a malty brew with a chestnut hue and full bodied finish that was brewed in 2020 and aged for 11 months in Buffalo Track and Maker’s Mark barrels. Don’t forget to say you saw them on the Snow NW map or app.
Know Before You Go
Getting There: Crystal Springs is less than a mile from I-90 off Exit-62 on Stampede Pass Road. When you first enter the Sno-Park, you will see the main Nordic Ski parking area on your left. The road circles the large snowmobile parking lot with room for large trailers. In the back there is a road that takes you to the dogsled parking lot, which can also be used by Nordic skiers and snowshoers. Overnight parking and camping is allowed in the lot and there are portable toilets at each of the parking areas.
Passes: A Sno-Park permit is required to park at Crystal Springs. Sno-Park permits are issued as part of the snowmobile registration. Non-motorized users or snowmobilers who need an extra pass can purchase one, two, or three days for $25/day on the state park web site. Annual permits are available for $50. Non-motorized recreation users with an annual pass must also purchase a seasonal special groomed sticker for $70. This additional permit is required for non-motorized users at Sno-Parks with high-use and/or special groomed trails (Cabin Creek, Crystal Springs, Hyak, Lake Easton, Chiwawa, Lake Wenatchee, Nason Ridge, and Mount Spokane). Snowmobile registration fees, Sno-Park passes and the seasonal special groomed sticker pay for the full cost of grooming trails, plowing, and maintaining the Sno-Parks and running the winter recreation program.
Avalanches: Avalanches are a significant danger in the Pacific Northwest. Make sure to check the Avalanche Forecast before heading out. Use the links in the pop-up for Sno-Parks on Snow NW to link to the forecast zone. Crystal Springs is covered by the Northwest Avalanche Center.
Snow Depth: The Snow NW maps and apps include SNOTEL Monitoring sites. Click on the link in the pop-up to check the current snow conditions.
Find a Club: Want to connect with other snowmobilers or get a local perspective on trails in the area? Check out the Cascade Drift Skippers (Crystal Springs area) or Sno-Jammers (Greenwater-Naches area).
Local Travel Information: The Kittitas County Chamber has visitor centers in Cle Elum and Ellensburg that can help you plan your vacation.
