7 affordable winter sports on ice and snow

Here is a list of winter sports you can enjoy in Washington State, including popular sports such as skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding, as well as several other fun activities that appeal to a wide variety of recreational enthusiasts, from weekend family outings to athletes seeking more challenge.

Our list starts with indoor ice sports, followed by outdoor snow sports. The easiest (and cheapest) outdoor winter sports are listed first, followed by those that require increasingly complex (and more expensive) equipment, preparation, and skill.

Best winter sports on ice and snow

Scroll through the information below, or jump to any of these activities immediately by clicking on the link in the following list:

• Curling
• Ice Skating
• Snow Play
• Snowshoeing
• Snowboarding and Skiing
• Backcountry Winter Sports
• Snowmobiling

Curling

Curling is a sport very much like boules, bocce ball, and petanque, where players attempt to roll their ball closest to the target. While bocce and petanque are played on grass or dirt with balls, curling is played on ice with “stones”—heavy, squat, handled disks—instead of balls.

To play the sport, each player slides granite “stones” on ice, trying to get closest to the center of the target (called the “house”) than the nearest stone of the opposing team. While the stone is traveling down the ice, the delivering team’s players are allowed to sweep in front of the stone. Sweeping is done with a broom specifically designed for curling. The sweeping action melts the surface of the ice slightly, which can alter the speed and the direction of the stone. A game normally consists of 8- to 10-end games. 

The sport is 500 years old. It is believed to have originated in Scotland where large stones were slid over frozen ponds as a winter time activity. Today, curling is played on indoor ice rinks (called “sheets”). During the season, over a million curlers are on the ice during the season. It became a full medal Olympic sport in 1998. For most of us, it’s just a fun recreational activity. 

Here’s where to try curling in the Seattle area.

• Granite Curling Club of Seattle. To play, you must join and pay an annual fee. Then you can attend skills clinics or join a league. The club holds open houses a few times a year when the public is invited to try the sport for a nominal fee.
• Broom Ball & Curling in Tacoma. Coming in Fall 2019.

For more information about the sport of curling, check out Lilac City Curling Club in Spokane, and on the national front, United States Curling Association and USA Curling’s National Championships. Keep an eye out for it at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijng, People’s Republic of China.

During the winter holiday season December-January, several temporary ice skating rinks open around the Puget Sound region, including Winterfest at Seattle Center, the new Enchant Christmas light maze and skating tail at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) Field, the Indigo Frozen ice rink at Tacoma’s Point Ruston, the ice rink produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association, the Winter Wonderland at Redmond Towne Center, and Winter Magic Skating in Snoqualmie. These rinks are open varying times from Thanksgiving to Ground Hog Day.

If ice skating appeals to you no matter what season, there are several other places where you can strap on some blades and glide across the ice.

(Listed north to south)

• Everett Angel of the Winds Arena Ice Rink offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages. Public skate: $10/person, includes skate rental. Discount: Save $1 on “cheapskate” sessions. Save more with a 7-session punch card.
• Lynnwood Ice Center offers offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages. Public skate: $11.50/person, includes skate rental. Discount: Save 50-cents per session with a frequent skater card. Families can save with a Family Card for 10 sessions at $150, to include two adults, two youth, and skate rentals.
• Mountlake Terrace Olympic View Arena does not offer public skating. The arena is a full-time ice sports training facility offering junior and adult hockey and figure skating. Cost: $15/session drop-in. Discount: $11-$13 with a punch card.
• Shoreline Highland Ice Arena offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages. Public skate: $11.50/person includes skate rental. Discount: Save 75- to 90-cents per session with multi-session card. On Sunday afternoon, families pay $16.50 + $4/per person skate rental.
• Kirkland Sno-King Ice Arena in Kirkland offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages, plus broomball as a group sport. Public skate: $7/weekday or $12/weekends, includes skate rental. Discount: Save 50-cents per session with a punch card.
• Renton Sno-King Ice Arena in Renton offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages, plus broomball as a group sport. Cost: public skating sessions $7/weekday and $12 weekends. Discount: Save 50-cents per session with a punch card.
• Tacoma Sprinkler Recreation Center offers public skating sessions as well as skating lessons and hockey for all ages, plus broomball as a group sport. Cost: public skating sessions $11/session incudes skate rental. Discount: Save $1 on “cheapskate” sessions. Save 50-cents per session with a discount admission card.

Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program manages Sno-Parks, which are cleared parking areas near groomed and backcountry trails.

Snow Play Sno-Parks require a permit and may require a Discover Pass. There are parks for motorized (snowmobile) and non-motorized recreation, including cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, and snow play.

Find out more on the Sno-Park permit site.

Snowshoeing is easy to learn and a low-impact sport that almost everyone can do on the first try. Even children can learn snowshoeing beginning around age three or four.

Your pace out on the trail can easy or strenuous. Snowshoeing adapts readily to families with children or groups where the participants have varying athletic ability.

Snowshoeing requires only snowshoes. Poles are optional but make the sport easier, especially over long distances. Otherwise, you need appropriate layers of clothing suitable for the weather at your intended destination.

Before you head out on a trail, be sure you grasp basic snowshoeing techniques: walking with a wide stance (without stepping on the frames) and how to go up and down hills, traverse slopes, and use poles.

Here are some resources to help you get started with snowshoeing:

REI has introductory Snowshoeing Articles on their website., including a beginner’s guide, avalanche safety gear (if you plan to go into uncontrolled areas), snowshoeing with kids, and other helpful information.

Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program manages Sno-Parks, which are cleared parking areas near groomed and backcountry trails. There are parks for motorized (snowmobile) and non-motorized recreation, including cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, and snow play.Non-motorized Sno-Parks require a permit and may require a Discover Pass. Find out more on the Sno-Park permit site.

Other snowshoeing locations suitable for first timers that offer flat trails with shorter distances and little elevation gain are (listed going north to south):

• Olympic National Park at Hurricane Hill at Hurricane Ridge
• Stevens Pass Nordic Center
• The Summit at Snoqualmie Nordic Center
• Mt.Rainier National Park from Paradise Visitor Center

Once you’re comfortable on basic snowshoe terrain, you’re ready to try more challenging trails. The following locations offer groomed trails with generally longer distances and/or elevation gains that will appeal to beginning as well as intermediate snowshoers (listed going north to south):

• Olympic National Park at Eagle Point on Hurricane Ridge
• Stevens Pass Mountain Resort
• Snoqualmie Pass, many possible locations, such as: Source Lake, Cowboy Mountain, Twin Lakes, Copper River Trail, Gold Creek Pond, Keechelus Ridge, Kendall Peak Lakes, Talapus Lake
• Blewett Pass at Wenatchee Crest
• Crystal Mountain Resort: Mount Rainier Gondola
• White Pass at Tieton River Meadows

After you gain experience and confidence and want more challenging trails and locations, turn to Washington Trails Association (WTA). The WTA hiking guide is a valuable resource for finding hiking trails in any season, including snowshoe routes. Search their guide for “snowshoe” to find dozens of possible hikes. Narrow your search by region, mileage, or elevation. When you strike out for more remote areas, keep these snowshoeing tips in mind:

• Know your limitations: Pay attention to roundtrip miles and elevation gain when evaluating a hike against your current abilities.
• Check current conditions: Be sure to read recent WTA trip reports citing current trail conditions, along with weather reports, before you head out.
• Back country snowshoeing: If you plan to snowshoe in back country on ungroomed trails in unpatrolled areas outside of snow parks, be sure you are prepared for avalanche danger by taking a class and carrying proper gear.

Skiing and snowboarding are enjoyed in many of the same locations, including ski resorts with groomed runs as well as backcountry trails outside of patrolled areas. Both snow sports require good fitness, particularly legs (especially in skiing), core strength (especially in snowboarding), and overall stamina. In addition, both sports require some time to learn the basic techniques and practice to successfully perform the sport.

Skis are more intuitive than a snowboard, since your feet are positioned straight ahead on two separate skis, which has a similar feel to walking or running.

There are two basic methods of skiing: downhill and cross-country. There are several variations, such as touring, telemarking, and freestyle mskiing, but these are the two basic types.

Equipment for either type of skiing is similar, with differences in the details. In both types of skiing, the skier’s boots are affixed to the skis in a binding and poles are used for balance and/or support. From there, the two types differ.

Downhill, also known as alpine skiing requires several techniques in order to learn how to control speed and turn on steep or flat and smooth or rough  terrain. The entire ski boot (heel and toe) is fixed by the binding. Learning downhill typically requires a succession of lessons to learn the various techniques, followed by weeks of practice to become proficient on all types of terrain and snow conditions.

Cross-country, also known as XC or Nordic skiing is much easier to learn. Only the toe of the boot is secured in the binding and the skier typically uses either a skating style or kick-style to propel themselves forward across the snow. Which style you use is dictated by the terrain—a skating style on groomed trails and a kick-style on either groomed or ungroomed terrain.

Snowboarding is the winter equivalent of skateboarding or surfing, with some elements of skiing. Like skateboarding and surfing, the rider stands nearly perpendicular on the board. Like skiing, their boot is held onto the board by a binding.

The biggest hurdle to learning snowboarding is getting used to the fixed, sideways stance, then using the body to control the board direction. It typically takes quite a few falls over as many days to learn these basic techniques. For most boarders the progression to more difficult terrain occurs quickly once the grasp the feel for how to control the board. Beyond these basics, there is much personal variation in style from one snowboarder to another as he or she glides downhill or performs tricks on a half-pipe.

If you’ve mastered groomed runs and off-trail skiing or snowboarding at a ski resort or patrolled ski area, you might want to venture into remote, untamed backcountry terrain.

If you do, the first step is to become familiar with assessing avalanche hazards, as well as training and equipping yourself for this near and present danger.

It’s a good to take an avalanche course to learn about the dangers, proper gear, and survival techniques. In addition, consider a backcountry course to learn about the issues that make backcountry trips different from activities in controlled areas, which have already addressed avalanche danger, as well as provides patrol and rescue services if needed.

Here some resources to get you started with backcountry winter sports:

Snowsports Articles on the REI website, including several articles on avalanches and on backcountry snowshoeing, skiing, and snowboarding.

Mountaineers Books offers dozens of titles on snow touring skills, avalanche safety, and locations. Search their catalog for books on winter sports. Here are a few about snow routes and trails in Washington:

• Snowshoe Routes: Washington by Dan Nelson
• Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Washington by Martin Volken
• 100 Best Cross-Country Ski Trails in Washington by Vicky Spring and Tom Kirkendall
• 100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington by Rainer Burgdorfer

Washington Trails Association (WTA) offers a hiking by seasons guide, which is a great resource for finding hiking trails any time of year, including winter trails. While many of the suggestions include hikes at lower elevations without snow, there many suggestions for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, plus safety tips, links to skills courses, and a list of Skiing & Snowshoeing Information.

Snowmobiling is one of Washington State’s most popular winter recreational activities. There are over 3,500 miles of groomed and marked snowmobile trails. Most of these trails are on public lands (National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Washington DNR, State Parks), managed through the Washington State Parks in cooperation with many other public and private entities.

Snowmobiling can take you to remote locations not easily accessible by other means. On sunny days you can cruise to stunning views in just an hour or two. Night time treks are also possible, which offer a different ethereal experience through a dark forest.

No experience or skills are required. However, snowmobiling is the most expensive winter recreation, upwards of $100 per hour for drivers on short rides, with lower rates for extra riders or half-day rentals and higher rates for guided tours.

Here is more information about where to ride and rent snowmobiles in Washington State:

Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program manages Sno-Parks throughout the state, which are cleared parking areas near groomed and backcountry trails. There are parks for motorized (snowmobile) and non-motorized recreation, including cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, and snow play. Snowmobile Sno-Parks require a permit and may require a Discover Pass. Find out more on the Sno-Park permit site.

Motor Toys in Cle Elum, Washington (about 85 miles east of Seattle on I-90) offers rentals and guided tours by snowmobile, as well as ATVs and scooters in warmer weather.

Leavenworth, Washington (about 135 miles east of Seattle on I-90) is a popular location for an introduction to snowmobiling and offers snowmobile rentals.

Washington State Snowmobile Association has a variety of useful information for snowmobile enthusiasts, including snowmobile clubs and tourism information about snowmobile riding areas and places to stay and rent snowmobiles.

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