This winter, White Pass is splitting its learning operation off from the rest of the mountain. The new Base Camp Lodge sits in Lot C, below the beginner slopes, chairlifts and magic carpets. It holds the rental shop, the lesson meeting point, the learning terrain and a place to get warm food and hot cocoa. If you live in Yakima and someone in your household is new to skiing or snowboarding, your first trip up US-12 this season ends in a different parking lot and a different building than it used to.
Base Camp doesn't replace anything. The historic Day Lodge stays open, and so does the rest of the mountain. What the lodge does is put a beginner's whole day in one place: where you park, where you get gear, where you meet an instructor, and where you take a break. White Pass has also priced a season pass around that same lower terrain. Taken together, that's a cheaper and simpler way into skiing than this mountain has offered before.
A new building at a ski area that dates to the 1950s
White Pass calls itself "Locally Owned and Operated Since 1953," and its announcement put the lodge under the heading "NEW FOR 2026/27: Base Camp Lodge." In August, POWDER magazine reported that the lodge had been "steadily taking shape over the summer," with regular updates showing crews at work and concrete deliveries. The magazine said the project came about partly because the ski area needed more indoor space, and called it "a significant makeover" for a mountain known for its throwback, homey feel.
According to the ski area, the lodge "will primarily serve customers who are new to snow sports" but is "open to all customers looking to start their day in that location." So experienced skiers can use it too. The design, though, is built around a first day on snow.
For Yakima households, the trip itself stays the same. White Pass is roughly 50 miles west of town on US-12, and Rome2Rio estimates the drive at about 52.7 miles and 1 hour 10 minutes. What changes is what happens after you park.
Which building handles what this winter
The 2026/27 winter operations plan spells out the new split, and it's the part regular visitors will want to learn before their first trip:
| What you need | Where it is for 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Ski and snowboard rentals | Base Camp Lodge, Lot C |
| Private and group lesson meetups | Base Camp, Lot C |
| Tune-ups and equipment service | Sales & Service Shop, Day Lodge |
| Demo gear | Sales & Service Center, Day Lodge |
| RV parking | Back to its original spot in Lot A |
| Food and drinks | Day Lodge, Base Camp, High Camp, The Kracker Barrel, Nordic Yurt, Mid-mountain Yurt |
The practical rule is simple. If your day involves rentals or a lesson, White Pass recommends parking in Lot C. If you own your gear and need a quick tune, you'll still head to the Day Lodge. Mixed groups, like a parent with a season pass and a child in a first lesson, may split up at the parking lot.
RV campers have a date to remember too. With parking moved back to Lot A, White Pass says RV reservations open October 20, 2026, at 9 a.m., about a week from today.
A pass priced for the lower mountain
Base Camp gives beginners a building. The pass structure gives them a cheaper way to keep coming back. The 2026–2027 fall sale rates list a Lower Area Season Pass at $309 for adults and $169 for juniors ages 9 to 16. It covers unlimited use of the Far East Triple and the surface lifts, which is the terrain around the learning area. For comparison, the Unrestricted pass is $899 for adults and $489 for juniors.
White Pass says Lower Area passholders can upgrade to any other 2026/2027 pass option at any time. So a family can start on the lower mountain and decide later whether anyone is ready for more. For children 8 and under, and seniors 73 and older, the Unrestricted pass is listed at $40, which the ski area says is a processing fee. Rates don't include sales tax and can change at White Pass's discretion. White Pass also says it has only a limited supply of fall-sale Unrestricted passes.
Learning options, from one evening to six weekends
The lesson menu has several entry points, and they aren't interchangeable. The biggest difference is what each one expects a child to already know.
- Night Learn-to-Ski/Ride: includes equipment, a magic-carpet ticket and a guided session in the learning zone, for $65 adults, $49 juniors 9 to 16 and $29 children 6 to 8.
- EZ123: a three-day beginner package for $314 that bundles equipment, a lower-area access pass and a 90-minute lesson. Check where to meet when you book.
- First Tracks: a half-day beginner program for ages 6 to 13 that runs six alternating weekends, priced at $499 per session with a season pass included. Registration opened September 1.
- Kids' Clinic: a full-day program for ages 6 to 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., over six alternating weekends. It includes lunch and a season pass and costs $949 per session.
The Kids' Clinic requires participants to ride a chairlift confidently, and its page showed Saturday sessions waitlisted with Sunday sessions still open. That makes First Tracks the multi-week option for a child who hasn't skied yet, and the Clinic the next step after that. Group lessons for walk-up learners run at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and all of them meet at Base Camp.
Day tickets, blackout dates and Thanksgiving weekend
If a season pass is more than you want right now, day tickets are the other way in. White Pass expects daily lift tickets to go on sale in November. Its lift-ticket page currently lists starting prices of $69 on off-peak days and $89 on peak days. Prices rise as inventory sells, and adult tickets are capped at $99 off-peak and $119 peak. Off-peak means non-holiday Monday through Thursday, and peak means Friday through Sunday plus holidays. Those discounted rates are online only and don't include Washington sales tax. The ski area warns that it "frequently reaches capacity on popular days."
The Off-Peak Season Pass, $549 adult and $329 junior, is good on non-holiday weekdays. Its blackout dates include November 26 to 29, 2026, then December 19, 2026, through January 3, 2027, plus January 18 and February 15, 2027. Starting March 15, 2027, it works every day, weekends included.
The first blackout window covers Thanksgiving weekend. That's the same stretch as Thanksgiving in Wine Country, set for November 27 to 29, 2026, with tasting flights, food pairings, live music and holiday specials at participating stops in Yakima, Selah, Zillah, Prosser, Wapato, Benton City and Union Gap. If you're planning that weekend with visiting family, the wineries are open to everyone that weekend, while Off-Peak passholders would need to buy a day ticket for the mountain.
Whether the mountain is open that weekend at all depends on the weather. White Pass says it usually begins daily operations in late November or early December, depending on snowfall, and hasn't posted a 2026/27 opening date. Its tubing hill is listed as "TBD for the 2026/27 Season."
A White Pass night at Bale Breaker in November
Before any lifts turn, there's a ski-themed evening in the hop fields. White Pass lists an 80s Ski Party at Bale Breaker on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a DJ, a costume contest, High Camp Winter IPA and a raffle benefiting the White Pass Foundation. Bale Breaker's Yakima taproom is at 1801 Birchfield Road. The event page doesn't list admission.
RV reservations open October 20, the Bale Breaker party is November 13, daily tickets are expected in November, and lifts start when the snow allows. When you get there, a beginner's day is built around the Base Camp Lodge in Lot C. For more cold-weather ideas closer to home, our guides to weekends in Yakima and parks, trails and outdoor living cover what's in town.
At Jeremy Sinnes, we pay attention to how a 50-mile drive up US-12 figures into the way households choose where to live in the Valley, from easy westside access to more room for gear and a trailer. If winter weekends at White Pass are part of what you want from your next home, schedule a consultation and we'll go over the options with you.
