Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Areas
List of Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Areas (U.S./Canada):
- Whitefish Mountain Resort (Whitefish, Montana)
CERTIFIED in 2016; RECERTIFIED in 2019, 2023
Whitefish Mountain Resort has a long history of working with whitebark pine. The current and previous mountain managers have been dedicated to protecting whitebark pine, and they have incorporated related education into the summit nature center. The ski area has great support from the Flathead National Forest. There are scattered whitebark pine within the resort and along some runs, as well as some areas with high concentrations. They were the first to be certified as a Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in the U.S.!
- Sorcerer Lodge (Golden, British Columbia)
CERTIFIED in 2019
Sorcerer Lodge is a backcountry lodge where customers are flown in by helicopter and treated to awesome backcountry skiing. There are loads of whitebark pine right outside the lodge and all over the skiable areas. Lodge employees educate guests about whitebark pine and have even named some of their favorite trees. They are the first to be certified as a Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in Canada!
- Mt. Bachelor (Bend, Oregon)
CERTIFIED in 2020; RECERTIFIED in 2025
Mt. Bachelor is a huge ski area with over 4,300 acres. There is whitebark pine galore at mid mountain, both at and below treeline. They have excellent interpretative information at the Summit Trail with plans to install more interpretative signs. The resort works with the U.S. Forest Service to monitor whitebark pine via four permanent plots located across the mountain.
- Panorama Mountain Resort (Panorama, British Columbia)
CERTIFIED in 2023
Situated in British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, Panorama Mountain Resort covers 2,975 acres and has been working towards whitebark pine recovery for nearly 30 years. In collaboration with the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada, Panorama participates in annual cone caging and seed collection, hosts workshops on planting seedlings, conducts outreach events with guests, and screens mature trees for resistance to white pine blister rust. In 2021, Panorama planted 5,000 whitebark pine seedlings in a permanently closed area within ski boundaries as part of the B.C. Government’s Forest Carbon Initiative. Panorama is proud of its whitebark pine stands that surround the summit, extending along Taynton Bowl Ridge to the Goldie Plateau and Get Me Down Trail.
- Yellowstone Club (Big Sky, Montana)
CERTIFIED in 2023
The Yellowstone Club is a private ski resort spanning 2,900 acres. It is the first area to be certified exclusively on privately owned lands. Since 2010, the Club has been actively managing whitebark pine by conducting studies on brood tree removal, verbenone placement, direct seeding, and regular assessments of 18 permanent plots in six different units. At each of these plots, the Club monitors for blister rust infections, mountain pine beetle activity, cone production, whitebark pine regeneration, and tree mortality. As part of their adaptive management plan, the Yellowstone Club also conducts restoration projects, including removing competing species around regenerating whitebark pine and transplanting over 500 whitebark pine trees to areas with limited regeneration.
- Brundage Mountain Resort (McCall, Idaho)
CERTIFIED in 2023
Brundage Mountain Resort is home to a whitebark pine population that is in the upper 25th percentile of genetic resistance to blister rust. To date, the resort has mapped whitebark pine trees across seven sites, tagged six “plus” trees that show signs of rust resistance, planted seedlings, collected cones, and identified areas for proposed restoration treatments. These treatments involve pruning infected branches, thinning competing vegetation, and planting rust-resistant seedlings. Upcoming projects include installing interactive displays to educate visitors about whitebark pine conservation and training the resort’s Green Team and Trail Crews on whitebark pine identification, restoration, and management with assistance from the USFS Payette National Forest.
- Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort (North Powder, Oregon)
CERTIFIED in 2024
Anthony Lakes is a community-run ski area located outside of Baker City, OR, with numerous whitebark pine trees on its slopes. They were certified during the 2024 WPEF Science and Management Conference where attendees enjoyed a hike through the resort and got to see some recent whitebark pine planting sites.
- Sun Valley Resort (Sun Valley, Idaho)
CERTIFIED in 2025
Sun Valley is the first Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in Idaho. The team swiftly worked through the certification process, as they already had completed many of the requirements. Recent declines in whitebark pine health has captured the team’s attention, and they are committed to the principles of whitebark pine conservation. Future work to educate the public by creating excellent interpretative signage, incorporating whitebark pine into the Bald Mountain Nature Walk, and using innovative ways to protect whitebark pine on the slopes of Sun Valley Resort will be of great value in conserving these key ecosystems.
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (Teton Village, Wyoming)
CERTIFIED in 2025
Jackson Hole was one of the first ski areas that WPEF encouraged toward certification in the early days of the program. The resort has been working in collaboration with the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative to advance whitebark pine conservation for more than two decades, increasing efforts over the last five years as threats have become more evident. Jackson Hole has some of the grandest whitebark pine that you can ski by and is the first Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in Wyoming.
- Crystal Mountain Resort (Enumclaw, Washington)
CERTIFIED in 2025
Crystal Mountain Resort is the first Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in Washington. The certification process was initiated by one of the resort’s long-time ski patrollers who noticed some decline in whitebark pine in and around the resort. She approached upper management with a proposal to pursue certification and received full support. The resort diligently worked through the various requirements, including customizing WPEF’s interpretive ski area sign to match the local flora and fauna. The resort also has a busy summer program on the mountain and plans to include whitebark pine educational activities.
- Castle Mountain Resort (Pincher Creek, Alberta)
CERTIFIED in 2026
Castle Mountain is the first Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area in Alberta, Canada. The area has a small resort vibe but includes a huge ski area and is a community-run resort. The area was certified with the help of local volunteers and dedicated staff who had noticed a rapid decline in the local whitebark pine and decided to do something to help. The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada worked with the resort to complete certification and has set the bar for other ski areas in Alberta to aspire to.
Your favorite ski area could be listed here! Learn more about the Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area certification program.