Winter Van Life: Lookout Pass
When We Visited: March 2019
20 years in Tahoe taught me an inch of snow overnight meant I wouldn’t find any evidence of new snow on the mountain. A few inches translated into dust on crust, so I waited for the big dumps.
In Idaho, I haven’t witnessed dumps measured in feet like Lake Tahoe. And talking to Idahoans, this is a rare event. Instead, snow seems to fall consistently throughout the season, temperatures stay cold, and you see more clouds than the sun. There are far fewer skiers on Idaho’s mountains, unlike Tahoe, so it takes a while for slopes to get tracked out. When Idaho ski areas like Lookout Pass only report a few inches, it can equate to a fun powder day.
We visited Lookout Pass for a few days in March 2019 using perks included with our Brundage season passes. We loved the mountain’s lack of crowds and snow quality. However, in recent years, it sounds like they’ve gotten a lot busier on weekends and holidays.
I spent most of my time in their glades as well as the black diamond bump runs on the North Side. Beware! The North Side can be firm too early in the day, but that area also closes early. You have to time it just right. We found closer to noon was best.
If we visit again, I’m excited to check out their new Eagle Peak expansion!
Plan Your RV/Van Life Road Trip to Lookout Pass
skilookout.com
I-90 Exit 0, Mullan, ID 83846
(The ski area is 6 miles east of Mullan.)
(208) 744-1301 or (208) 744-1234
info@skilookout.com
Pass affiliation: Ski Cooper 2023/24
Hours of Operation: Lifts typically spin 7 days a week, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. See their Hours of Operation for the most up-to-date schedule.
Mountain Stats
- Average annual snowfall: 400 inches
- Terrain: 1,023 acres
- Vertical: 1,650 feet
- More stats
Driving to Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass is immediately off I-90 at the top of the pass at Exit 0. The interstate is well-maintained, but this area receives a lot of snow. Watch for closures and adverse conditions. Be ready to share the road with truckers and other fast-moving travelers.
Parking at Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass has two parking lots – an upper and a lower. The upper lot is closest to the lodge and main lift, but the walk isn’t much further from the lower lot.
Weekends and holidays can get very busy so arrive early. Weekdays should be far less problematic. Read more about parking at Lookout Pass.
Lift Ticket Deals at Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass has relationships with other ski areas, but they don’t participate in any multi-resort passes like Epic, Ikon, or Indy. However, they have amazing lift ticket deals. You can check them out here. You should be able to ski/ride for as little as $35 per day if you plan it right. Or, ski free on your birthday!
Working Remotely at Lookout Pass
In 2019, AT&T cell service was very unreliable in the Lookout Pass parking lot. I was only able to send texts and emails sporadically, even with a booster. It might be different now. Otherwise, I could get a strong AT&T signal in downtown Mullan.
Whenever we are at Silver Mountain in Kellogg, only 25 minutes from Lookout Pass, we also get great AT&T cell service. The last time we were there was in March 2023.
Where to Sleep in Your Van/RV
In 2019, Lookout Pass allowed overnight RV parking in the lower parking lot closest to I-90. I believe they still do, but I would contact them ahead of time as they don’t advertise an official policy on their website. They have no amenities.
Tamarack RV Park – 62.5 miles / 60 minutes in Coeur d’Alene – Even though this RV park was packed and had a lot of full-timers, individual sites were kept neat, and the place stayed quiet. Sites are very close together, but we had friendly neighbors.
The last price we paid was $42 on a weeknight for a paved, back-in site with full hookups in March 2023. All sites are paved with full hookups and are either back-in or pull-through. Cabins are also available.
Water hookups in some of the sites are in the ground. This was a problem for us because we were winterized and needed to fill water jugs. RV staff pointed us to a vacant site with a spigot above ground.
Also, our sewer hookup froze shut one day as temperatures dropped from the 30s to single digits. Again, the RV staff allowed us to use a vacant site to dump our cassette toilet. But someone did come right away to pry our sewer connection open.
The bathhouse nearest our site had several private rooms you enter from the outside, each with its own toilet, sink, and tiled shower. They were extremely clean, which we most wanted after spending a couple of nights at Silver Mountain without showers.
We’ve been to Tamarack a few times now and never had trouble with the shower’s hot water except once. It ran out mid-shower on Kyle, and we concluded that it was due to all the people that had used the showers right before him. I was one of those people, and I didn’t have a problem.
Quarter-operated top-loading washers and dryers are available. The laundry room gets busy so go early! The RV park asks that you do not wash pet bedding in their machines.
One of the washers I used left my items a little soaked. I had to ring them out before putting them in the dryer and pay for two dry cycles. Talking to someone who lived in the park, this happens from time to time. You can ask the front desk for a refund. Aside from that, the laundry room was very clean.
Propane is available if you need it.
Texting, emailing, streaming entertainment, and online video calls worked great with AT&T and Verizon without using a cell booster.
Coeur d’Alene is a great place to stock up on supplies and take advantage of other services if you intend on journeying to Montana. If you’re traveling I-90 East, Missoula is the next closest major town, about 165 miles away.
Tamarack is within walking distance of Safeway (Neider Ave), Costco (Coeur D’Alene Warehouse), and several restaurants.
Most Costco locations do not sell diesel, but the one in Coeur d’Alene does! Membership required. It was the cheapest diesel we could find in Coeur d’Alene.
Conveniences Near Lookout Pass
There isn’t much available near Lookout Pass. You can probably find some basics in Mullan (10 minutes east) or Kellogg (25 minutes west). Otherwise, Coeur d’Alene (60 minutes west) has the most options.
Closest Ski Areas to Lookout Pass
- Silver Mountain Resort (Powder Alliance 2023/24, Indy Pass 2023/24) – 25.1 miles / 25 minutes in Kellogg
- Mt. Spokane (Freedom Pass 2023/24) – 105 miles / 2 hours in Mead, WA
- Schweitzer (Ikon Pass 2023/24, Loveland 2023/24) – 118 miles / 2.25 hours in Sandpoint
- 49 Degrees North (Indy Pass 2023/24) – 138 miles / 2.75 hours in Chewelah, WA
- Blacktail Mountain (Powder Alliance 2023/24, Indy Pass 2023/24) – 144 miles / 2.75 hours in Lakeside, MT
- Whitefish Mountain Resort – 168 miles / 3 hours in Whitefish, MT
