Skiing
Ski Resorts
Six ski resorts lie scattered around Mt. Hood’s base, each with unique qualities to provide a smorgasbord of snow vacation options. All ski areas are within easy driving distance from Portland or Hood River via Highway 26 or Highway 35.
- Mt. Hood Meadows (open Thanksgiving through mid-May)
Mt. Hood Meadows is the mountain’s largest ski resort, with consistent year-round snow pack and 85 runs for every level. A large group of premium terrain parks and halfpipes and a professional-quality ski school round out the attractions. - Summit (open November 15 – April 15)
With just three trails and two lifts, Summit is small, but its status as Mt. Hood’s oldest ski resort (built in 1927) lend interest to this resort. Summit’s affordable rates, gentler slopes and patient, friendly instructors make Summit suitable for beginners of all ages, with a special hill set aside for inner tubing. - Timberline (open October 1 – May 31 for the winter season, summer skiing in June-July)
Timberline Ski Resort is both popular and famous—Timberline Lodge and the well-known Magic Mile Sky Lift reside here. Timberline’s season is the longest in North America. - Cooper Spur (ski season November – April)
Cooper Spur’s gentle slopes and affordable prices are particularly attractive for family ski and snow play vacations. The ski and snowboard school provide instruction for beginners, and the resort also has a fun inner-tubing run. - Mt. Hood Ski Bowl (mid-November – April)
Night skiing sets Ski Bowl apart from the other Mt. Hood resorts; two-thirds of its 65 runs can be skied after dark under the resort’s bright night lighting. Day skiing is great too; on a clear day you can see the peaks of six Cascade Mountains. Three tubing runs are available. - Snow Bunny (November 15 – April 15)
Adjacent to and run by Summit Ski Area, Snow Bunny Snow Play Area is the top stop for families with small children or for any visitor who just wants to play in the snow! Tubing, sledding, and snowman building are the main attractions, with trailheads nearby for snowmobiling and snowshoeing.
The south side of Mt. Hood provides the most popular backcountry ski routes, with plenty of telemark and alpine turns and glacial faces, while the north face is a favorite area for ski mountaineering. Backcountry skiing is best enjoyed during the late spring and early summer, when weather conditions are ideal.
Nordic enthusiasts will find miles of trails on which to explore the Mt. Hood National Forest. Trillium Lake Basin’s groomed trails and the more challenging slopes of Barlow Pass are popular cross country scenes.
All ski resorts in Mt. Hood’s vicinity offer equipment rentals of various sorts. The largest resort, Mt. Hood Meadows, has several shops where visitors can purchase equipment and accessories. Multiple outfitters located on the mountain, in Hood River, or in the Portland area will rent or sell you everything you need for a one-of-a-kind ski vacation.
