Oregon Ski & Snowboard Resort Guide
Skiing and snowboarding in Oregon delivers everything from blower powder days mid-winter, to slushy riding all summer long. Oregon ski and snowboard resorts, from Mount Bachelor to Mount Hood, are great destinations for family skiers and diehards alike. Mount Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge, and Ski Bowl have a full variety of options for skiing near Portland, each less than two hours from the city. These ski and snowboard areas on Mount Hood are some of the best in Oregon. Timberline is known around the world for being open all 12 months of the year, with its high elevation and glaciers holding snow through the entire summer. Just outside of Bend, Oregon is Mount Bachelor Ski Area, the biggest and highest elevation ski area in Oregon, with over 4,300 skiable acres and a chairlift that brings riders to the summit of the the Mt. Bachelor volcano itself. Apart from these more well known Oregon ski areas, there are some great smaller ski areas with a nice community feel. These areas like Hoodoo, Willamette Pass, and Mt. Ashland are awesome places to get your fix or fall in love with skiing and snowboarding in Oregon.
Oregon Ski Resorts Map
Skiing and snowboarding on Mt. Hood, an active volcano, sounds pretty cool, right? Well that’s exactly what you can do at Mount Hood Meadows. Only a 90 minute drive from evo Portland and skiers and snowboarders have 2,150 ski able acres, plus an additional 1,700 acres of hike-to terrain at their disposal. Meadows has a great variety of beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain spread across 11 lifts. When the snow gets deep, which it does often with 430” of annual snowfall, Heather Canyon and Private Reserve are the places to be. This side of the mountain is almost like its own ski and snowboard area with tons of steep chutes and glades. When the weather permits, the hike-to terrain opens access to the scary-steep Super bowl. If this sounds like too much, Meadows also offers some of the best cruising and groomed terrain in the state for skiers and boarders alike.
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Located high on Mt. Hood, the historic Timberline Lodge serves as the base area for year-round skiing and snowboarding. The lodge itself sits at 6,000’ with the ski area reaching down to 4,850’ at Still Creek Basin, and up to 8,540’ at the top of the Palmer chairlift; that’s a whopping 3,960’ of vertical drop. We dare you to try and ski the whole thing top to bottom in one go, it’s not an easy feat. Timberline is also renown for its amazing freestyle terrain. The hardworking terrain park crew creates and maintains one of the best terrain parks in the US, all year long. Come spring time and you’ll find skiers and snowboarders from all over the world making their yearly pilgrimage to come enjoy the sunshine, slush and great park riding.
Located high on Mt. Hood, the historic Timberline Lodge serves as the base area for year-round skiing and snowboarding. The lodge itself sits at 6,000’ with the ski area reaching down to 4,850’ at Still Creek Basin, and up to 8,540’ at the top of the Palmer chairlift; that’s a whopping 3,960’ of vertical drop. We dare you to try and ski the whole thing top to bottom in one go, it’s not an easy feat. Timberline is also renown for its amazing freestyle terrain. The hardworking terrain park crew creates and maintains one of the best terrain parks in the US, all year long. Come spring time and you’ll find skiers and snowboarders from all over the world making their yearly pilgrimage to come enjoy the sunshine, slush and great park riding.
Explore Timberline Lodge >
One of the oldest ski areas in the US, started in 1928, Mount Hood Ski Bowl is a smaller local ski area on Mount Hood, with great beginner access and night skiing and snowboarding. All of Ski Bowl’s terrain is lit for night skiing, giving the ski area the largest night skiing terrain in the country. At just over an hour from Portland, and Ski Bowl is an awesome option for day trips, as well as quick trips after work or school. Expert skiers and boarders will get a kick out of shredding the Upper Bowl lift on a powder day under the lights.
One of the oldest ski areas in the US, started in 1928, Mount Hood Ski Bowl is a smaller local ski area on Mount Hood, with great beginner access and night skiing and snowboarding. All of Ski Bowl’s terrain is lit for night skiing, giving the ski area the largest night skiing terrain in the country. At just over an hour from Portland, and Ski Bowl is an awesome option for day trips, as well as quick trips after work or school. Expert skiers and boarders will get a kick out of shredding the Upper Bowl lift on a powder day under the lights.
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Located on another one of Oregon’s volcanoes, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area is one of the best ski and snowboard areas in Oregon. The ski area is about a 20 minute drive from nearby Bend, and has some great skiing and snowboarding on every side of the peak. As one of the biggest ski areas in the US, at over 4,300 ski able acres, there is something for every type of skier and snowboarder, whether you’re hiking for turns on the cinder cone, or just learning to ski on the bunny hill. Unlike Mt. Hood, you can take a chairlift to the 9,060’ summit of Mount Bachelor. From here, you have a 360 degree view of the cascade mountain sand eastern Oregon. With its more inland location, the sun shines more often and the snow falls lighter at Mt. Bachelor.
Located on another one of Oregon’s volcanoes, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area is one of the best ski and snowboard areas in Oregon. The ski area is about a 20 minute drive from nearby Bend, and has some great skiing and snowboarding on every side of the peak. As one of the biggest ski areas in the US, at over 4,300 ski able acres, there is something for every type of skier and snowboarder, whether you’re hiking for turns on the cinder cone, or just learning to ski on the bunny hill. Unlike Mt. Hood, you can take a chairlift to the 9,060’ summit of Mount Bachelor. From here, you have a 360 degree view of the cascade mountain sand eastern Oregon. With its more inland location, the sun shines more often and the snow falls lighter at Mt. Bachelor.
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Our Favorite Outerwear for Oregon
Sitting atop Santiam pass, Hoodoo ski and snowboard area is a small mountain gem located an hour and a half east of Eugene. This family friendly ski area has five lifts that serve the 800 acres of skiable terrain and 1,035 feet of vertical. The mountain is a big, round butte, making for a number of options for learning and progression. Children 5 and under ski and snowboard for free, and adult lift tickets come at a great deal, making Hoodoo a nice option for families just getting into skiing and snowboarding.
The Willamette Pass ski and snowboard area is about 75 minute outside of Eugene, with just over 1,500” of vertical and 5 chairlifts. The night skiing and variety of terrain options bring all types of skiers and snowboarders to the central Oregon ski resort. Willamette Pass has one of the steepest runs in the world, “RTS” measuring over 50 degrees in places and has held the US Speed Skiing National championship.
Our Favorite Skis For Riding Oregon
Halfway between Portland and San Francisco, Mount Ashland serves southern Oregon skiers and snowboarders. Just five miles north of the California border and only eight miles off of I-5, Mt. Ashland has some surprisingly cool and technical terrain amongst its 220 skiable acres and 1,150 vertical drop. The small ski and snowboard area is operated by the community as a non-profit.
Halfway between Portland and San Francisco, Mount Ashland serves southern Oregon skiers and snowboarders. Just five miles north of the California border and only eight miles off of I-5, Mt. Ashland has some surprisingly cool and technical terrain amongst its 220 skiable acres and 1,150 vertical drop. The small ski and snowboard area is operated by the community as a non-profit.
Our Favorite Snowboards For Riding Oregon
Need ski or snowboard gear for your trip? Gear up! Shop online, or stop by one of our amazing flagship stores in Seattle, Portland, or Denver and get stocked up on everything you need for an all-time day on the slopes.
