hoodoo-sking-beyond-hood_Tyler_Roemer2_lwkel4 Guide to Ski Resorts in the Pacific Northwest — Central Oregon’s Hoodoo Ski Area is around three hours from Portland. (And psst—on Thrifty Thursdays, the cost for a day ticket plunges to $29. )

Skiers living in Portland are a lucky bunch. We glide down the slopes of volcanoes, weave through evergreens, and have one of the longest seasons in the country. Take that extra time to sample the gloriously varied ski areas of the Pacific Northwest, from nearby resorts on Mount Hood to behemoths like Bachelor to community hills in far-flung corners of the region.

If downhill is a little too gravity-packed for your taste, check out our favorite cross-country ski spots in the Pacific Northwest.

Mt. Hood Ski Areas

Mt. Hood Meadows

1 hour and 40 minutes from Portland | 87 runs | opened Nov 15 | $59–164 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Meadows is Hood’s Disneyland: huge (2,150 skiable acres), mobbed, and expensive. Positioned on the southeast side of the mountain, it’s often mired in intense storms. Gusty winds, ice, and lack of visibility often shut down Heather Canyon and the S&R Cliffs, some of the resort’s steepest, most adrenaline-pumping terrain. Even if the area is open, you still need to haul all the way back down to the base of HERM (the Hood River Express chair), where you’ll join the masses for waits of up to 30 minutes on busy weekends. Still, Meadows is a beast of a resort, with six high-speed quads, a three-mile-long run, and 2,777 feet of vertical drop. If big is better is your philosophy, Meadows is for you. —Benjamin Tepler

Timberline

1.5 hours from Portland | 41 runs | open year-round | $117–149 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

With Timberline Lodge—a feat of Depression-era engineering that ranks with state treasures like Crater Lake and the Painted Hills—this is the only true ski-in, ski-out resort on the mountain. There’s nothing quite like coming in from a blizzard through Timberline’s snow tunnel and straight up to the massive, two-story stone furnace, like the hearth at a Sasquatch family reunion. The landscape is tamer than at Skibowl and Meadows, but still nicely varied, with an impressive freestyle terrain park for hardcore shredders. Best of all? In winter, it’s almost always snowing at Timberline’s 6,000-foot elevation, even if it’s raining at Skibowl. That means guaranteed pow for the mountain’s longest run: 3,690 vertical feet from Palmer Glacier to the bottom of Still Creek Basin. —BT

Mt. Hood Skibowl

1 hour and 20 minutes from Portland | 69 runs | opening TBD | Standard lift ticket for 2024–25 price TBA

Hood veterans know this adage well: Skibowl is steep and cheap. With 1,500 feet of vertical drop and the most abundant collection of black diamonds in the state, this is the place to spend the season if you’re a serious local. The downside? Runs tend to be shorter than at Meadows or Timberline. But we’ll take those quick thrills any day, especially when it means no lines at Upper Bowl (even on weekends), close proximity to Portland, and some of the best night skiing (and cosmic black light tubing) in the country: 34 well-lit runs that glide until 10 or 11pm, with front-row seats to the always-stunning alpenglow sunset. —BT

Summit Pass

1 hour and 15 minutes from Portland | 3 runs | opening TBD | $56 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Think of Summit as the aging, friendly grandparent on Hood. As the second-oldest continuously operating ski area in the country, its lift is glacially slow, but the gentle, half-mile run absolutely loves kids. Established in 1927 and bought by Timberline in 2018, the 4,000-foot-elevation ski area is basically a giant bunny hill. That’s key for young and inexperienced skiers who need room to tumble. Two miles east of the lodge on Highway 26 is Summit’s real draw: Snow Bunny Snow Play area. On weekends only, the powdery, tree-shrouded hills make for some of the best tubing on the mountain ($29), with scores of kids twirling down in Summit’s mandatory old-fashioned tire tubes. —BT

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort

1.5 hours from Portland | 9 runs | planned opening Dec 14 | $52 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

“Mountain Resort” is a bit of an overstatement; it’s more a mom-and-pop sprawl of cabins, with a small ski area and four miles of Nordic trails. Perched on the quiet northeast side of the mountain, and an extra 30 minutes away (without traffic) from Portland, Cooper Spur runs a secluded operation—a total steal for little kids, beginners, and intermediate skiers and snowboarders content with a totally vanilla shred. (Most trails are blue.) Just past the ski area, the Tilly Jane A-frame is a popular destination for snowshoers. The resort also offers some serious midweek discounts for people who stay there but want to ski at Meadows. —BT

Beyond Hood: Other Oregon Ski Areas

hoodoo-sking-beyond-hood_Tyler_Roemer_cxgbhg Guide to Ski Resorts in the Pacific Northwest — At Central Oregon’s Hoodoo, the snow is plentiful and dry.

Hoodoo Ski Area

Sisters, Or | 3 hours from Portland | 34 runs | opened nov 29 | $69 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Founded in 1938, the same year Timberline Lodge opened, Central Oregon’s Hoodoo Ski Area retains both an old charm and a wild aura. Five lifts offer access to 34 runs, ranging from steep powder bowls to mellow groomers, on 1,035 feet of vertical drop. Big Green Machine, the resort’s main lift, services the entire mountain; at the top, take in near-360-degree views of Three Fingered Jack, Mount Washington, two of the Three Sisters, and the tips of several other Cascade peaks. At just over 800 acres, it’s a wee thing compared to the 4,300-acre resort at nearby Mount Bachelor, but the quality of the runs staves off boredom. Amenities might be lacking: There’s no on-site lodging other than RV and camper parking, the lodge has seen better days, and choices at the cafeteria-style restaurant are scant. But the snow is abundant and dry, and on Thrifty Thursdays the cost for a day ticket plunges to $35. And if you need somewhere to rest your head, just nine miles east you’ll find the painstakingly renovated, 1930s-era Suttle Lodge. —Sam Stites

Mt. Bachelor

Bend, OR | 3.5 hours from Portland | 101 runs | Opened nov 29 | $124–224 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Contrary to its name, Bachelor is one big daddy. The largest ski resort in Oregon and one of the largest in the US, it can feel downright Colorado-y sometimes, and the chance of overhearing someone talking about how “stoked” they are is pretty high. A ski or snowboard day always feels substantial, even if not all the lifts are running and wind turns some runs into ice sheets in the afternoon. You can book an RV spot ($49–99 a night), but most lodging options are in Bend, 21 miles away (there’s a public shuttle if you’d rather have someone else drive). For a Portlander, the real reason to go is to spend a few days in this ever-growing city, where it seems there’s always a new brewery or two to check out and where the tagalong nonskiers in your group will find plenty of entertainment. —Margaret Seiler

Willamette Pass Ski Resort

Cascade Summit, Or | 3 hours from Portland | 29 runs | Opened nov 22 | lift tickets for 2024–25 PRICEd by Demand, starting at $19

Willamette Pass sits a little over an hour southeast of Eugene along OR 58, just past Salt Creek Falls and the turnoff for Waldo Lake. Known for its steep runs, views of Odell Lake and Diamond Peak, and general lack of lines, the ski area is on the small side but offers some big fairyland energy with lots of options for weaving through the trees. There’s no on-mountain lodging at this “resort,” but cozy cabins around Odell Lake boast not only proximity to the ski hill but also some serious Nordic opportunities. —MS

Mt. Ashland

Ashland, OR | 5 hours from Portland | 45 runs | Planned opening Dec 6 | $72–79 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Largely a locals’ mountain, this Siskiyou peak is about a 30-minute drive from its Southern Oregon namesake town. (If you need a lift from Ashland or have one to offer, check out the Mt. Ashland Ride Share Facebook group.) The new Lithia triple chair opening this season should speed up the ski day a little, but a casual, laid-back feeling still reigns. —MS

anthony-lakes-ski-snow-sports_D55DD0_fojfig Guide to Ski Resorts in the Pacific Northwest — Anthony Lakes has the highest base area of any ski resort in Oregon.

Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort

North Powder, OR | 5 hours from Portland | 21 runs | Planned opening Dec 7 (pass holders only Dec 6) | $50 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Nestled in the Elkhorn range of Eastern Oregon’s Blue Mountains, Anthony Lakes lacks the vastness of Cascades resorts. There are only 21 runs and just one triple chairlift that goes up 900 feet, plus a rope tow and a magic carpet in the “Alice’s Wonderland” learning zone. While serious powderheads might wish for more range, short runs and no-wait lift lines mean you can pack a lot of downhill time into a day. Crowds? Also not a concern, though you’ll still find variety: Idahoans zipping over from Boise, friend groups from Pendleton or the Tri-Cities, Eastern Oregon University students from La Grande, even the occasional Portlander. Good vibes await at Creston’s Yurt, the beer-and-burger bar and grill just off the chairlift. Down at the base—at 7,100 feet, it’s the highest base elevation in Oregon—the Starbottle Saloon’s après-ski scene includes live music and plenty of Barley Brown’s brews on tap, both of which contribute to the occasional Tom Petty dance party. If you’re looking to stay the night, a log-built, 1930s-era guard station just off the parking lot sleeps eight and has more amenities than you typically get from a forest service rental, including a well-equipped kitchen, electric stove and fridge, and full bathroom with hot shower and flush toilet (minimum two-night stay). For more solitude, two woodstove-heated yurts sit just over a quarter mile from the base area amid Anthony Lakes’ Nordic trails; they sleep five and eight, respectively (also with a two-night minimum—reservations open in October and go fast). —MS

fergusen-ridge-ski-snoow-winter_Margaret-Seiler2_e4uqr5 Guide to Ski Resorts in the Pacific Northwest — The first rule about Fergi is we don’t talk about Fergi.

Ferguson Ridge

Joseph, OR | 5 hours and 45 minutes from Portland | 8 runs | Planned opening mid-DeCember | $20 standard lift ticket for 2024–25, cash or local check only

If Anthony Lakes isn’t small enough for you, the other ski area in this corner of the state, Ferguson Ridge (or Fergi, as it’s known around Wallowa County), is a volunteer-staffed community hill 20 minutes outside Joseph with a mere eight runs. Its bumper-sticker tagline, “where two inches feels like six,” is honest but still a deliberate undersell. The locals aren’t too interested in outsiders crowding the T-bar or the rope tow, the hill’s only lifts. —MS

Beyond Hood: Washington State Ski Areas

white-pass-ski-snow-winter-sports-lodge_2412467145_tfekjp Guide to Ski Resorts in the Pacific Northwest — White Pass sits along Highway 12 between Packwood and Yakima, with views of Mount Rainier.

White Pass Ski Area

Naches, Wa | 3 hours from Portland | 45 runs | Opened Nov 29 | $85–95 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

Boasting the highest base area in Washington state, this little ski area tucked between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams isn’t so little anymore, thanks to a series of twenty-first-century expansions. About half the runs are blue/intermediate, and there’s also a tubing hill (weekends and holidays only) and a sizable Nordic area. The White Pass Village Inn sits just across US 12, but the closest lodging is in a parking lot that allows RV camping. RV spots used to be free but now run $38–48 a night (reservations required, no hookups). —MS

Crystal Mountain Ski Resort

Enumclaw, WA | 4 hours from Portland | 85 (named) runs | OpenED Nov 23 | standard lift ticket for 2024–25: $159 most weekdays, $199 weekends

Just northeast of Mount Rainier sits Washington’s largest ski resort, and Crystal Mountain indeed feels massive. More than a third of all runs are black diamond or harder, and another 50 percent are intermediate. In other words: Pay attention to where you’re going, lest you get yourself caught in overly challenging terrain. Similar in size and stature to Mt. Hood Meadows, Crystal Mountain has 11 lifts servicing 2,300 acres, and another 300 acres accessible via a traverse to the mountain’s highest peak, the 7,012-foot-tall Silver King. Runs are generally situated north-south, along a ridgeline that on a clear day offers staggering Rainier views. Want a freeride experience without the danger of trekking into the backcountry? Connect a series of trails from Crystal Mountain’s summit back to the base; for an experienced skier, the run takes about 30 minutes. While the resort hasn’t historically been known for its amenities, a $100 million capital plan means change is afoot, with a new 25,000-square-foot day lodge completed last summer. Overnighters can book a cozy room at the Alpine Inn, which sits near the base of the resort and allows guests to ski right up to the front door. —SS

Hurricane Ridge Ski & Snowboard Area

Port Angeles, WA | 6 hours from Portland | 10 runs | Planned opening Dec 8 | $57 standard lift ticket for 2024–25

The westernmost ski area in the continental US, Hurricane Ridge is one of the only remaining ski areas inside a national park. (The other two are in California and, if you can believe it, Ohio.) With just two rope tows and a Poma lift, you’re probably at this weekend-only ski area for the views of Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, not for the thrills. But if you’re there at all consider yourself lucky—a fire destroyed the day lodge in May 2023, winter road closures are frequent, and even in the summer park staff have recently had to limit entry based on restroom capacity. —MS

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