DOWNHILL and nordic SKIING, and SNOWBOARDING
Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort
Oregon’s premier ski resort and consistently ranked among the Top 10 in the country, Mt. Bachelor offers it all to the winter recreationalist. Amenities abound: variety (triple black diamond to green), groomed runs (71), lodges (6), skiable acreage (3,683), lifts (10 including 7 express quads) and a nice vertical drop of 3,365. The resort also offers a Nordic Center with 56 kilometers of cross-country trails. Snow conditions are also a huge factor in the resort’s popularity with average annual snowfall of 350 inches. Mt. Bachelor’s high-speed, detachable lift system was ranked “Best in North America” for the second consecutive year by Ski magazine.
Hoodoo Ski Area
Twenty miles outside the town of Sisters at 5,703 feet, Hoodoo is a favorite winter retreat for generations of families and friends from the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon alike. Situated at the top of the Santiam Pass, the resort is flanked by the Three Sisters Wilderness Area to the south and Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack to the north, offering stunning mountain views. The majority of Hoodoo's 800 skiable acres rest on the northern slope, which provides dry powder in midwinter and fantastic spring corn snow. Snowboarding at Hoodoo is exceptional due to the slopes consistent pitch and north facing runs. Nordic skiers can get away from it all on nearly 10 miles of cross-country trails. The resort also offers night skiing and two family-friendly day lodges.
Willamette Pass
Less than a two-hour drive from Bend lies Willamette Pass, a favorite of Southern Oregonians and Northern Californians. The resort offers a variety of terrain, including a record-breaking speed skiing track. Skiers and riders of all abilities will enjoy the chance to experience big mountain skiing with a small mountain atmosphere. Seven lifts, including the state's only high-speed six passenger lift, take you to 360 degrees of alpine adventure.
Bandit Springs Nordic Ski Area
The Bandit Springs ski areas is located northeast of Prineville in the beautiful Ochoco National Forest. Characterized by gentle slopes with open forests of ponderosa pine, the Ochocos feature dry snow and cold, but sunny, days. Lacking the Cascade’s prominent peaks, the Ochocos offer extraordinary vistas of rolling hills and valleys. The Bandit Springs ski loops are a mix of easy trails and challenging runs for both expert and novice cross-country enthusiasts.