All Resorts

Mt. Hood Meadows

Year-round skiing on a Cascade volcano, with 2,150 acres and a summit that sees 430 inches of snow.

Our Take

Mt. Hood Meadows is the largest ski resort on Mt. Hood and the most-visited ski area in Oregon -- which makes it a microcosm of Pacific Northwest skiing: close to Portland (60 miles), large enough to satisfy experienced skiers, and subject to the Cascade weather variability that makes skiing here a referendum on your attitude about rain at altitude. On a good day -- fresh snow at the summit, clear skies, and the volcano's peak above you -- Mt. Hood Meadows is one of the most visually spectacular ski experiences in the United States. On a bad day, it's skiing in a cloud. The 2,150-acre resort covers the northeast face of Mt. Hood with terrain ranging from the beginner-friendly Buttercup lift to the expert chutes and glades of the Heather Canyon area. Heather Canyon is the resort's pride: a natural terrain zone with tree skiing, cliffs, and the kind of casual adventure that the Pacific Northwest does better than anywhere. The mountain sits at high enough elevation that snowfall averages 430 inches annually -- when it's cold enough for that to fall as snow and not rain, which it usually is above 5,000 feet. Mt. Hood also offers summer skiing on Palmer Snowfield via a cat-track accessible from Timberline Lodge next door.

Portland day-trippersPacific Northwest devoteesIntermediate explorersHeather Canyon adventurersTree skiing enthusiasts

Nerd Stats

Skiable Acres

2,150

Avg Annual Snowfall

430"

Summit Elevation

7,300'

Vertical Drop

2,777'

Fun Facts

  • Mt. Hood has the most ski areas of any peak in the US -- five separate resorts operate on its slopes, plus the year-round Timberline operation.
  • Palmer Snowfield at Timberline (adjacent to Mt. Hood Meadows) offers summer ski training -- the US Ski Team uses it for early-season camp.
  • Mt. Hood is within 60 miles of Portland, Oregon's metro area of 2.5 million -- it functions as a day-trip mountain for a major city.
  • The 1937 Timberline Lodge (just above the Meadows base) was used as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.