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Guide To Oregon's Cross Country Skiing
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Oregon has plenty of places for
the cross country skier to check out.
Listed below are a few of the more
popular places for cross country skiing.
Trillium Lake is a popular 12 mile cross
country site close to Portland. The
course offers beautiful views of the
mountain and Trillium Lake. It starts
off with a downhill from the parking lot
but then is relatively flat. You will
find this hike just past Government Camp
right off the highway.
Teacup Lake is a 5.6 mile loop with well
groomed trails great for skiing, however
snowshoes and dogs are not allowed. The
closest city is Government Camp by Mount
Hood.
Pocket Creek is located by Hood River
and is 10 miles total of out and back
trails as well as loops. The trailhead
elevation is 3,800 feet.
Elk Lake is a 22 mile out and back trail
for strong skiers in good weather. It is
located by Bend.
Dutchman Flat, is located southwest of
Bend. It offers views of Mount Bachelor,
the Three Sisters, and Broken Top. It is
a total of 6.5 miles and is open
Med-November to early May.
Cooper Spur Ski Area on the northeast
side of Mount Hood are appreciated for
generally clear weather and views of
Mount Hood's north side. The course is
out-and-back and a total of 14 miles.
You may head to historic Cloud Cap Inn,
noted for its great view or Tilly Jane
Campground for an opportunity to stay in
a rustic cabin.
Ray Benson supports 12 miles of
ungroomed ski trails just east of Ray
Benson Sno-Park, which is just south of
Santiam Pass, Sisters being the closest
city. The trails are popular for novice
and intermediate skiers so a ski track
is usually broken.
Billy Bob offers 8 miles of cross
country skiing in the open forests east
of Mount Hood by Dufer. Local contacts
are the Barlow Ranger District, Mount
Hood National Forrest.
Government Camp Oregon Cross Country Ski
Trails can be found fifty miles
southeast of Portland. These trails
traverse from one end of town to another
offering 3.5 miles of ungroomed trails.
The local contact is Mount Hood
Information Center.
Odell Lake Lodge caters almost
exclusively to cross-country skiers.
There are 6 miles of trails available
December to early April. The local
contact is the Odell Lake Lodge.
Skyline is two miles east of Government
Camp. Skyline Sno-Park offers 13 miles
of fine ski trails made by snowmobiles.
The local contact is the Barlow Ranger
District, Mount Hood National Forest.
Pioneer Woman's Grave is a Government
Camp Cross Country Ski Trail 5.7 miles
in an out-and-back course. This is a
novice to intermediate course. The local
contacts are the Mount Hood Information
Center.
Crater Lake National Park is a time of
extreme weather and extreme beauty.
There are no groomed trails but there is
15.3 miles available for cross-country
skiing from Mid-November to early May.
The local contact is the Crater Lake
National Park.
White River Canyon offers incredible
scenery and gentle terrain which makes
this sno-park very popular. There are 3
miles of out-and-back trails for novice
skiers. The local contact are the Mount
Hood Information Center.
Virginia Meissner Sno-Park offers 10
miles of trails 20-minute drive west of
Bend. It is well suited to beginners.
The local contact are the Tumalo
Langlauf Chapter, Oregon Nordic Club.
Wind River lies northeast of Portland in
the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
There are 11 miles with several loops
which are groomed weekly with two sets
of ski tracks. The local contact is the
Wind River Ranger District, Gifford
Pinchot National Forest.
Grouse Gap is an Ashland Cross Country
Ski Trail. It offers 6.7 miles of an
out-and-back trail for novice to
intermediate skiers. The local contact
is the Ashland Ranger District, Rogue
River National Forest.
Mount Hood Meadows offer 8 miles of
trails that are 18 feet wide and are
excellent for skating. Most trails run
through wooded terrain although there
are a few outstanding viewpoints. The
local contact is the Mount Hood Meadows
Ski Resort.
Mount Bachelor has the best groomed
Nordic area in the state and one of the
best in the country. It is noted for its
varied terrain with excellent trail
grooming. There are many options with
7.5 total miles of trails for novice to
advanced skiers. The local contact is
the Mount Bachelor Ski Area.
Diamond Lake offer trails that feature
incredible views of Mount Thielsen and
Mount Bailey. Diamond Lake Resort,
grooms a small number of easy ski trails
while there are opportunities for
ungroomed trails as well. The local
contact is the Diamond Lake Resort.
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