The Mountain House Guidebook
Sightseeing
Very pretty with great views, Wildwood encompasses 550 acres of beautiful land forested with old-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. The trails offer a curated yet immersive natural experience. Take Hwy 26 East 2.2 miles.
On wet days (or for those who forgot their trail shoes), try the boardwalk on the Wetlands Loop. Enter the recreational area and follow the signs to the Salmon River. You’ll park and then walk across a large footbridge. The path offers educational displays and wooden plaques featuring local fauna.
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Wildwood Recreation Site
65670 US-26Very pretty with great views, Wildwood encompasses 550 acres of beautiful land forested with old-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. The trails offer a curated yet immersive natural experience. Take Hwy 26 East 2.2 miles.
On wet days (or for those who forgot their trail shoes), try the boardwalk on the Wetlands Loop. Enter the recreational area and follow the signs to the Salmon River. You’ll park and then walk across a large footbridge. The path offers educational displays and wooden plaques featuring local fauna.
This river is about 33 miles long, flowing from the glacier waters of Mt. Hood into the Sandy River and, ultimately, to the Columbia. The water is cold but clean and shallow enough to skip rocks or even splash around in to cool off during the summer. Even little ones can safely play in myriad spots along the water’s edge.
One easy access point is on the far side of the bridge in the driving directions above. Cross the bridge, park, and go down the embankment to access a shallow, rocky area. Alternatively, stop at any pull out along the Salmon River Road along the way to this location and follow the path down and to the right. You’ll find a popular trail and several access points to the river.
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Salmon River Trail
E Welches RdThis river is about 33 miles long, flowing from the glacier waters of Mt. Hood into the Sandy River and, ultimately, to the Columbia. The water is cold but clean and shallow enough to skip rocks or even splash around in to cool off during the summer. Even little ones can safely play in myriad spots along the water’s edge.
One easy access point is on the far side of the bridge in the driving directions above. Cross the bridge, park, and go down the embankment to access a shallow, rocky area. Alternatively, stop at any pull out along the Salmon River Road along the way to this location and follow the path down and to the right. You’ll find a popular trail and several access points to the river.
Mt. Hood National Forest encompasses more than one million acres and is estimated to have more than 345,000 acres of old growth forest. Closest to us, the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness is the dense rain forest area in and around Welches.
One of the best known trails nearby is the Salmon River Trail, which is home to mossy old growth forests next to the wild and scenic Salmon River where salmon, trout, and Steelhead live. This trail is mostly gentle and is suitable for all ages.
An 11 min drive from the Mountain House, turn left on Fairway Ave. In 0.3 mi, turn right on Salmon River Road. Continue for 4.5 miles. Park just before the bridge. The trailhead is on the left when facing the bridge.
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Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness
Mt. Hood National Forest encompasses more than one million acres and is estimated to have more than 345,000 acres of old growth forest. Closest to us, the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness is the dense rain forest area in and around Welches.
One of the best known trails nearby is the Salmon River Trail, which is home to mossy old growth forests next to the wild and scenic Salmon River where salmon, trout, and Steelhead live. This trail is mostly gentle and is suitable for all ages.
An 11 min drive from the Mountain House, turn left on Fairway Ave. In 0.3 mi, turn right on Salmon River Road. Continue for 4.5 miles. Park just before the bridge. The trailhead is on the left when facing the bridge.
SKIBOWL
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 skier.
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, and some of the best night skiing (and cosmic black light tubing) in the country: 34 well-lit runs that glide until 10 or 11 p.m., with front-row seats to the always-stunning alpenglow sunset.
By the Numbers: 11 greens, 5 blues, 36 blacks, 6 double blacks
Best For: Devoted regulars, bang-for-buck skiers
Cost: $$
SUMMIT
Established in 1927, the 4,000-foot-elevation ski area is basically a giant bunny hill. That’s key for young and inexperienced skiers who need room to tumble. Like Cooper Spur, Summit is also dramatically cheaper and less busy than neighboring operations, even on weekends.
By the Numbers: 1 green, 1 blue, and 1 sledding area
Best For: Small children and absolute beginners
Cost: $
TIMBERLINE
Timberline is the only true ski-in, ski-out resort on the mountain. The landscape is tamer than at Skibowl and Meadows, but still nicely varied, with an impressive freestyle terrain park for hardcore shredders.
Best of all? In winter, it’s almost always snowing at Timberline’s 6,000-foot elevation, even if it’s raining at Skibowl. That means guaranteed snow for the mountain’s longest run: 3,690 vertical feet from Palmer Glacier to the bottom of Still Creek Basin.
By the Numbers: 9 greens, 18 blues, 13 blacks
Best For: Tourists, powder chasers
Cost: $$$
MEADOWS
Meadows is Hood’s Disneyland: huge (2,150 skiable acres), mobbed, and expensive. Positioned on the southeast side of the mountain, it’s farther from Portland, and 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.
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.
By the Numbers: 14 greens, 38 blues, 23 blacks, 10 double blacks
Best for: The youth, experts, those looking for variety / big mountain runs
Cost: $$$$
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Mount Hood
SKIBOWL
Hood veterans know this adage well: Skibowl is steep and cheap. With 1,500 feet of vertical drop and the most abundant collection of black diamonds in the state, this is the place to spend the season if you’re a serious skier.
The downside? Runs tend to be shorter than at Meadows or Timberline. But we’ll take those quick thrills any day, especially when it means no lines at Upper Bowl (even on weekends), close proximity, and some of the best night skiing (and cosmic black light tubing) in the country: 34 well-lit runs that glide until 10 or 11 p.m., with front-row seats to the always-stunning alpenglow sunset.
By the Numbers: 11 greens, 5 blues, 36 blacks, 6 double blacks
Best For: Devoted regulars, bang-for-buck skiers
Cost: $$
SUMMIT
Established in 1927, 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. Like Cooper Spur, Summit is also dramatically cheaper and less busy than neighboring operations, even on weekends.
By the Numbers: 1 green, 1 blue, and 1 sledding area
Best For: Small children and absolute beginners
Cost: $
TIMBERLINE
Timberline is the only true ski-in, ski-out resort on the mountain. 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 snow for the mountain’s longest run: 3,690 vertical feet from Palmer Glacier to the bottom of Still Creek Basin.
By the Numbers: 9 greens, 18 blues, 13 blacks
Best For: Tourists, powder chasers
Cost: $$$
MEADOWS
Meadows is Hood’s Disneyland: huge (2,150 skiable acres), mobbed, and expensive. Positioned on the southeast side of the mountain, it’s farther from Portland, and often mired in intense storms. Gusty winds, ice, and lack of visibility often shut down Heather Canyon and the S&R Cliffs, some of the resort’s steepest, most adrenaline-pumping terrain.
Still, Meadows is a beast of a resort, with six high-speed quads, a three-mile-long run, and 2,777 feet of vertical drop. If big-is-better is your philosophy, Meadows is for you.
By the Numbers: 14 greens, 38 blues, 23 blacks, 10 double blacks
Best for: The youth, experts, those looking for variety / big mountain runs
Cost: $$$$
Tubing!
Daytime snow tubing is for ages 3+ (heights of at least 36”) and is fantastic fun. Passes grant access to 1- and 2-person tubes and the area has uphill moving sidewalks to pull tubers and their tubes back to the top of the hill. This is a fan favorite for kids and adults alike.
Cosmic Tubing is an evening activity best for adults and older kids (at least 48” tall). The runs are lighted in LEDs, laser light shows, black lights, colored lights, and music. Like snow tubing, Cosmic Tubing tickets include access to conveyor lifts to pull you back up the hill.
No special equipment needed. Dress for snow and the rest is included in your ticket.
Reservations and advanced tickets are required. Find URLs in the Welcome Book or search “tubing skibowl”.
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Mt. Hood Skibowl
87000 US-26Tubing!
Daytime snow tubing is for ages 3+ (heights of at least 36”) and is fantastic fun. Passes grant access to 1- and 2-person tubes and the area has uphill moving sidewalks to pull tubers and their tubes back to the top of the hill. This is a fan favorite for kids and adults alike.
Cosmic Tubing is an evening activity best for adults and older kids (at least 48” tall). The runs are lighted in LEDs, laser light shows, black lights, colored lights, and music. Like snow tubing, Cosmic Tubing tickets include access to conveyor lifts to pull you back up the hill.
No special equipment needed. Dress for snow and the rest is included in your ticket.
Reservations and advanced tickets are required. Find URLs in the Welcome Book or search “tubing skibowl”.
Food scene
Authentic thin crust pizza prepared in the traditional hot oven baking style of Sicily. Truly a stand-out restaurant with a low-key vibe even foodies love. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
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AL FORNO FERRUZZA
73285 US-26Authentic thin crust pizza prepared in the traditional hot oven baking style of Sicily. Truly a stand-out restaurant with a low-key vibe even foodies love. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Large servings of crowd-pleasing Mexican food and a delicious selection of margaritas and beer to go with it. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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El Burro Loco
67211 US-26Large servings of crowd-pleasing Mexican food and a delicious selection of margaritas and beer to go with it. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The best local stop for American comfort food, including breakfast, burgers and fries, and beer. Try their Impossible burger for a meat-free option. Excellent choice for a hair of the dog.
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Whistle Stop Bar & Grill
66674 US-26The best local stop for American comfort food, including breakfast, burgers and fries, and beer. Try their Impossible burger for a meat-free option. Excellent choice for a hair of the dog.
Good wraps and a decent kids menu. You won’t be writing home about it but if you’re in the mood for something lighter, this is a great option.
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Wraptitude Gourmet Wraps, Burgers & Beers
67441 Sunset HwyGood wraps and a decent kids menu. You won’t be writing home about it but if you’re in the mood for something lighter, this is a great option.