Mount Hood Meadows facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Hood Meadows |
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 Mount Hood Meadows
Location in Oregon
Mount Hood Meadows
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mount Hood, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Government Camp, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°19′44″N 121°39′45″W / 45.32889°N 121.66250°W |
| Top elevation | 7,300 feet (2,225 m) |
| Base elevation | 4,523 feet (1,379 m) |
| Skiable area | 2,150 acres (8.7 km2) |
| Runs | 87 |
| Longest run | 3 miles (5 km) |
| Lift system | 11 chairlifts |
| Snowfall | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Website | skihood.com |
Mount Hood Meadows is a super popular ski resort located on the southeast side of Mount Hood in northern Oregon. It's the biggest ski area on the mountain!
You can find it about 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland and 35 miles (56 km) from Hood River. It's right along Oregon Route 35.
At Mount Hood Meadows, you can enjoy both downhill (called Alpine) and cross-country (called Nordic) skiing. They also offer fun night skiing, lessons to help you learn, and equipment rentals if you don't have your own gear.
While you can't stay overnight right at the resort, many hotels and motels nearby offer shuttle services to get you there easily. There are also condos in Government Camp for places to stay.
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Alpine Skiing Fun
Mount Hood Meadows has lots of exciting areas for downhill skiing and snowboarding.
Ski Lifts
The resort has 11 different chairlifts to take you up the mountain. Many of these are "high-speed quads," which means they are super fast and carry four people at a time. This helps you get more runs in!
Some of the main high-speed lifts include:
- Mount Hood Express
- Hood River Express
- Shooting Star Express
- Cascade Express
- Vista Express
- Stadium Express
There are also other lifts like Blue, Buttercup, Easy Rider, Heather Canyon, and Daisy. These lifts help skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels explore the mountain.
Ski Trails
Mount Hood Meadows offers 87 different trails for you to explore! The total skiable area is about 2,150 acres (8.7 km²).
The trails are rated by difficulty:
- 15% are green (perfect for beginners)
- 50% are blue (great for intermediate skiers)
- 20% are black diamond (for advanced skiers)
- 15% are double-black diamond (for expert skiers who love a challenge!)
Mountain Heights
Here are some interesting heights at the resort:
- The lowest point for skiing is 4,523 feet (1,379 m) at the Hood River Meadows base area.
- The main lodge is at 5,366 feet (1,636 m).
- The highest point you can reach by chairlift is 7,305 feet (2,227 m) at the top of the Cascade Express.
- For expert adventurers, a special snowcat service can take you even higher, up to 9,000 feet (2,743 m)!
Nordic Skiing Trails
If you enjoy cross-country skiing, Mount Hood Meadows has about 9 miles (14 km) of trails just for you.
History of Mount Hood Meadows
The idea for a new ski area on Mount Hood started way back in 1964. A group of business people from Hood River wanted to create a new place for skiing.
After a lot of planning, the Forest Service approved the project in 1966. The plan included two ski lifts, a T-bar lift, a rope tow, and a main lodge. Workers started clearing the first ski runs in the summer of 1966. The Forest Service also built the two-mile entrance road.
Skiers first got to enjoy the new resort, named Mount Hood Meadows, in December 1967. People were very excited about the modern facilities. The resort quickly became popular, even though other ski areas nearby were a bit worried at first.
The original parking lot could hold about 330 cars, but it was made much bigger by 1974 to hold around a thousand!
Over the years, Mount Hood Meadows kept growing and adding new features.
- In 1972, a new chairlift called Daisy was built.
- In 1974, the Texas chairlift was added.
- In 1976, the Hood River Meadows double chair opened, expanding the ski area even more.
- The resort started upgrading its lifts to faster, more modern versions in the 1990s. The Cascade Express replaced the Texas lift in 1993.
- In 1994, the Mount Hood Express was built, and the Hood River Express followed in 1995.
- The Shooting Star lift was upgraded to a high-speed quad in 1998, making rides much quicker.
- In 2004, the Vista Express, another high-speed quad, was added.
- A new high-speed quad, the Stadium Express, was built in 2011.
- In 2012, Meadows added special RFID gates at every lift. This means you don't have to show your ticket every time; it just scans automatically!
- In 2017, the Buttercup lift was upgraded to a fixed grip quad, making it easier for beginners.
Mount Hood Meadows continues to be a favorite spot for winter fun on Mount Hood!
