Mount Hood Skibowl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Hood Skibowl
SkiBowl Peak in the Winter
Mount Hood Skibowl Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Mount Hood Skibowl Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Mount Hood, Clackamas County, Oregon, US
Nearest city	Government Camp immediately north, Portland 60 miles (100 km) west
Coordinates	45°18′07″N 121°46′24″W / 45.30189°N 121.773212°W / 45.30189; -121.773212
Top elevation	5,027 feet (1,532 m)
Base elevation	3,500 feet (1,067 m)
Skiable area	960 acres (388 ha)
Runs	65 20% beginner 40% intermediate 40% advanced
Longest run	3.0 miles (4.8 km)
Lift system	4 chairs, 3 rope tow, 1 platter lift, 1 tubing tow
Snowfall	yearly snowfall: 25 ft (7.62 m) average pack: 8 ft (2.44 m)
Snowmaking	tubing hill and ski school carpet only
Night skiing	Yes, 4 chairlifts, 34 runs
Website	Mount Hood Skibowl

Mount Hood Skibowl is a fun place to visit on Mount Hood in Oregon. It's near a town called Government Camp. Skibowl is famous for being the biggest place in the United States for night skiing! Imagine skiing under the stars.

The ski area is huge, covering 960 acres. About two-thirds of this area is lit up for night skiing. It's also the closest ski spot to Portland. The main lodge is at 3,600 feet high, and the very top of the mountain is over 5,000 feet! Lots of snow falls here, about 300 inches (that's 25 feet!) each year. The snow base is usually around 100 inches deep. There are 65 marked trails to explore.

Skibowl isn't just for winter fun! In summer, you can go mountain biking. There's also an adventure park with alpine slides, zip-lines, and even bungee jumping. It's a great spot for outdoor activities all year round. Right across the highway is Government Camp, which is a main hub for Mount Hood.

Kirk Hanna owns Skibowl. He bought it in 1987 and has made many cool changes to the resort since then.

Fun Facts About Skibowl

• Skibowl gets about 300 inches of snow each year.
• The snow on the ground is usually 5 to 10 feet deep!
• It's America’s largest night-ski area, which means you can ski after dark.
• The ski season usually lasts about four months, from early December to early April, depending on the weather.

How High Is Skibowl?

• The highest point, called the Summit, is 5,066 feet high on Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.
• The lowest point, called the Base, is 3,600 feet high.
• The vertical drop, which is the difference between the top and bottom, is about 1,500 feet.

Ski and Snowboard Trails

• The total area for skiing is 960 acres. This includes a 300-acre "outback" area.
• There are 65 different runs (trails) to choose from.
  • About 20% of the runs are for beginners.
  • About 40% of the runs are for intermediate skiers.
  • About 40% of the runs are for expert skiers.
• The longest run is 3 miles long! It's called the Skyline trail.
• Skibowl has 3 terrain parks where you can practice jumps and tricks:
  • Jesse’s Flight Terrain Park
  • Govyville Terrain Park
  • West Rope Tow Terrain Park

You can see a map of all the trails here: Trail Map.

Ski Lifts

Skibowl has several chairlifts to take you up the mountain. Here's a look at the main ones:

History of Skibowl

Mount Hood Skibowl actually started as two separate ski areas: Skibowl and Multorpor.

In 1928, a person named Everett Sickler created Jump Hill on Multorpor Mountain. The next year, the Cascade Ski Club started holding competitions there. This made the area famous, especially after it hosted a big event for the National Ski Association. By 1938, Raymond Hughes built the first rope tow on Multorpor. Today, that spot is part of a ski run called Raceway. The current lodge on Multorpor was built in 1949 by George Butler.

In 1937, the Warming Hut opened at Skibowl. Also, the mountain's first rope tow was installed by Boyd French. Then, in 1946, "Sandy" Sandberg put in the first chair lift. This lift connected the lower part of the mountain to the original Upper Bowl rope tow.

Skibowl and Multorpor Join Forces

The two ski areas became one in 1964. Carl Reynolds and Everett Darr bought Skibowl and combined it with Multorpor. Now, the whole area is known as Skibowl, and the part on Multorpor Mountain is called Skibowl East.

Kirk Hanna Takes Over

In 1987, Kirk Hanna bought Skibowl. He started making many improvements to the resort. He added 300 acres of land and made more runs available for night skiing. He also created the "Olympic Certified" Reynolds Run. Kirk Hanna also expanded the summer activities. He added mountain biking, go-karts, and miniature golf, making Skibowl a fun place to visit all year.

Images for kids

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  Skibowl seen from Timberline Lodge ski area as night falls

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  View from main lodge as night skiing begins

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  East lodge and part of tubing hill

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  View from main lodge

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  Main lodge

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  Lower Bowl chairlift

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  Skibowl in spring

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  Conveyor belt (training area) in spring