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Mt Hood Meadows Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Mt Hood Meadows Ski Resort

Mt Hood Meadows Ratings

Overall: 3.2. Based on 119 votes and 171 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 3.8

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Mt Hood Meadows is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 3.9

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Mt Hood Meadows has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 3.6

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 3.9

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 3.9

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Mt Hood Meadows.

Public Transport: 3.2

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Mt Hood Meadows, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 2.3

(1) No places to stay in/near Mt Hood Meadows, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 2.4

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 2.2

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Mt Hood Meadows.

Ski in/Ski out: 2.1

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 3.4

(1) There are no child care facilities at Mt Hood Meadows, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 2.5

(1) Mt Hood Meadows relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 3.8

(1) There are no snow groomers at Mt Hood Meadows, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Mt Hood Meadows are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.3

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Mt Hood Meadows is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 2.6

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Mt Hood Meadows, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 3.7

(1) Mt Hood Meadows usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 3.6

(1) The staff at Mt Hood Meadows are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Mt Hood Meadows are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 2.6

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 3.7

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.0

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 3.8

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.2

(1) No intermediate terrain at Mt Hood Meadows, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 3.9

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 3.7

(1) Not even a kicker at Mt Hood Meadows, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 3.7

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Mt Hood Meadows, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 1.7

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Mt Hood Meadows has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 2.9

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 3.3

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.0

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 1.7

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 1.9

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 2.7

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 2.9

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 3.2

(1) Overall, Mt Hood Meadows is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 3.2

(1) Overall, Mt Hood Meadows is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

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March 24, 2021
DebBauer from Ski United States United States
I love Meadows and have skied here all my life. But still I go to Utah and Whistler and many other resorts. Keep thinking when I get back to Meadows, I'll be board! But not the case...the Bowls 1-2-3-4 are always open and I feel like you can always find a unskied track near or in the trees. When upper mountain is open it is exceptional and extends the runs significantly. When Heather Canyon and Clark are open it's far superior to any mountain out there! In Utah and Whistler (have family at both locations) they don't even ski there on the weekends. If you arrive at Meadows early, you can always get into the parking lot. I just love the double black diamond runs and think it's a super fun mountain!
February 03, 2021
HRHEAD from Ski United States United States
This is my first season at MHM and a COVID season at that. I have to say, I think they are doing a great job. Below is my background and my pros and cons, hope this helps! Ski history: lived in Breckenridge for a season. Have skied CO, Utah, and have been a 10-year passholder to Snoqualmie (Seattle) with plenty of days at Stevens and Crystal. This is my first season at Meadows having re-located to the area. So here goes. Pros: During COVID, Meadows has done a very good job of managing masks and the employees have been supportive, helpful and are doing their best to stop non-mask-wearers. That being said, because they are spacing out the lines, the lift lines are long. Be prepared and go on an off-day. I have already managed 10+ days and here are the stats. 2 of those days have been good snow and have been able to access Heather. 2 of those days have been able to access Cascade. It is true that this lift is often closed. On the days that Heather has been open, Silver Star has been great, Private Reserve has been great and Twilight Bowl (gate entrance) have been great. On the days Heather is not open, you have to be creative with runs off of MHX and MHW chairs. On evenings I have still found good snow and fun runs off the main chairs. Cons: The lift lines, when only Express and Stadium are open are insanely long. This could be on a weekend morning and a weekend evening. Do not come at these times. Avoiding peak times will drastically improve your experience :) Also, don't be a Portland douche who thinks they own the mountain. I come up from Hood River and have to say it is a much nicer drive :) One last thing, I have been very impressed with the employees this season. Everyone from parking lot attendants to the lift operator who blasts the Grateful Dead to the person directing the heinous traffic in the Express line, they have been doing a great job. Have some patience, be thankful for what you get, and shred on.
January 19, 2021
Bishop Washington from Ski United States United States
Been to Meadows a few times. Once I didn't have a pass and an employee sold me one for using his employee discount (30 bucks cheaper)! Decent terrain, lift lines aren't bad compared to big resorts (Whistler, Park City). I'd go again.
January 05, 2021
Nick from Ski United States United States
MHM is the best for varied terrain for the Portland Metro region and that is about all it has going for it. After 25 years of skiing across the globe, I am let down this is my "mountain home." But, it is what it is, given the proximity to home. I, like many others on here, have regularly experienced the poor lift operations and general disregard for the customer experience. Also, regular machine grooming is substandard compared to their potential. After being a local pass holder here for 5 years (averaging 30+ days a season here), I am convinced the upper management is clueless on how to effectively operate a resort or does not spend any time on their own mountain to test the daily ops performance. The amount of firsthand experiences when the upper mountain should be open (clear skies and light wind) and isn't, is appalling. As much as I dislike the takeover by big resort conglomerates (Alterra & Vial), MHM's operations and customer experience would greatly improve if bought by either.
December 30, 2020
Andy from Ski United States United States
A good local area for the metro Portland community. Unfortunately, suffers from operations/logistics problems that prevent chairs from opening in a timely fashion, creating serious lifeline bottlenecks and mad dashes as terrain opens later in the day. Terrain is ok. Short steeps, moderate length rolling cruisers. The tree skiing in PR and surrounding area is fantastic when open but challenging to navigate for the uninitiated and tree-well danger is very real (ski with a partner). Heather and Clark offer some longer steeper “bowl-like” terrain but patrol staff seem to have a hard time getting these areas safely open. Lodge was a disaster but likely would be improved with addition of the new building but Covid year will prevent us from knowing for sure. Ultimately, this is a great area for locals, but not a destination. That said, the management seems poor as the mountain struggles to get its terrain open in a reliable way which constantly pisses off the patrons. The ski school is also painful to work with which creates more friction with the locals that want this to be their home base. If logistics/operations could be improved, the place would be a joy. But, there seems to be little incentive to make the necessary investments in lift infrastructure, patrollers, and kind and thoughtful staff with a big city willing to roll up in droves every weekend day and any potential powder day. The management seems to know this and acts the part. A sad and frustrating relationship between ski area and skier. People have brought up whether Vail Associates or a similar conglomerate would buy the area and reform its operations. Obviously brings up lots of thorny issues but the fact this is bandied about in frustrated chairlift conversations in a region like the PNW speaks volumes about the area’s management problems.
December 17, 2020
Dave Hood from Ski United States United States
I've been skiing here for over 30 years. While they are getting better at running a ski area they still are terrible. They can't manage their way out of a paper bag! Parking is terrible and the parking staff are extremely rude! The forest service should take their operating permit away and find a qualified operator to run the area.
February 29, 2020
Skip Rotticci from Ski United States United States
I have skied Mt. Hood Meadows since 1982. It is the worst managed ski area in at least the western United States if not the world. Staff are ignorant, rude and comprised of the dregs of Northwest society. The food is horrendous. Lift maintenance is non-existent. Grooming is horrific. Mt Hood Meadows is not a ski resort, it is a ski area. A resort would imply that it cares about its customers and offers service at a level above merely turning on the electricity.
February 25, 2019
Bart from Ski United States United States
I've skied and snowboarded Meadows for over 25 years and still discover new terrain and runs each year. It's got everything from gentle beginner slopes, which helped when teaching my 2 and 4 year old daughters, to wide open bowls and steep tree-ed double diamond terrain. Those who complain about the crowds likely have little experience at other ski areas... Meadows on it's most crowded day is less crowded than any New England or Utah ski area on a weekend. There are quite a few grumpy old outdoor dudes that complain about their terrain access being limited by avalanche control and if you ski on a powder day you'll have to listen to them grumble and make snarky comments to the ski patrollers and lift operators. Mt Hood is prone to getting lots of snow and can have dangerous conditions or need storm recovery. This may require extra time. If you can't appreciate your time here, stay home, we won't miss you! I've skied bigger and better mountains for sure but I'll buy a season pass at Meadows every year.
February 22, 2019
Darin from Ski Canada Canada
Holy whiners on this page...I find Meadows to be super fun with a great variety of terrain. I'm not sure where all these other people are skiing who seem to think Meadows' lifts are closed more than most exposed lifts. Or that it's some outrageous price compared to other resorts. There are still a few gems out there: White Pass powder, in Utah. But for the most part, $100 barely gets you up Stowe. The terrain is super fun, the runs may not be super long, but they are fun. Comparing it to skiing in Utah or BC just doesn't work. The mountains are completely different; enjoy it for what it is: a mini Jackson hole (sort of). And lift lines...yeah. They can be a bit long, but that's, unfortunately, not the exception as opposed to the norm. Anyway, I guess if you don't like it, don't go; more snow for the rest of us.
February 19, 2019
Tank Birdfinder from Ski United States United States
Extremely crowded on popular days, generally crowded on any days. The staff seem indifferent to customers. Even first chair public rarely see fresh tracks, ski patrol usually has all the lines skied for "patrol safety" or whatever term is used. Snow Park permit required. If it wasn't close to where I live, I'd definitely consider other resorts as better alternatives for the same price. Just my two cents though, some people love this place. I've literally spent a full day with my phone showing 60% of 9AM to 4PM as "standing in line". Of course, it's just a cellphone so how accurate is the GPS.