Come travel through our winter wonderland by snowshoes or cross-country skiis. Sno-Parks along each of our major travel corridors serve as launching points for well-marked winter trail networks.
While visitors are free to travel on skiis or snowshoes anywhere on the forest, the Sno-Parks offer the safest and most convenient place to get off the busy highways, plus our marked trail networks branching out from the snoparks make traveling easier.
Ski trails are marked with blue diamond confidence symbols along each route; snowmobile trails are marked with orange diamon...
Come travel through our winter wonderland by snowshoes or cross-country skiis. Sno-Parks along each of our major travel corridors serve as launching points for well-marked winter trail networks.
While visitors are free to travel on skiis or snowshoes anywhere on the forest, the Sno-Parks offer the safest and most convenient place to get off the busy highways, plus our marked trail networks branching out from the snoparks make traveling easier.
Ski trails are marked with blue diamond confidence symbols along each route; snowmobile trails are marked with orange diamonds.
Please use our Winter Recreation Maps for the Santiam Pass and Willamette Pass areas for navigating our winter trails. Winter Recreation Maps can be purchased at local Forest Service offices and at many ski shops in communities surrounding the forest. These maps show all winter snow trails with their difficulty level, as well as local day-use shelters that travelers can access as lunch spots.
Shelters typically have wood stoves and begin the season with loads of firewood so that they can serve as warming huts. Shelters are meant for all travelers and most are not intended as overnight shelters so please be gracious about sharing with others.
Please remember that between November and April, visitors seeking winter fun in the snowy mountains must have an annual State of Oregon Sno-Park Permit.
Remember proper trail etiquette while traveling.
Snowshoers should avoid trampling established ski trails as much as possible.
Skiers and snowshoers are welcome to use snowmobile trails, but should yield the right of way to snowmobiles.
Uphill travelers should yield the right of way to downhill travelers, and slower travelers should yield the way for faster ones.
Finally, ski trails are not groomed and may be difficult for dogs to travel far on. It's best to leave your pet at home. If you do bring a dog on the trails, they must be on a leash and you are responsible for removing poop.
At the crest of the Cascade Mountains, winter snows and spectacular views of volcanoes, including Three Fingered Jack to the north and Mount Washington to the south, make Santiam Pass an ideal area for the whole family to enjoy a range of winter sports.
Skiing/Snowboarding
From the east, Highway 20/126 takes you to top of the pass, where you’ll find Hoodoo Ski Area, a full service lodge with chairlifts that provide access to a variety of skiable terrain.
Some of the more popular sno-parks on the pass are Ray Benson (cross-county skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding), and Santiam Pass (cross-country skiing, sledding, snow play).
Heading west you’ll find Maxwell Butte (cross country skiing).
For the snowmobiling enthusiast, head north on Highway 22 to the McCoy Snowmobile Area.
More Information
A detailed map of the area is available for purchase from any of our offices or from our Maps & Publications section.
Contact or visit one of our ranger stations to find maps, guidebooks and staff available to supply information on recreation, road conditions and more.
Located three miles west of Santiam Junction on state Highway 22, the trails at Big Springs Sno-Park offer a chance to travel through large old growth trees – but be aware of tree wells and stump holes! Trails range from easy to more difficult and one route is shared use with snowmobiles for about a mile.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
Heading north from Ikenick Sno-Park, you'll have good views of Three Fingered Jack and Mt. Washington. Heading south from the sno-park, you go through second growth and older forest. The trail system includes both roads and forested trails. Good trail conditions from this lower elevation sno-park depend on lower elevation snows and big snow years.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
Located about four miles west of Santiam Junction on U.S. Highway 20, Lava Lake Sno-Park is lightly used. There are three loop routes open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers, and some shared use with snowmobile trails. The loops are mostly easy, but there are some challenging spots. One loop option takes you down to Lava Lake.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
This sno-park located one west of Santiam Junction along Highway 126/20 provides access to snowmobile trails and ski trail connections to the Potato Hill trails. The snow mobile route connects with Ray Benson Sno-Park via Santiam Wagon Road and Forest Service Road 2676 (Santiam Air Strip Trail). The ski trail is recommended for novice skiers.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
One of the busier sno-parks in the Santiam winter recreation area, Maxwell Sno-Park is located 3.5 miles west of Santiam Junction on state Highway 22. There is 25 miles of trails from easy to more difficult. Some trails through old growth forest and some offer views of Maxwell Butte, Three Finger Jack and Duffy Butte.
Mountain View Shelter can also be accessed from several trails. From the shelter on a clear day, visitors can see Mount Washington and the North Sister as well as Three Finger Jack, which is just five or six miles away.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
Located 2 miles east of the Highway 22 junction, adjacent to Highways 20/126. Hash Brown Loop connects with the Nash Potato Trail, offering a shuttle opportunity between Potato Hill and Little Nash Sno-Park.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
The Ray Benson Sno-Park provides access to multiple ski and snowmobile trails on the Willamette National Forest as well as ski and snowmobile trails on the Deschutes National Forest. The trail systems access three warming shelters on the Deschutes National Forest; Brandenburg Butte, Island Junction and North Blowout.
Concessions and telephone are located nearby at Hoodoo Ski Area.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
This sno-park located 5 miles east of Santiam Junction on Highway 126/20 offers access to the Pacific Crest Trail and one of only 2 tubing hills on the forest - the only recommended tubing and sledding hill in the Santiam Pass area.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
When you’re tired of the rain, grab your thermos, cross-country skis, snowshoes or sleds and head up into the hills! Winter recreation opportunities in the Willamette Pass area include a system of backcountry trails and winter shelters.
Skiing/Snowboarding
Willamette Pass Ski Area is located 66 miles from Eugene, Oregon and offers a wide variety of activities the whole family will enjoy including downhill skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic trails.
You can snowshoe, cross-country ski, and snowmobile from several sno-park locations in this winter recreation area. Popular sno-parks include Waldo Lake Road (cross country skiing and snowmobiling), Salt Creek Falls (cross country skiing), and Gold Lake Road (cross country skiing).
More Information
A detailed map of the area is available for purchase from any of our offices or from our Maps & Publications section.
If you're looking for more information contact or visit one of our ranger stations to find maps, guidebooks and staff available to supply information of area recreation, road conditions and more.
Gold Lake Sno-park, located at milepost 61.5 on Oregon Highway 58, is the highest in elevation of all three Willamette Pass area Sno-parks and offers a small network of loop trails with easy access to two three-sided ski shelters (Westview and Bechtel) with wood stoves and sleeping lofts.
The Willamette Pass Ski Area has groomed cross country ski trails (check with Guest Services or the Nordic Center) and a corridor leading through the base of the ski area to the Pacific Crest Trail and Rosary Lakes area. A ski tour of approximately 4 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail (heading north from Willamette Pass) will lead the skilled and prepared backcountry skier to the Maiden Peak Shelter, a fully enclosed octagonal ski shelter that is free to the public.
Facilities:
Restroom with vault toilet
Warming cabin (which serves as a base for the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol)
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
Salt Creek Sno-Park offers cross-county and snowshoe trails and a family-friendly snow play area. Crossing the highway to the Fuji Creek Road (FS Rd 5894) leads the fit and prepared skier uphill 3 miles into the challenging Island and Birthday Lakes ski trail system and the Fuji Shelter, a three-sided structure with a wood stove, and a loft for overnight camping. You can also snowshoe or ski the Salt Creek Falls trail for a icy view of Oregon’s second highest waterfall.
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
This site is fairly popular with snowmobile enthusiasts, but parking is limited. Skiers may want to use the Gold Lake Sno-park instead and access Waldo Lake Road by skiing up Gold Lake Road to Gold Lake Trail. Two miles up Gold Lake Trail, Fuji Mountain Trail leads west to Waldo Lake Road. Waldo Lake Road is a shared snowmobile/ski route, but snowmobiles are not permitted on other nordic trails in this area. A fit and well-prepared skier may choose to travel approximately 8 miles out the road to the Betty Lake Trail, the Twins and the South Waldo Shelter (three-sided with a wood stove and wooden bed.)
Know Before You Go in Winter: Tips on how to plan ahead and prepare for your trip to ensure the best possible time for you and others who will be sharing the snow with you.
This popular ski area is located 31 miles east of Oakridge on Highway 58.
From the top of Eagle Peak there is a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of the high Cascade mountains, Waldo Lake, Crescent Lake and Odell Lake. The base elevation for the ski area is 5,120 feet and the ski summit rises to 6,683 feet.
The ski area is operated under special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service and offers downhill skiing and snow boarding, groomed crosscountry ski trails, and a snow play area. Fees are charged for all these activities. For more information about what Willamette Pass Ski Area has to offer go to http://www.willamettepass.com/
You can access the ski trails listed below from a fee parking lot operated by the Willamette Pass Ski Area (sno-park permits are NOT valid). You can also access these trails from the Gold Lake Sno-park, where you need a sno-park permit. There is a corridor leading through the base of the ski area to the Pacific Crest Trail and Rosary Lakes area. A ski tour of approximately 4 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail (heading north from Willamette Pass) will lead the skilled and prepared backcountry skier to the Maiden Peak Shelter, a fully enclosed octagonal ski shelter that is free to the public.
