Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Mt. Hood Skibowl that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Mt. Hood Skibowl stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Mt. Hood Skibowl review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Mt. Hood Skibowl
Total (3.3)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
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Elius Graff
Start with the good: If you are a beginner and/or with families, I think this has a lot of appeal. There are great deals on multi-lesson packages, snow-tubing, and proximity to Government Camp means beginners and non-skiers can enjoy their days on the mountain easily just about any time. Their prices are best on Mt. Hood, large night skiing area, and being only 1.5hrs from Portland make after-work or after-school skiing very doable and attractive even to intermediate/advanced skiiers. After a fresh snow, this is not a bad place to be at all!
Now the cons: Because of what I mentioned above, there are a lot of beginners! The upper part of the mountain is usually not too bad, anything beyond that, expect lots of beginners. This resort is the lowest on Mt. Hood and because of that it often does not get enough snow to take advantage of what it has to offer except on particularly good years. There are also no express lifts at Skibowl, which is not a huge deal to me, but it just means you're going to spend a little extra time on the lifts which have to stop a lot to accommodate the beginners.
Conclusion: This resort is very accessible due to it's cheaper tickets, proximity to Government Camp, and being closest resort to Portland. If the snow is good, it's worth checking it out for the night skiing!
Connor Patterson
Favorite spot on hood - good terrain, park, back country.
R
Awesome resort, been coming here since I was a kid. Lots of nostalgia, great runs, awesome steeps. Warming hut is great. Slow lifts and difficult terrain. I always have an awesome time here. No idea why Cascade Chair at ski bowl east has been closed for so many years, have never found out the answer to that.
Alex Bascom
Has my season pass. Love to come there. It’s so beautiful out of there
K H
Best place on Mount Hood to learn how to ski crud. If you know how to ski well and can ski and snow conditions and you prefer quality vertical as opposed to longer runs The upper bowl is the right place for you. Should be noted that it isn’t always wet heavy snow at Ski Bowl, I have had many bluebird days with dry knee to waist high dry powder.
Cris Z
I have been skiing at Skibowl for many years. As a veteran I always take advantage of the discount offered to military (active and retired) and have been doing so for years. On 1/09/2021 I went to buy my ski pass and told the girl I was a veteran. She said that their policies have changed, that instead of a discounted ski pass, that they want us to purchase a pass at the full price, then at the end of the day turn in the pass in exchange for a free one to use at a later date. So at the end of the ski day, I went in to guest services where a new girl was at the register. The girl was very snobbish and didn't believe me when I told her I was a veteran. (As a female veteran I have become used to people not believing me.) So I pulled out my military ID and showed her. She then told me that the policy of Skibowl has changed and that the program is now for active military, not for veterans. I told her the girl working there this morning did not say this, but she continued to be snotty and said she would go upstairs and ask. She came back and said that it's for active military only, that Skibowl has changed it's policy. As I was leaving the resort I looked on my phone at the website which clearly says: "Active and retired members of the military and their family are entitled to discounts on lift tickets at Mt. Hood Skibowl, announced Kirk Hanna, resort owner and operator...." and then goes on to provide details. If Skibowl did change their policy, fine, but then why does the website say differently? Also why didn't the girl who sold me the ticket in the morning and told me of the new benefit, not know that veterans have been cut from the program, if they indeed were? I feel like I was set up to be embarrassed... This morning I checked with Timberline and Meadows and both assured me they have not changed their policy for active AND retired military, so I will be spending my week-ends at those two places for now on. I also want to put this out there so any other veterans don't get treated like this at Skibowl.
G W
Ski bowl seems to be caught in a vortex of good and bad luck. The mountain itself has some of the best inbounds terrain anywhere on or around Hood. As stated in other reviews, the upper bowls are steep, fun, and largely devoid of other people. The lift lines are usually not a factor and if your main goal is to get a lot of laps in this place is great. On the other end of the spectrum, Ski Bowl suffers from its elevation which makes it very inconsistent with respect to snow conditions, and presumably a steady stream of revenue. This translates into old, slow lifts and an overall air of "rustic" facilities. Everyone likes to state that Meadows is the penultimate skiing experience on Hood, just like Skibowl, that comes with a price as well, and I'm not talking about the cost of admission. If you are looking for a good time, you are intermediate to advanced in your skills, and you can hit it on a good day snow quality wise, Ski Bowl punches the ticket.
Robert Galasso
Watch out for the floor on the ground level - when wet (which is most of the time) it's as slippery as ice if you are in ski boots. I've fallen on my butt 3 times and regularly watch other people slip and fall. Today while mentioning this problem to a ski Bowl employee we watched a woman slip and fall while she was walking into the ladies room. They need to install wall to wall rubber matts. They have a few down there. This is a law suit waiting to happen!
Nate
This was my first time snow tubing at skibowl. The lines are long and not enough tubing lanes. The hills were not steep. Most people did not slide. A couple even had to walk half way back up the slide. 2 hr session we only got about 5-6 slides. Overall, wouldn't pay to do that again.
Cee Cros
Mtn doesn’t have the money to improve. Good for locals
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