Three Must-Do Holiday Activities at Mt. Hood

The Mt. Hood ski resorts leap into the holiday spirit with visits from Santa and fireworks on the slopes.

Special dinners and parties round out the celebrations, along with new nighttime outdoor fun. Pack the family or your buddies in the car to head up to Government Camp, and check out these three must-do activities at the Mt. Hood resorts for the upcoming holidays. 

1. The hottest new nighttime family activity takes place at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl. Cosmic Tubing starts up Dec. 17 with party music and special night lighting to add more thrills to the rides. Three groomed lanes are available for tubing single or tandem, and new conveyor lift carries tubers back up the hill. Cosmic Tubing takes place on Saturday and holiday break nights from 7-10 p.m at the Snow Tube and Adventure Park at Skibowl East. Find more information here.

The sky lights up with fireworks at Mt. Hood Meadows on New Year's Eve. Photo by Randy Boverman. Courtesy of Mt. Hood Meadows.

2. Mt. Hood Meadows throws the big New Year’s Eve party. The lifts run until midnight, fireworks shoot off at 10:15 p.m, and a party with dinner buffet, live music and contests with giveaways round out the night. “The Essentials” band plays from 9-12:15 a.m for the 21-years-and-older party. Reservations are required for the dinner buffet and the party. Watching the fireworks is free, but tickets for evening events cost $39-79.

Buses run from the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas to and from Mt. Hood Meadows, so you don’t have to drive on New Year’s Eve. The Monarch Hotel offers special room rates for New Year’s Eve. Bus tickets cost $49-99, depending on age and what events are included. Find more information here.

Timberline Lodge offers fine dining year round and special holiday dinners, too. Photo courtesy of Timberline Lodge.

3. Timberline Lodge specializes in holiday dining on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. Each of the dinners features five courses wrapped around entrees such as Root Beer Brined Natural Turkey Breast, Salmon with Dungeness Crab Risotto, Hazelnut Smoked Beef Tenderloin, Pinot Noir Braised Lamb Shoulder, Oregon Roosevelt Elk Saucisson, and Fall Vegetable and Mushroom Coulibiac. Check the menus here.

Holiday dinners cost $75-110 for adults and $18 for children 4-11 years old. Reservations are required. Call 503-272-3251.