The Best Winter Hikes in Central Oregon

I used to think winter meant the fun hiking adventures were done until spring came, but once I bought snowshoes, I learned to truly love the season. Central Oregon has countless amazing winter hikes, too. Walking between snow-covered trees and the peace that comes from the quiet of snow is pure magic. I’m constantly trying to find new places to hike in the winter and this list is my favorite winter hikes in Central Oregon.

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Things to Know About Winter Hikes in Central Oregon

• Always carry the 10 essentials when hiking, especially in winter. If you were to get stuck overnight you will want a form of shelter and a heat source to keep you warm. Learn more about these items in my “The 10 Essentials” guide.

• You will need a sno-park pass at all the sno-parks during winter months. You can purchase them at REI, most rental companies and the forest service station. There are daily and yearly options available.

• Never walk on groomed cross country ski trails. Sno-parks will have marked trails for snowshoeing and for skiers, so read the signs at the trailhead if you don’t know what the trail markers should look like. Walking on a skiers trail could result in an injury for the skier. If you must share a trail, walk to the side of the ski trails.

• You will need snowshoes for all of these trail, except Tumalo Falls. Tumalo is usually well packed and can be done with microspikes unless there is significant snowfall. Never walk along a sno-park trail without snowshoes or you will create post poles. This is when you leg slips into teh snow leaving a visible footprint. This makes teh trial unsafe for snowshoers.

• Pack and wear plenty of layers. You will get warm quickly snowshoeing and cold just as quickly once you stop moving. Have layers you can remove or add. A waterproof backpack or backpack cover is essential if it’s snowing to keep your belongings dry because chances are you will get snowed on at some point.

Leave No Trace Principles

Be sure to know and follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles on trail. It’s so important to help protect these beautiful places we love and enjoy. Make sure you know these principles before going out on a hike.

• Plan Ahead and Prepare: Always check for current weather updates and educate yourself on trail conditions prior to starting a hike. Look for recent reviews or call the local ranger station for up-to-date trail information like closures, recent wildlife and road conditions. 

• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: Stick to the trail. Avoid going off trail unless it’s to go to the bathroom. You can capture amazing photos from the trail. Do not cut switchbacks. Stepping off trail can cause years of damage with just one simple step. Camp in exciting campsites rather than over vegetation.  

• Dispose of Waste Properly: Pack out all trash and food scraps. Never toss food items on the ground. It is harmful to the wildlife. Properly dispose of human waste by digging a cat hole at least 6 inches deep and burying human waste. Bring a wag back to pack it out in fragile alpine terrain. Never leave toilet paper or feminine hygiene products behind because they shouldn’t be disposed of on trail. Being a bag and pack them out to dispose of properly. Same goes for dog poop. Properly burry it or pack it back out to dispose of. Do not leave dog poop bags on the side of the trail because they are easy to forget, animals can get into them and other hikers don’t want to see them. 

• Leave What You Find: Do not take objects like plant off trail with you. Preserve nature by not marking on rocks or harming any natural objects. Never pick wildflowers. It is illegal in many states. 

• Minimize Campfire Impacts: Check and follow all local wildfire regulations. Use exciting fire rings and keep fires small. Put fires out properly by dousing will multiple gallons of water. Coals should be cool to the touch before walking away. 

• Respect Wildlife: Never touch, feed or approach wildlife. Give a minimum of 25 yards to all wildlife and a minimum or 100 yard for predators and larger wildlife. Wildlife are not like house pets. They can spook easily or feel threatened. Stay in your car if wildlife is near the road. Do not feed them because our food is harmful to thier digestive system.

• Be Considerate of Others: Respect other hikers by allowing those that hike faster to pass. Uphill hikers have the right of way, so safely step aside for them to pass, unless they offer to stop first. Limit noise and use headphones. Keep groups under 8. Say hello to a fellow hiker!

Winter Hikes Level Meaning

I rank these winter hikes as easy, moderate, and hard.

• Easy winter hikes means they have minimal elevation gain and the distance is dependent on personal choice. Easy would be the best for first-time snowshoeing, for families with children or if you’re just looking for a fun hike for the day.

• Medium winter hikes hikes will mean there is slightly more elevation gain or longer distances. 5 miles on a dirt trail is much easier than 5 miles on snow.

• Difficult winter hikes means there is significant elevation gain or distance. If you attempt a difficult hike, give yourself more time than you think you will need to be safe and pack appropriately.

Trail Etiquette and Signage for Winter Hikes

Unlike hiking season where everyone shares the trails, snowshoers and cross country skiers do not share the trail. It is extremely important that snowshoers do not walk on skiers tracks, so read the trailhead signs prior. Skis require smooth, groomed trails to glide across the snow and going over their trails with snowshoes will tear up the smooth surface which could result in an injury for the skier. Ski trails are marked with a blue diamond while snowshoe trails are marked with a blue diamond with a snowshoer inside. If you are snowshoeing and want/need to take the trail of a cross country skier, be sure to walk beside their tracks, not over them so they don’t get ruined.

The trail markers are going to be extremely important if you are breaking trail, which means you are the first to walk through a section of trail. After a heavy snow, the old trails will often be covered and the first person to walk the trail will be making a trail through the fresh snow. When you are breaking trail, you won’t have a trail to follow, so you must look for the trail marker signs up in the trees to know which direction to go.

Be sure to check the trail signs at each park you visit to know what the signs will look like at that specific park, because they can vary by location. Also know the signs from the ski trails and what to look out for so you don’t accidentally walk along the ski trails.

Passes

All sno-parks will require you have a sno-park pass displayed in your car between the months of November-April. You cannot purchase passes at the trailhead, so be sure to get one before heading to the mountains. You can pick them up at most outdoor retail stores like REI or other outdoor recreation stores. There are single day permits available for $4, 3-day passes for $9 or an annual pass for $25. If you plan to go up multiple times, I highly recommend getting the annual pass so you have the freedom to go anytime.

Safety

Snowshoeing is not like hiking. Every mile will take longer, and the conditions can change drastically in winter so always go prepared and educated. It’s important to always carry the 10 essentials in your pack as well as extra clothes, a space blanket and especially a shelter should you ever get stuck in the elements. Be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you should return so they know where to locate you. Always check the weather before you go to make sure the conditions are safe.

Never walk directly under trees because snow could fall from its branches and injure you, but more importantly because you could fall and get stuck in the tree well. The area surrounding a tree doesn’t usually have packed snow that’s safe to walk on and can collapse under your feet causing you to fall down the trunk and get stuck.

Winter Hikes in Central Oregon

Central Oregon has so many amazing trails for winter hikes. From snow covered trees, to mountain views and warming hurts, central Oregon is one of the best places to get outside all winter. Read below for some of my favorite winter hikes and the parks you can find them at.

Swampy Lakes

Swampy Lakes is a fun sno-park because it has multiple loop trails and two shelters to pick from. This is also a popular sno-park for skiers and snowshoers, so the parking lot can get full fast on weekends. My favorite shelter here is the Swampy Lakes Shelter, but the Nordeen Shelter sits within the trees but right at the edge of a ridge with a small view of the valley below.

You can do any of the shelters as a loop or an out-and-back depending on the distance and time you have. The Nordeen shelter can be reached by a branch-off located in the Long Loop. Be sure to pay attention to signage because you’ll cross the ski trails. It’s a great family-friendly park and great for all skill levels because it has minimal elevation gain.

Snow Blast

This easily has the biggest bang for your buck for winter hikes in terms of length and views, but is extremely difficult. From the parking lot, the trail takes you up the right side of a ski run before veering up the side of Cinder Cone, a large butte at the base of Mt. Bachelor. The slopes at times are over a 30 degree incline, making for a hard, but short climb. From the top of the butte, you will have sweeping views of the Three Sisters and Broken Top to the Northwest and Bachelor to the Southeast. There are few trees to block the view, so it is a stunning, open view.

From the parking lot, there is also access to groomed tubing hills and the Nordic ski area for a fee. If you hike Cinder Butte, it is extremely important to stick to the right side of the groomed ski trail or you could get injured by a downhill skier and ruin their groomed runs. You will also be sharing the trail with skiers, so keep an eye out for their trails and stay off of them.

There are no official trail maps for this hike that I have ever found, so take special note of the image below which shows the path up along the right side of Leeway. There are signs posted the entire way up showing the trail once you are there.

Dutchman Flat

This park has countless trail options, but my two favorite from the parking lot are up Tumalo Mountain or out to Todd Lake. Tumalo is hands down the best winter viewpoint on a clear day, but it is not an easy hike. It is 1,400ft of elevation in just two miles, with the last stretch being extremely steep at times. I would highly recommend snowshoes with the a heel lift if you can.

In the winter, it can be hard to find the hiking trail because there are so many trails headed up. As soon as you cross the snowmobile road at the parking lot, it seems like the trail goes straight up. This is where cross country skiers go up, but there will be snowshoe trails too. This trail is very steep at the end and will be difficult without heel lifts. Make sure you have a map downloaded to be sure you find the summer hiking trail route. If you end up off trail it’s okay, just keep headed up and you can’t go wrong here. Just don’t go near tree wells because you could fall in.

Todd lake is a longer distance, but relatively flat terrain. I love this hike because you walk past a meandering creek where the snow piles up high along the shore before arriving at the frozen lake. The hike has some views of Broken Top and Mt. Bachelor in various spots on a clear day.

There are actually two options to reach Todd Lake– the first is by using the Groomed Nordic Center across the highway. It will be a shorter distance, but it has a fee for using the groomed trails. The second option is to hike along the closed Cascade Lakes highway until you reach the snowshoe trail that connects from the groomed Nordic Center out to Todd Lake as the map shows. A third option is to hike along the closed Cascade Lakes highway until you reach the Todd Lake road, marked by a sign. From there you walk up the road to Todd Lake. The third option will be quick, but you will miss the meandering creek in the meadow.

Edison Snow Park

This is easily one of my favorite winter hikes on a cloudy winter day. This park is unique because it has beautiful Ponderosa pines throughout and the trail winds over and around large piles of snow-covered lava rock. The lava rock is almost Dr. Seuss-like when it’s covered in snow, creating the mounds around you.

If you have kids, Edison is by far the best spot to go with them. They will love the mounds of snow, there’s fun spots to play off trail and one section of the park has a great sledding spot where the snow mobiles first enter, so bring a sled for after! The park also has multiple options to do loops or out and back winter hikes of various lengths. It has one shelter, Edison Shelter, that you can get warm in. The second shelter at this park, AC/DC Shelter is only accessible with skis.

Potato Hill

Potato Hill is located off Highway 20. It has a small parking area just off the highway before you reach Hoodoo, Lost Lake if you are coming from the West, or just after if you come from the East. It is a popular spot for Nordic skiers and you may see them practicing backcountry safety drills throughout the area so be sure to give them space.

I have only done the Hash Brown Loop with the Jack Pine Road, which heads out along the edge of the cliff overlooking Lost Lake and the highway. On a clear day you can see multiple mountains. Be sure to walk a safe distance from the cliff edge because the snow can hang over a ways.

Ray Benson

This park is located next to the Hoodoo Ski Resort along Santiam Pass. You will have multiple options from the parking lot. If it’s a clear day, I would highly recommend walking along NF-2690 to Big Lake. You will be able to see Mt. Washington! You can also head East at the road junctions too and hop on the PCT.

Ray Benson is a winter hikes park because it has three different shelters you can hike to: Brandenburg Butte, Island Junction and North Blowout Shelter. I’ve hiked this park three times but have only done the Brandenburg Shelter and Big Lake. Be mindful this park does not have any set snowshoe trails so instead you will want to follow the Nordic ski trails, WITHOUT walking on the ski trails. Walk to the side of them to avoid ruin their tracks.

Upper Three Creeks

The most popular spot at this snow park is Jefferson Shelter. The trails at this sno-park winds through old burn areas, so you will have areas of live and dead trees. On a clear day, you will have views of Broken Top, the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack and Mt. Jefferson on your way to the shelter.

If you’re up for a longer hike, you can walk the road to Three Creeks Lake and explore, but you’ll probably share the route with snowmobiles. Many snowmobiles and skiers will take this route, so be prepared to share the trail with them. You won’t have views of the mountains like you do hiking to the Jefferson Shelter, but the lake and Tam McArthur Rim are still beautiful in winter!

Tumalo Falls

This hike is a must if you want to see a frozen waterfall. If the area has had a warm spell, you might not see any snow-covered trees or as many icicles as normal, but if you’re lucky and can do this hike after a good cold spell/ fresh snow, you will luck out with a stunning sight! I’ve only done this hike with microspikes because the trail is fairly compact, making it more icy than snow. If you’re one of the first to do the hike after a good snowfall, you may want to opt for snowshoes, but for the most part you’ll be okay without them.

The road to Tumalo Falls closes in the winter months, so the hike is just walking down the road. There is a gate at the beginning of the road with a small area to park, but it is usually full. If the lot is full, go back across the bridge and find a safe spot to park along the side of the road.

After parking, go around the gates closing the road and walk 2.5 miles down the road to the falls. The falls will become visible from the bridge that crosses the river right before the official parking lot. From there, you can end at the lower viewpoint, hike to the upper viewpoint or continue on the trail that leads to other falls beyond Tumalo Falls.

A second option if you don’t want to hike along the road is to take the Tumalo Creek Trail on the left side of the river. This will be a slightly longer hike, but you’ll get to enjoy the trail rather than a wide open road.

What to Bring on Your Winter Hikes

You should always carry the 10 essentials in your backpack, especially in winter months were conditions are less forgiving. Learn more about these items in my “The 10 Essentials” guide.

Proper shoes are key to staying warm on trail in the winter. I prefer wearing insulated hiking boots for added warmth. It’s always important to make sure you shoes are waterproof since you will be trekking through snow.

Layers. Wearing layers is important in the winter because you will still get hot hiking, but you need to be prepared with various warm layers. I always wear a wool base layer and socks. I then have a down jacket, waterproof wind breaker, beanie and snow gloves to keep me warm. It it’s actively snowing you will want a pair of waterproof shell pants because your legs will get wet fast without them.

Gaiters are a must for hiking through snow. Snowshoes will kick up snow on the back on the legs, so gaiters help keep your pants dry as that snow melts. It also prevents the snow from falling into your shoes causing wet socks.

To learn more about what I hike with go here to see my must-have gear, trail clothes and more!

Reminders

• Going on winter hikes is beautiful, but it comes with higher risks. Always carry the appropriate gear and clothing layers. Check the weather prior to hiking and be willing to turn around if your feeling too cold or the conditions aren’t great. There’s always tomorrow. Stick to lower elevation trails and know basic trail safety.

• Pay attention to signs at the parks to make sure you’re following the trail, especially if you’re breaking trail. It’s also important to make sure you’re always on the snowshoeing trial and not the ski trails. Wear snowshoes at sno-parks to prevent postholing and ruining the trails. You can rent them at local outdoor recreation stores.

Hopefully this will help you discover some new and beautiful places for winter hikes as well as prepare you for what to expect. Knowledge is key to your safety and you should always be able to rely on yourself, not others, when outdoors. If you’re new to snowshoeing, you will quickly fall in love with the beauty of winter!

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