Winter in Sunriver and Bend: Mt. Bachelor, the Sno-Parks, and snow days on the Deschutes

The main winter stops near Sunriver and Bend, with seasons and costs

Most of the winter trip runs along one road, Century Drive, west of Bend. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway follows it past the Sno-Parks to Mt. Bachelor. The table gives the main stops, where they are, their season, and what they cost. Drive times from the house are the property's own stated figures.

What winter is like in Sunriver and Bend

Sunriver sits at 4,170 feet, about fifteen miles south of Bend, and averages 53.7 inches of snow a year. December is the snowiest month at 15.7 inches, then January at 12.2 and February at 11.5. The average December high is 37.5 degrees and the low is 19.0. January averages a high of 39.8 and a low of 19.6.

Bend is lower at 3,642 feet and drier, with 21.6 inches of snow a year and a January high of 42.5 degrees. It gets 173.6 hours of sunshine in January, so bright cold days are common. Mt. Bachelor, with a summit at 9,065 feet, averages 462 inches of snow a year and carries a mid-winter base over 150 inches.

Seasons vary. The 2025-26 season at Mt. Bachelor recorded only 180 inches of snow, opened December 23 instead of November 28, and closed April 19. The 2024-25 season ran to May 26. Book the house for the dates, then watch the mountain report as the trip gets close.

Mt. Bachelor is Oregon's largest ski area, about 30 minutes from the house

By area, Mt. Bachelor is the largest ski resort in Oregon, by a margin of more than 1,000 acres. It has 4,323 lift-accessible acres, 3,365 feet of lift-served vertical, 12 chairlifts, and 101 trails. About 1,600 acres are groomed daily, and the longest run is just over 4 miles. Trails are rated 15% novice, 35% intermediate, 30% advanced, and 20% expert.

The 2026-27 season is scheduled to open on December 4, 2026. Wikipedia lists the season as mid-November through the end of May, weather permitting. It calls this one of the nation's longest. The road ends at the West Village base area, half a mile past the exit for Sunrise. West Village has the Mountain Gateway Ticket Office and Rental Center, the Nordic Center Lodge, paid parking, and a Bend shuttle pick-up.

Lift tickets are sold through mtbachelor.com. In October 2026 the site showed only its closed-until-winter page, with no daily ticket prices posted, so check it before the trip. Season-long rentals were listed at $119 for a youth package and $209 for adults. The Mt. Bachelor ski trip lodging page covers the mountain in more detail.

Cross-country and snowshoeing at Meissner, Swampy Lakes, and the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center

Virginia Meissner Sno-Park, 12 miles west of Bend on Century Drive, is the cross-country stop for a group. Meissner Nordic grooms 47 kilometers of track for both skate and classic technique, seven days a week, from December 1 through March 31. Skiing is free; grooming is funded entirely by donations, with a blue cash box next to the kiosk signboard at the Sno-Park. The lot holds 180 vehicles.

Two snowshoe trails leave the Meissner lot. One runs from behind the lodge to the Meissner shelter, and one runs from the west end to the Nordeen shelter. Meissner Nordic asks snowshoers to use the designated snowshoe trails and stay off the groomed ski tracks. From November 1 through May 1, dogs are prohibited at Meissner and on the north side of the Cascade Lakes Highway. Swampy Lakes Sno-Park, 16 miles west of Bend, has three warming huts and more solitude.

Mt. Bachelor's own Nordic Center at West Village has 12 groomed trails covering 35 miles, with 850 feet of vertical. Wikipedia lists its season as late November through late May; in October 2026 the resort had not posted 2026-27 Nordic dates. Wanderlust Tours in Bend runs daily snowshoe and bonfire tours, plus custom group tours. Edison Butte Sno-Park, 4 miles south of Century Drive on Forest Road 45 (Sunriver Road), has cross-country, snowmobile, and dog-sledding trails.

Wanoga's snow play hill is the place for sledding and tubing near Sunriver

Wanoga Sno-Park, 15.5 miles west of Bend on Century Drive, is where the group goes to sled and tube. The snow play area is intended as a sledding hill; it is not designed for snowboarding, skiing, or building jumps. Forest Service signs at Meissner and Swampy Lakes ask that sledding be limited to Wanoga rather than the ski Sno-Parks.

Wanoga is one of only a few Sno-Parks open to dogs, which must be on leash in the lot and on the hill. There are vault toilets and no drinking water. Vehicles parked in the snow play area may not exceed 24 feet, and trailer parking is not allowed there. Leave the trailer at the house. Sleds and helmets rent for $8 a day at Sunriver Sports. The Forest Service also lists sledding at Mt. Bachelor.

A Sno-Park permit is required at Wanoga from November 1 to April 30. The Sunriver with kids guide covers the rest of a family trip.

How Oregon Sno-Park permits work for Wanoga, Meissner, and the other lots

A Sno-Park permit is required to park at designated Sno-Parks from November 1 through April 30. A daily permit is $4, a three-day permit is $9, and an annual permit is $25. Agents may add a service fee. Permits are not refundable, and parking without one may bring a $30 fine.

Buy before you drive up; permits are not sold at the Sno-Park. Permit agents at resorts, sporting goods stores, and other retail outlets sell all three types. Bend sellers include Powder House, Sunnyside Sports, Gear Fix, Mountain Supply, and WebSkis. Annual permits are also sold online through DMV2U, which emails a printable interim permit good for up to 14 days.

Display the permit in the windshield. It can be moved from one vehicle to another, but every car parked at the Sno-Park needs one showing.

Where to rent ski, snowboard, and snowshoe gear in Bend and Sunriver

Three places rent winter gear within a short drive of the house. They are Powder House in Bend, Sunriver Sports in Sunriver, and Mt. Bachelor's rental center at West Village. The rates below are as listed on each shop's site in October 2026, so confirm them before you book.

Powder House takes online bookings, with lower rates for three days or more. Pick-up after 2 PM the day before costs nothing extra. Sunriver Sports rents alpine gear from 3:30 PM the day before, and its three-day adult package is $110. For a crew of 20 or more, fitting gear in town the evening before means no rental line on the first morning.

Winter driving from Sunriver on Century Drive, with the Cascade Lakes Highway closure and chain rules

The Cascade Lakes Highway is closed beyond Mt. Bachelor each winter, so the road to the mountain ends at the West Village lot. The byway is 66 miles long, from Century Drive in Bend to Oregon Route 58, and is listed as closed December through March. Deschutes County starts clearing snow in late March or early April and aims to reopen before Memorial Day. In 2026 the highway reopened on May 7.

Carry chains or traction tires in every car. Where a sign says to carry chains, you must have chains or traction tires in or on the vehicle. On cars and SUVs that are not towing, traction tires may be used in place of chains; anything towing must use chains. ODOT can declare a conditional closure, in which traction tires are not enough and chains must go on. Studded tires are legal November 1 through March 31. Ignoring the chain signs is a Class C traffic infraction.

Check TripCheck, ODOT's traveler site, before leaving the house each morning. It has the road conditions map, cameras, the chain law pages, and the Sno-Park list. At the house end, Chief Paulina Drive is a shared dirt road with families and pets, so drive slowly. Parking for up to 15 vehicles is on site, with room for vans and trailers. The getting to Sunriver guide covers the drive from the airport and the valley.

Fireplaces, the hot tub, and fire pit rules at the Sunriver house in winter

The two large living areas, one upstairs and one down, have vaulted ceilings and stone fireplaces. The covered hot tub sits on the deck and looks out through the pines toward the water. The Cottage has a wood-burning stove with firewood just outside and operating instructions by the mantle, plus a mini-split that heats and cools.

The fire pit by the river is seasonal. There are no fires June through September, and May and October are weather dependent under strict county fire rules. Candles and open flames are not allowed, the property is non-smoking, and shoes come off inside.

The mudroom has a built-in bench, coat hooks, and cushions beside a glass door to the outside. The game room has gear racks and drying racks mounted along the wall. For the evenings there is a pool table, ping pong, an arcade cabinet, an Xbox, a 65-inch TV with DISH, and 200MB WiFi. The kitchen has a Breville espresso machine, a Vitamix, a KitchenAid mixer, and a sous vide. There is a 12-foot dining table for the group. Quiet hours run 9 PM to 8 AM.

A snow weekend plan for a group from the Sunriver house

Three nights works well: arrive Friday, ski or sled Saturday and Sunday, and leave Monday. Check-in is after 4 PM and check-out is before 11 AM.

• Friday. Stop at Powder House on Century Drive before 6 PM to fit gear, or at Sunriver Sports from 3:30 PM. Buy Sno-Park permits at Powder House, which is a permit agent, or get an annual permit online through DMV2U before leaving home. Do the grocery run in Bend. Check in after 4 PM, settle in by the stone fireplaces, and be in the hot tub before quiet hours at 9 PM.
• Saturday. Skiers drive about 30 minutes to Mt. Bachelor and park at West Village. Sledders head to Wanoga, 15.5 miles west of Bend, with a permit in the windshield. Everyone is back for the hot tub and dinner at the 12-foot table. Extra chairs and folding tables are on hand.
• Sunday. Cross-country skiers and snowshoers head to Meissner, 12 miles west of Bend, where skiing is free and grooming runs seven days a week. Non-skiers stay at the house for the river, the 6-hole disc golf course, and the game room. For dinner out, Sunriver Brewing's Sunriver Pub at 57100 Beaver Drive is open daily from 8 AM to 9 PM.
• Monday. Check out before 11 AM, with a stop at the rental shop to return gear.

The 3-day Sunriver plan for large groups has the summer version, and where to eat near Sunriver has the rest of the restaurants.

Where to stay for a winter trip near Sunriver and Mt. Bachelor

For a snow group of 12 to 30, Deschutes Riverfront Retreat is the place to stay. It has 11 bedrooms and 6 baths in about 5,500 square feet, on three private acres with 450 feet of Deschutes River frontage. It sleeps up to 30, with a maximum of 24 adults. It is about 30 minutes from Mt. Bachelor and Bend and about ten minutes from Sunriver Resort.

The six-bedroom Lodge is the main residence, sleeps up to 18 with five baths, and can be booked on its own. The five-bedroom Cottage, the original 1960s fishing and logging cabin beside it, comes only with the whole estate. Guests must be 30 or older to rent. The home is on well and septic, so occupancy limits are enforced. Snow weekends book up early.

Booking direct saves the service fees that Airbnb and VRBO charge, and the live calendar on the Book Now page shows the current rate. The Mt. Bachelor ski trip page is for a ski crew. The holiday gathering page covers the December weeks, and the large group rentals page suits friends and clubs. The multigenerational vacation page is for trips where the grandparents stay by the fire. Rooms, beds, and floor plans are on the whole estate page.

What winter guests said

“Beautiful property! Our group went for a ski trip so we appreciated the proximity to the mountain, and the houses amenities like the fire pit and hot tub. Kitchen was open and spacious, fully stocked with cooking gadgets making it easy to prepare meals for a big group! Plenty of comfortable sleeping spots, and very nice to have the additional quiet space of the cottage. Scott was proactive with communication and easy to work with! We would love to rent the property again in the summer to make use of the large outdoor space along the river— there’s even a frisbee golf course! Highly recommend this stay :)”

“This home and cottage beautifully accommodated our family over the Christmas season. It has plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms for a large family gathering. We also appreciated the extra touches such as plenty of sleds and a frisbee golf course and an espresso machine we used to craft great coffees. Thank you!”

“We had a wonderful stay with extended family at Scott's place -- the house is beautiful, so well furnished and renovated, it isvery zen with high ceilings and comfortable furniture/beds. Plenty of room for large meals and games around the long dining table. We absolutely love the cabin next-door, which has several lovely rooms with large single bed rooms, with a larger bed room on the main floor, and a beautiful sitting room with windows to take in the nature and watch the river float by. In the main house, we felt so relaxed in the common area with an open kitchen/living room -- it felt spacious and great for cooking and serving food. It's a really great place for family or friend gatherings, and Scott was really helpful -- when we were looking for dry wood after a rain for a fire in the pit, he offered to reimburse us for splitters. As annual renters of large houses for family gatherings, we all agreed this place was the best. Very relaxing and private.”

Read all guest reviews

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Mt. Bachelor ski trip lodging
• Holiday gathering house near Sunriver
• Getting to Sunriver
• The whole estate: rooms, beds and floor plans