Timberline Lodge, OR, Announces Final Day of Skiing

While most ski resorts in North America have been closed for months, there is still time to hit the slopes at Timberline Lodge, Oregon. August is synonymous with summer, but there is still snow at Timberline in the Pacific Northwest. Timberline boasts the longest ski season in the country, usually operating well into September. The skiing takes place on the Palmer snowfield, accessed by the Magic Mile and Palmer chairlifts.

On its website, Timberline announced that the summer’s final day of skiing or snowboarding will be Sunday, August 18. “Timberline will be closing on Sunday, and it will be the last day of lift-served skiing,” said Gordon Garlock, a ski instructor at Timberline for 49 years. The Palmer Lift opened this season on March 17 and is the highest chairlift at Mt. Hood at an elevation of 8,540 feet. According to its website, Timberline Lodge recorded 611 inches of snowfall since September 1, 2023. Timberline Lodge sits at an elevation of 6,000 feet and has 4,540 feet of vertical, the longest in the United States, and can only be accessed when the Palmer Lift runs.

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The Palmer Express chairlift gives Timberline the longest ski season in North America and opens in the spring. Due to extreme weather throughout the winter, the Plamer Chair does not operate. Frequent and heavy winter storms coat the lift towers in thick snow and ice. These storms often have wind speeds exceeding 100mph and brutally cold temperatures, making de-icing the lift virtually impossible. In the spring, the Palmer Chairlift gets a full maintenance check to prepare it for summer operations.

Timberline Lodge used to stay open to at least September in the past, however, due to climate change its season has become shorter each year. “It is the perfect example of climate change. We used to always stay open until Labor Day, but those days are long gone,” said Garlock. Timberline is unique because it has no snowmaking capabilities and relies solely on natural snow.

Timberline Lodge was the last outdoor ski resort to remain open in North America. If you still want to go skiing in the United States, there will be only one place left. That ski resort is Big SNOW American Dream, New Jersey, an indoor ski facility open 365 days a year.