Best Winter Activities To Do Outside of Portland, Oregon
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Showshoeing on Mt. Hood
You get to see Mt. Hood and many stars along the trail.
Snowshoeing is probably my favorite snow activity. It’s low impact and is a great way to explore in the snow. If you’re new to snowshoeing or want to go on a guided tour, a great snow shoeing excursion is with Rare Earth Adventures. While they provide many other outdoor tours, they offer awesome day time and night time snowshoeing tours that are for all levels.
I went on their moonlight snowshoeing tour and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve done. We met at their location in Troutdale, which is about 20-30 minutes from Portland. From there, they drove us to the trail on Mt. Hood which was about an hour drive.
They provided snowshoes, poles, and headlamps as it was already very dark at 5 pm in January. We had two guides that lead the excursion and were very knowledgeable and attentive to every guest. The trail we did was around 3.5 miles and was rather easy. There was only one small portion where it was a bit of a steep uphill but wasn’t very long.
In the middle of our trail we stopped for snacks, hot drinks and to enjoy the stars in the night sky. They’re very accommodating when it came to dietary needs and restrictions. They provided vegan snack options and for their hot drinks, they had coffee, tea and hot chocolate (vegan option too).
The entire experience was a little over 5 hours from check in to drop off. I can’t recommend this tour enough if an adventure on the mountain is something you’re interested in. Learn more.
You get to see so Mt. Hood along with many stars while snowshoeing. Photo by Vegan Ventures
Photo by Vegan Ventures
This is a fun winter activity for anyone of any age. About an hour and a half drive from Portland, you get to tube down a hill amongst 600,000 LED lights and laser light shows. Be sure to book your tickets in advance as the time slots tend to sell out. You check in via their kiosk upon arrival. There they have many tubes both single and double for you to grab and use. No need to worry about hiking up a hill. They have moving ramps that take you up to the top. There’s many lines for you to join and they go fast. In the 1.5 hour time slot, I was able to do around 10 runs down the hill. It is $39 per person and you must be at least 36” tall. Cosmic tubing is only available on the weekends but you can also do day tubing as well.
There’s also a cabin at the top where you can get hot drinks including hot apple cider along with snacks with some vegan options. Learn more.
While I just came for tubing, consider staying the night on Mt Hood. There’s so many great lodges, cabins, and unique stays to enjoy.
Consider staying at Timberline Lodge at Government Camp. It is vegan friendly.
Hot Springs At Breitenbush
Nothing keeps you warm in the winter like soaking in a hot spring. Two hours outside of Portland is Breitenbush Hot Springs in Detroit, Oregon. Breitenbush is the largest thermal spring area in the Oregon Cascade. They have 3 mineral pools that overlook a meadow along with views of the surrounding mountains. There’s also a sauna and bath for a cold soak. You can add-on a vegetarian buffet (vegan friendly) to your day pass. They also offer 3 meals if you stay overnight. Their food is made with 100% organic ingredients and with produce from local farmers. They can only accommodate low gluten, no eggs, or no dairy.
This is a great spot for a day trip or even as an overnight stay as you can also spend the night in one of their huts or cabins if you’d like. They are open year round too.
Know that like most hot springs, clothing here is optional and it is co-ed.
Hi, I’m Ashley, owner of Vegan Ventures. I’ve been vegan for 8+ years and have traveled all over for over a decade. I’m a foodie and traveler who loves finding the best eats and experiences.
