5 Magical Moonlight Snowshoe Tours In Oregon

Under moonlight, the snow-covered peaks of Oregon are gorgeous and dreamlike to snowshoe across. You get to see snow aglow on the peaks of the Cascade Mountains and starlight filtering in through the dense Oregon forests. Some snowshoe tours incorporate wildlife spotting for the animals that come out after dark, while others incorporate astronomical observation — the Oregon Outback is home to some of the best stargazing spots, after all. And unlike backcountry skiing or ice climbing, snowshoeing is a winter sport that doesn't require much technical skill, making it less intimidating than its high-adrenaline counterparts.

Snowshoe tours often include insight about astronomy and the environment from an expert guide, follow curated routes, and provide the gear (snowshoes, poles, and headlamps). Unlike daytime snowshoeing, snowshoeing at night means you'll need to be more cautious about navigating the low-visibility terrain, which is why a guided tour is especially helpful. Oregon has some of the most scenic options for doing so, with tours covering the temperate rainforests surrounding Mount Hood to its expansive, high desert. Here are five stand-out moonlit snowshoe tours you can take in Oregon.

In the warmer months, the Mount Hood National Forest might feature hot spring tubs, but you can get just as much enchantment in this wilderness, a temperate rainforest, during wintertime. The rental and tour operator Mt. Hood Outfitters makes use of the national forest's wintery appeal, providing a trek through its snowy trails with its Moonlit Evening Snowshoe Tour. The two-hour tour, set in the rainforest, has a focus on local history and the environment. You may get to spot some winter wildlife: Snowshoe hares, bobcats, and the elusive Sierra Nevada red fox are some of the nocturnal animals known to wander these woods in winter.

A Google reviewer praised the knowledgeable guides: "We had a fabulous time on the moonlight snowshoe tour. Our guide... was personable, professional, and passionate! She gave our small group the right amount of nature education." The tour offered by Mt. Hood Outfitters takes place in the Sno-Park, a designated winter recreation area, where you'll need a Sno-Park permit to park (a day permit is $4 from the Oregon Department of Transportation, as of this writing). The tour operator states you'll also need a car with chains or studded winter tires to drive to the starting point, which is at the Mt. Hood Outfitters shop. It's about an hour drive away from the Portland International Airport. Snowshoes and poles are provided.

Wanderlust Tours is an operator based out of Bend, a naturally breathtaking Oregon city known for its craft beer and outdoor adventure. The town sits at the foot of Mount Bachelor on the expansive, eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, which is where the operator's Moonlight & Starlight Snowshoe Tour take place. Winding through the volcanic landscape of the Deschutes National Forest, the snowshoe tours are especially scenic, both in the alpine forest and starry sky overhead. A Google reviewer who did the tour described it as "[o]ne of the top 10 coolest things I have ever done. [The tour guide] was so knowledgeable about everything from the constellations to the trees in the forest and everything in between."

The full snowshoe tour experience spans roughly four hours, and it provides snowshoes, headlamps, and hot cocoa. You'll be snowshoeing off-trail, so make sure to wear proper clothing to keep your legs dry, as you'll be stepping in deep snow. The tour departs from the Wanderlust Tours office in Bend, about a 30-minute drive from the Redmond Municipal Airport, though longer-distance travelers will likely fly into the Eugene Airport, which is nearly three hours away.

For those coming from Portland, Rare Earth Adventures' Moonlight Snowshoe Hike is a convenient option. The trek begins at the operator's office in Troutdale, roughly a 20-minute drive from downtown Portland. From there, guests are skirted off into the wilderness around Mount Hood, where the snowshoes are brought out to take to a snowshoeing trail through pines and firs.

One Yelp reviewer who had a positive experience with the Moonlight Snowshoe Hike wrote, "The location was gorgeous, especially in the moonlight. We also really appreciated the effort the host went to in order to serve refreshments." Hot drinks and snacks are included with the tour — served during a break along the route with views of Mount Hood (weather permitting) — as are snowshoes, poles, and headlamps. The entire experience takes six hours, though that also includes the hour it takes to transport guests snowshoers from the meeting point to the trail. Rare Earth Adventures puts the hike itself at 2 to 3 miles.

The Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort is known mainly as a popular ski area that's been in business since the 1960s, but it also has well-reviewed snowshoe tours, including an Illuminated Snowshoe Tour that departs after sunset. "If you're not really into skiing or you want a nice break from the slopes, I'd highly recommend doing a guided snowshoe tour," a Tripadvisor reviewer wrote. The nighttime tour covers a few interesting sights, including glades in the conifer forest, the Hood River, and the Umbrella Falls, a nearly 60-foot tall waterfall that continues to flow through snow drifts.

The whole snowshoeing hike is about 3 miles round-trip (taking around one and a half hours), and it's beginner-friendly, according to the Mt. Hood Meadows site. This Illuminated Snowshoe Tour is notably more affordable than other similar experiences, though a tour ticket doesn't include snowshoe rentals. Snowshoe rentals are discounted when added onto your tour ticket, however. The tour begins and ends at the resort's Sahale Lodge, just under a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the Portland International Airport, where there's a fireplace-lined restaurant for a hearty meal after the trek.

One of the more luxurious offerings for a snowshoe trek in the dark is the Timberline Lodge Full Moon Snowshoe package. The package includes not only a snowshoeing tour astride Mount Hood, but also a hotel room booking in the historic lodge, which is one of the Northwest's oldest mountain ski lodges and hand-built by artisans. The tour itself accommodates just two people at a time with a guide, making it a potential intimate outing for couples. Timberline's snowshoe trail is 0.75 miles long, snaking along the slope of Mount Hood.

For the Full Moon Snowshoe package, you get the tour, hotel room booking, and snowshoe rentals as a bundle (they aren't offered separately, as of this writing). The tour is available on very few dates, so you may have to act fast to guarantee a reserved spot. After the snowshoe tour, you can unwind in the lodge's heated pool or have a fireside cocktail in its rustic Ram's Head Bar. The Timberline Lodge is just over an hour drive from the Portland International Airport.