Oregon · Cross-country skiing · Near Mount Hood Villages

Yellow Jacket Ski Trail

2.0 mi
round trip
1,194 ft
climb
4,822 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Yellow Jacket Ski Trail open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Mt. Hood National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Mt. Hood National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Yellow Jacket Ski Trail is a cross-country ski route in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest, within the Zigzag Ranger District and managed by the Forest Service. It's a 4-mile out-and-back that gains about 1,200 feet, starting at roughly 4,250 feet and reaching a high point of about 4,820 feet. The trail is rated hard, and it climbs steeply around 1.8 miles in, with a grade of about 18%. The most comfortable months for a ski outing are July and August, when typical highs reach about 69 to 70°F and wet days drop to about four a month, based on averages from the nearby Government Camp weather station. Winter is cold and wet there, with January highs typically around 37°F and lows near 26°F. Whiteaway Trail and Still Creek campground are each about a mile away. Alpine Campground is about 1.7 miles off, and Section 3, a climbing area, sits about 1.8 miles from the trail.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Still Creek

    Campground

    Campground · 0.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Summit

    Fast food

    On your way back · 1 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Mount Hood Villages

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Yellow Jacket Ski Trail

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 26°

      20 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 26°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 28°

      20 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 31°

      18 wet

    5. May

      54° / 36°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      59° / 41°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 48°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 48°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 45°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 37°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 30°

      18 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 26°

      21 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Government Camp, OR, 1.3 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors