Kicking Back With Comfortable Indulgences At Mt. Hood Oregon Resort

By Guest Author: Matt Wastradowski

Spring is a time of change on Mt. Hood. It’s when the first blades of grass poke through the snow-covered slopes of Oregon’s tallest peak, the season’s first birdsongs ring out across the Mt. Hood National Forest and leaves begin growing anew on alder and maple trees throughout the region.

It’s also a time of change at hotels, motels and other overnight stays in the region, which take a deep breath after the busy winter season and begin preparing for summer vacations.

Such was the case on a recent spring visit to Mt. Hood Oregon Resort in the community of Welches, when excitement and anticipation for the coming summer touched nearly every aspect of my stay. During my time at the nearly century-old resort, a renovated spa was nearing completion, workers were applying a fresh coat of paint to the property’s buildings, the resident chef was perfecting new menu items and crews were finishing up resurfacing the pool ahead of summer.

Whether you’re planning a late-spring getaway or visiting any time of year, you’ll find updates and additions that keep the resort feeling fresh and vibrant. Here are a few things to look forward to on your next visit to Mt. Hood Oregon Resort.

When I checked into my room at Mt. Hood Oregon Resort, I almost didn't leave. I collapsed into a plush bed outfitted with memory foam bedding, snuggled up with a book on the couch and threw a log on the corner fireplace (available in select rooms) to round out the cozy vibes. When the sun came out, I kicked back on the patio in the shadow of a towering Douglas fir.

That kind of comfort is an essential part of the resort experience. Suites measure 720 square feet — larger than any apartment I’ve ever lived in — and accessibility-minded amenities include roll-in showers and low bed frames for visitors with mobility disabilities.

Fireside rooms feature a corner fireplace and stunning forest views from the private balcony.

Eventually, I had to pry myself away from the room and grab dinner — and I’m glad I did. Two on-site restaurants, each open seasonally, pride themselves on dishing locally inspired fare with fresh ingredients.

For dinner, I visited Altitude Restaurant, which offers an elegant indoor dining experience where classic pub dishes are infused with regional flavors. Sliders, for instance, are made with bison, chipotle spices and caramelized onions. Altitude’s BLT features maple-smoked-and-glazed bacon and heirloom tomatoes. Save room for a creative dessert menu, which might include a Spanish-inspired cheesecake.

For breakfast, choose from bowls, burritos, a hearty Monte Cristo and more.

Between Memorial Day and late October, Mallards Café & Pub serves pub favorites next to the first hole of the Pinecone golf course — in the shadow of Hunchback Mountain. Choose among burgers, fish and chips and hearty sandwiches, all paired with regional beers, wines and cocktails. The café’s patio is the perfect place to enjoy it all. Inside, hang out at the pinball machines or catch live music from local artists.

The Altitude Restaurant features incredible dishes including a Spanish-inspired cheesecake.

Hit the links on one of three nine-hole golf courses at Mt. Hood Oregon Resort — the state’s oldest golf resort and a leading destination for weekend warriors and avid golfers alike.

The resort’s three courses — Thistle, Pinecone and Foxglove — welcome golfers between spring and early fall, where the creative layouts make the most of the forested surroundings. That’s never more evident than on Foxglove; the signature hole on the resort’s newest course forces golfers to hit around a large rock and Douglas fir tree that splits the fairway in half. The rest of the way, you’ll navigate Scottish-inspired courses surrounded by a mix of alder, maple and Douglas fir.

If playing Foxglove between late September and mid-October, be sure to listen while crossing the course’s bubbling Wee Burn Stream; chinook and coho salmon swim up the waterway to spawn every autumn, and golfers occasionally hear their tails slapping the metal viaduct that runs under the road. In fall, maple trees add to the charm by bringing pops of red, orange and yellow to the forests surrounding the courses.

Fun fact: The resort’s Pinecone golf course sits on the site of a former farm that was established by Samuel Welches — who founded the nearby town that bears his name today.

One of the resort's most cherished offerings is The Spa at Mt. Hood — a full-service spa that is set to reopen after extensive renovations and upgrades in the summer of 2025.

In the meantime, pamper yourself with The Spa's thoughtful services, which include relaxation and deep-tissue massage, a variety of massage therapy services, facial care, manicures and enhancements.

If you’d rather get active, take your pick of outdoor sports across the resort. Offerings include basketball courts, tennis courts, a well-manicured croquet lawn (which has held regional and national events with the United States Croquet Association dating back to the 1980s), a sand volleyball pit, a fitness center, an on-site nature trail, lawn bowling and a horseshoe court.

It’s understandable if you didn’t ever leave Mt. Hood Oregon Resort on your next stay. But there’s a lot to love about the outdoor attractions at the resort’s forested doorstep.

For starters, the Old Salmon River Trail is just a seven-minute drive away. The five-mile (round-trip) hike gains about 200 feet while hugging its namesake waterway in the midst of an old-growth forest. In spring, keep an eye out for white, three-petal trillium blooming alongside the trail — and listen for the sing-song chirps of the pacific wren in the forest canopy above. Come fall, big-leaf maple trees put on impressive fall foliage displays while salmon swim upstream in the river's clear, chilly waters.

Just five minutes from the resort, the Wildwood Recreation Site hosts a few short, wheelchair-accessible trails that head through a verdant forest and to the shores of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. One of the park's highlights is the Cascade Streamwatch Trail (a 0.75-mile paved loop), which passes a fish-viewing window that's below stream level; that perspective lets visitors see fish and other marine life throughout the year — as well as salmon swimming upstream to spawn in fall.

During spring make sure to keep an eye out for white, three-petal trillium blooming alongside the trail.