Mount Bachelor Webcam – Oregon’s High Cascades Ski Giant

The Mount Bachelor Webcam streams three live views from the largest ski area in Oregon. The Mid Mountain camera stands beside Pine Marten Lodge at about 2,370 meters (7,775 feet), with the lodge filling the right of the frame and Broken Top and the Three Sisters lined up on the horizon behind it. A second tab switches to the top of the Cloudchaser lift on the mountain’s east flank, looking out over firs and lava rock toward the high desert, where cloud banks often pool below the camera on calm mornings. The third tab is the resort’s red snow stake, marked in inches, the view Central Oregon skiers refresh over and over while a storm is running. Together the three angles cover the lodge, the ridgeline and the powder count.

About Mount Bachelor

Mount Bachelor is a dormant stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, rising to 2,764 meters (9,068 feet) inside the Deschutes National Forest. It is young by volcanic standards, formed between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago, with its last eruption dated to between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago. The name comes from its position: the peak stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters, the trio of volcanoes visible on the skyline in the Mid Mountain camera, and early settlers read the lone mountain as a bachelor.

The ski area on its northern slopes opened in 1958 and has grown into the second-largest ski resort developed on a single peak in the United States. Its 101 runs spread across 17.5 square kilometers (4,323 acres), served by 12 chairlifts, nine of them high-speed quads, with a lift-served vertical drop of 1,026 meters (3,365 feet) from the summit down to the 1,737 meter (5,700 foot) base. The city of Bend sits about 29 kilometers (18 miles) to the northeast, close enough that the mountain fills the view from many of its streets.

Weather and Climate at Mount Bachelor

Winter is the show here. The mountain averages around 1,170 centimeters (462 inches) of snow a year, and the mid-winter base regularly builds past 380 centimeters (150 inches). Daytime temperatures between December and February typically run from -4 to 1 C (24 to 34 F), and wind near the summit can shut the upper lifts while the lower mountain keeps spinning. During a storm the snow stake camera turns into a slow-motion scoreboard, and the Mid Mountain view often fades to white for hours at a time.

Spring brings long clear days and soft snow, and the lifts usually keep running from mid-November through late May, one of the longest seasons in North America. Summer days reach 10 to 21 C (50 to 70 F), cooler than the high desert below, with occasional afternoon thunderstorms building over the Cascades. In fall the first dustings whiten the upper mountain while Bend stays dry, and the Cloudchaser camera catches inversions where valley cloud sits below a clear summit.

Things to Do Near Mount Bachelor

In winter the resort itself is the draw, from the groomers off Pine Marten Express to the steeper lines that open once the Summit Express is running. Summer turns the same slopes over to the bike park, with 21 kilometers (13 miles) of downhill trails, an 18-hole disc golf course that starts near the top of the Pine Marten lift and works back to the base, ziplining, and scenic chairlift rides from the West Village base at 1,920 meters (6,300 feet) up to Pine Marten Lodge. On summer weekends the lodge serves sunset dinners with the Cascade lakes spread out below.

The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, a 106 kilometer (66 mile) paved loop out of Bend, runs right past the ski area. Todd Lake is only 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) beyond the mountain, Sparks Lake sits about 42 kilometers (26 miles) from Bend with a famous head-on view of South Sister, and Elk Lake follows at roughly 51 kilometers (32 miles). Bend itself is a half-hour drive and covers the rest: breweries, restaurants and gear shops in a city built around outdoor sport.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More mountain and ski cameras from the American West:

• Crater Lake Webcam
• Mission Ridge Ski Area Webcam
• Big Sky Resort Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mount Bachelor located?

Mount Bachelor stands in the Deschutes National Forest in central Oregon, USA, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.

What can you see on the Mount Bachelor Webcam?

The Mount Bachelor Webcam carries three live tabs: the Mid Mountain view of Pine Marten Lodge with the Three Sisters and Broken Top behind it, the top of the Cloudchaser lift looking east over the high desert, and the resort’s snow stake for storm totals.

How much snow does Mount Bachelor get?

The mountain averages about 1,170 centimeters (462 inches) of snowfall per year, and the base depth in mid-winter regularly passes 380 centimeters (150 inches).

How long is the ski season at Mount Bachelor?

The season usually runs from mid-November through late May, weather permitting, which makes it one of the longest lift-served seasons in North America.

How big is the Mount Bachelor ski area?

The resort covers 17.5 square kilometers (4,323 acres) with 101 runs and 12 chairlifts, making it the second-largest single-mountain ski resort in the United States.

Is Mount Bachelor an active volcano?

Mount Bachelor is a dormant stratovolcano. It last erupted between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago and shows no current activity; the ski area operates across its northern slopes.

Is Mount Bachelor open in the summer?

Yes. Summer operations include a downhill bike park with 21 kilometers (13 miles) of trails, scenic chairlift rides to Pine Marten Lodge, disc golf, ziplining and weekend sunset dinners at the lodge.

Source: Mt. Bachelor