If someone in Portland tells you they’re going cross-country skiing, chances are they’re headed to Teacup Lake. This bustling network of trails, operated by a nonprofit Nordic club since 1979, draws all types: first-timers shuffling along, Lycra-clad teens training for races, jovial packs of gray-haired friends. The popularity isn’t just thanks to its proximity to Portland. Teacup’s 24 kilometers of trails, groomed regularly for both classic and skate, are a crowd-pleasing mix of flats, gently rolling hills, and more challenging sections. Plus, there are no snowshoes or dogs to trample the ski surface. A web of short trails hugs the teeny lake, with options for longer loops that slip through wooded stretches and, on clear days, burst onto big Mount Hood views (the out-and-back Vista Ridge trail, which can be tricky when slick, provides some of the finest). Keep things mellow on Hood River Road, or take a quad-burning climb up Screamer Hill followed by a giddy drop down Wahoo Gulch. Regardless, stop by the heated day-use cabin, which gets lively on the weekends.

Teacup isn’t Hood’s only option. Just across Highway 35, Mt. Hood Meadows grooms 15 kilometers of trails and offers rentals and lessons. A couple miles down the road, Pocket Creek Sno-Park has quiet, ungroomed trails that connect to Teacup’s system.

Make it a weekend: Sure, you could drive back to Portland. Or, sure, you could rent a perfectly serviceable condo in Government Camp. But if you’re going to be a mere 90 minutes from your bed, why not luxuriate in wood-paneled splendor at the venerable Timberline Lodge? Especially because, after two years closed, the heated outdoor pool and hot tub are finally back. Splurge on a fireplace room or gather a gaggle of friends for a bunk room, which can sleep up to 15.

Sometimes, it pays to cross the Columbia. The cross-country ski options around Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams are about as far from Portland as Teacup, though they require an ounce more pluck: Grooming can be limited, so don’t expect pristine tracks, and your serenity may be interrupted by the braaap-braaap of a stinky-fumed snowmobile. But you’re far less likely to contend with traffic or crowds, and the volcano vistas are no less impressive. Gifford Pinchot National Forest has more than a dozen sno-parks, including ones with nonmotorized trails. An easy loop at Atkisson leads to the very cool Guler Ice Cave, where you can unclip from your skis and tread carefully down the staircase for a better look at the glittering formations. Over at Oldman Pass, skiers can cruise among towering evergreens to spectacular views of St. Helens. Check for grooming updates or call the ranger district for the freshest intel.

Make it a weekend: For a more involved excursion, rent one of the rustic Forest Service cabins in the area. Gotchen Guard Station, Government Mineral Springs Guard Station, and Peterson Prairie Cabin all require an on-ski approach but reward with charm and solitude. Seeking more modern amenities? In the pocket community of Trout Lake, Trout Lake Cozy Cabins are petite but sweet; all have propane fireplaces and at least partial kitchens, and most have hot tubs.

With its fluffy snow and ample sunshine, Central Oregon is one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to be a skier, and those kicking and gliding have it just as good as those slaloming downhill. Bend sits within a 30-minute drive of an almost overwhelming abundance of cross-country trails (and when enough snow falls, there’s even in-city skiing at Skyline Sports Complex, groomed by volunteers). Like pearls on a necklace, sno-parks dot Cascade Lakes Highway as it climbs west up to Mount Bachelor. The largest of these is Virginia Meissner, named after a ski instructor and guidebook author who designed trails in the area and fought to keep them free of motorized vehicles. It’s home to 47 kilometers of trails groomed daily for classic and skate. From the parking lot, several trails head north toward Meissner shelter; cozy warming huts abound in this part of the state. Hop on the Tangent loop for a more direct approach, or undulate through old growth on Ponderosa. Slopes north of the shelter open onto panoramas of Broken Top and South Sister.

If you’re looking for a full-service setup, Bachelor’s Nordic center has 56 kilometers of groomed trails, plus a lodge with rentals, ski waxing services, and a café. Lessons run daily for most of the season, guides lead tours on full moons, and multiweek clinics will snap you into shape. More interested in breaking trail? Try Swampy Lakes or Dutchman Flat sno-parks. Pro tip for out-of-town visitors: Call a Bend ski shop and ask for real-time advice on what’s skiing well.

Make it a weekend: In downtown Bend, the vibey, cutely vintage Campfire Hotel is a revamped 100-room motel with an outdoor heated saltwater pool, giant firepit, and loaner instruments for all your singalong whims.

Since the early twentieth century, skiers have sung the praises of the tallest
Cascades peak. “So far as ski sport is concerned, it would be difficult to imagine more perfect riding than can be had on the many miles of varied slopes in Paradise Park,” wrote Milnor Roberts in National Geographic in 1909, describing the southern part of Mt. Rainier National Park. As snow falls (to the tune of 50-plus feet each year), crowds disappear, making way for glorious tranquility. Ski the ungroomed but well-graded Paradise Valley Road, which is closed to traffic in the winter. (Make sure to check conditions before setting out, as park access can vary.) Outside the park but with no lack of Rainier views, White Pass grooms 26 kilometers of fun, diverse terrain, with a Nordic center that offers rentals and lessons.

Make it a weekend: Just southwest of the park, the volunteer-run Mount Tahoma Trails Association operates three ski-in huts and a yurt that are essentially backcountry hostels—think bunk beds, solar-powered lighting, propane fireplaces, and outhouses, for $15 per person per night. For more luxury, book a cabin at Ashford’s woodsy Wellspring Spa, which also has hot tubs and cedar saunas.

Yes, it’s a long way to the Methow Valley, snuggled into the foothills of the North Cascades in north-central Washington. But with one of the country’s largest networks of groomed cross-country ski trails, it’s a rare place where Nordic is the norm rather than a niche—and damn if that doesn’t feel delicious. About those trails: There are more than 200 kilometers’ worth, ringing out from four primary trailheads. (Download the Methow Trails app for live grooming updates.) Cruise a flat loop, grind out a long climb, or undertake the 32-kilometer Community Trail, which connects the Old West–themed town of Winthrop to tiny Mazama. The latter is home to one of the loveliest general stores around—sip an après-ski cappuccino and tear into a just-baked baguette while browsing the gourmet trail snacks and tasteful homewares. Legs too weary for the return journey? Carry your skis onto the public bus instead.

Make it a weekend: Many spots in Winthrop and Mazama allow you to step practically out the door and onto a ski trail. Go budget with a bunk room at Winthrop’s North Cascades Mountain Hostel or big at Mazama’s Freestone Inn, a striking log lodge with a massive river-rock fireplace in the lobby. Or take the off-grid option at the ski-in Rendezvous Huts, which offer freight haul service for those not in the mood to schlep.