12 Awesome Mountain Cabin Rentals Outside Portland, Oregon

Field magazine

Spanning Northern California into British Columbia, the stoic Cascade Mountain Range spreads stunning volcanic landmarks along the entire American West Coast. As Mt. Rainier looks over Seattle, Mt. Hood soars some 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon. Looking like a child’s depiction of a snow capped mountain, perfectly mountain-like Mt. Hood is a welcomed sight on clear days from in town, along the Columbia River Gorge, and across Central Oregon. And a joy to explore all year long.

Mt. Hood National Forest offer hundreds of miles of hiking trails, dozens of primitive campgrounds, and legendary rivers and creeks to fish in spring, summer, and fall. And in the winter excellent skiing can be found at Mt. Hood Meadows and America’s largest night ski area—and my personal favorite mom & pop ski hill—Mt. Hood Skibowl. And of course, historic Timberline Lodge—an icon of the CCC Works Progress Era used as The Overlook Hotel’s exterior in The Shining—offers America’s only year-round ski resort. Plus Hood River is just a few dozen miles north, offering a perfect pit stop on a loop back to Portland or Seattle.

Cabin culture is alive and well on Mt. Hood. In fact, I’m currently sitting at my family’s Forest Service cabin as I write this very sentence—a very special place we’ve been fortunate to own and look after for nearly three decades now. While I can’t exactly invite you to visit our family cabin, I am happy to share with you all the following curated list of vacation rentals on Mt. Hood. So this beautiful forest can be a beloved destination for you and yours, too.

Read on for our top picks for the best Mt. Hood Vacation Rentals. And remember, always make time for a mountain-sized meal at legendary BBQ restaurant The Skyway or local’s favorite Zig Zag Inn.