Three Creek Sno Park is one of more than a dozen snow parks (also spelled sno-parks) in central Oregon.
Three Creek offers ungroomed Nordic ski trails, snowshoe trails, a snowmobile launch area, and excellent mountain views of the Three Sisters and Broken Top.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know before visiting Three Creek Snow Park plus our local tips to help you make the most of this outdoor snowy paradise.
We’ll also compare Three Creek Snow Park to other snow parks in central Oregon to help you decide if there is a better option for you.
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Three Creek Sno-Park: Overview
Before embarking on your winter adventure, here are some key details you need to know.
Upper vs. Lower: Technically there are two parking lots at Three Creek Sno-Park. You’ll want to aim for the upper lot. The lower lot is simply overflow parking.
Winter activities: Cross-country (Nordic) skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobile trails are accessible. There are some hills which can be challenging (especially when cross country skiing).
Exposure and views: Three Creek Sno-Park is one of the more exposed snow parks in central Oregon. This means great views but also less protection from harsh weather.
Location and Accessibility: Three Creek Sno Park is 50 minutes (33 miles) from Bend and 20 minutes (10 miles) from Sisters. Expect winter road conditions.
Parking Permit: You must have a Sno-Park Parking Permit to park at Three Creek Sno Park (more information below).
Dogs are permitted: You can bring your dog to Three Creek Sno-Park. They are allowed on all trails. Just keep them under control at all times.
Restrooms: Primitive restroom facilities are available and are typically well-maintained for visitor convenience.
Winter Activities at Three Creek Sno Park
Cross-Country Skiing: Three Creek Sno Park has access to 14 miles of ungroomed cross-country skiing trails with many marked trails and one unmarked Nordic trail.
Snowshoeing: If snowshoeing is more your style, there is a marked snowshoeing trail at Three Creek Snow Park that leads to the Jeff View Shelter.
Gear Check: Layers are critical to staying warm while playing outside. We can’t recommend this Blackstrap Baselayer Hoodie enough. Its super functional and made by a local Bend company! Logan has 5 pairs and wears them for any outdoor adventure.
Snowmobiling: Three Creek Snow Park is a popular launching spot to access miles of groomed snowmobile trails. There is a large network of snowmobile trails in Central Oregon that are accessible from a variety of snow parks.
Three Creek Sno Park Trail Map
Below is the official map of Nordic, snowshoe, and local snowmobile trails at Three Creek Sno Park.
You can see the upper parking lot at the north end of the trail network. Whichever route you choose, we recommend visiting the Jeff View warming shelter along the way!
How to Get to Three Creek Snow Park
Three Creek Sno Park is 50 minutes (33 miles) from Bend and 20 minutes (10 miles) from Sisters.
It is accessible via Three Creeks Lake Road (NF 16), which is maintained and plowed regularly, but you should not attempt to drive this road in the winter without snow-worthy tires and 4-wheel drive.
The roads and parking lot can be icy and snowy. Lower Three Creek is designated as an overflow lot and is not plowed regularly.
Parking and Facilities at Three Creek Sno Park
Parking: The upper parking lot (the main one) rarely fills up and Lower Three Creek provides additional parking (but it is unplowed).
However, its usually a good idea to show up before 9 am or after 2 pm if you are looking to ski at Upper Three Creek just in case.
The Warming Hut Experience
Many snow parks near Bend have warming huts (also known as shelters) that usually have a wood stove and benches.
The warming hut at Three Creek Sno-Park is about a mile from the parking lot via the snowshoeing trail.
These warming huts serve as a cozy refuge for visitors and are especially delightful during stormy weather.
There are usually other folks warming up around the wood stove, so the shelters are also a great place to socialize and meet other like-minded adventurers.
Local tip: We recommend bringing a hot drink and a picnic lunch. You can even get creative with cooking on the wood stove.
Comparing Three Creek to Other Snow Parks
Three Creek has great mountain views (when the weather is clear) but is also quite exposed with limited tree cover.
Combined with a relatively high elevation between 5,200 and 6,000 feet, Three Creek is best for fair weather.
If wind or snow is expected, we recommend choosing more protected trails at Virginia Meissner or Swampy Lakes.
Three Creek Sno-Park also has a lot of hills and ungroomed trails, which can make snowshoeing and cross-country skiing difficult.
We recommend a backcountry cross-country ski setup and already having some experience cross country skiing. Three Creek is not for beginner Nordic skiers.
Three Creek is further from Bend than other snow parks, which can limit crowds. However, it is the closest snow park to Sisters.
Local tip: The warming hut at Three Creek Sno-Park likely has the best views of all warming huts in central Oregon!
How to Buy a Sno Park Permit
You must have a parking permit to park at Three Creek Sno Park between November 1st and April 30th.
There are two ways to buy a sno-park permit in Bend. The first is from permit agents in retail stores. The retailers in Bend that sell the permit can be found at Oregon.gov.
The second way is to buy an annual permit online at DMV2U which includes a printable interim permit that you can use immediately.
Three Creek Sno-Park Resources
You can find road cameras and current road conditions on TripCheck. Check out this up-to-date weather forecast for Three Creek Sno Park: NOAA weather forecast.
Don’t forget to read the official USFS webpage before you set out.
Grooming and Volunteer Support
Maintaining Three Creek Sno-Park is a much-appreciated and collaborative effort.
The Central Oregon Nordic Club, a chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club, maintains the ski and snowshoe trails at Three Creek Sno Park as well as the warming shelter. Consider donating on their website.
The Sisters SnoGofers Club grooms the snowmobile trails accessible from Three Creek Sno Park.
Renting and Maintaining Equipment
Renting cross-country skis and snowshoes in Bend is a breeze. These Bend ski shops also offer tune and repair services.
| Shop | Established | Snowshoe Rentals | XC Ski Rentals | Tune and Repair Services |
| Powder House Ski & Snowboard | 1976 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mountain Supply | 1980 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pine Mountain Sports | 2000 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Latitude 44 Sports | 2018 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center | 1984 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Other Places to Snowshoe and Nordic Ski Near Bend
Fortunately, there are tons of amazing places to snowshoe and cross-country ski near Bend!
In fact, there are 11 sno-parks within 35 miles of Bend, and most have cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Learn more in our full guide to sno-parks near Bend.
In addition to snow parks, Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort has an expansive network of Nordic trails that range in difficulty. They also have a variety of snowshoe trails.
Hoodoo Ski Area also has a variety of Nordic trails. They groom during the weekends and charge a fee. However, when they don’t groom the trails are free.
Conclusion
Three Creek Sno Park in central Oregon is one of our favorite snow parks for ungroomed trails and views.
If you are in Bend in the winter, learn more fun things to do in Bend in the winter, including our full guide to skiing near Bend.
We also have a lot of other articles about Central Oregon.
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