Mount Bachelor’s chairlift never stops running, and all summer it’s hauling bikers and disc golfers instead of skiers

Most people picture Mount Bachelor buried in snow. In August, the same Pine Marten lift that hauls skiers all winter is running full-tilt for mountain bikers, disc golfers, and hikers headed for a 9,065-foot summit — and it never really shuts down.

Twenty minutes from downtown Bend, this is one of the rare Cascade peaks where you can ride a chairlift, throw a disc, and eat dinner at 7,775 feet in the same afternoon. Here’s how to actually spend a summer day on it.

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Ride the lift just for the view

The Pine Marten Express runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. It climbs from the 6,300-foot West Village base to Pine Marten Lodge at 7,775 feet in about 10 minutes, no bike or hiking boots required.

You don’t have to do anything at the top except stand on the deck. South Sister dominates the view, with Middle Sister, North Sister, and Broken Top lined up behind it, and Sparks Lake glinting in the meadow below.

The bike park earns its reputation

Mount Bachelor’s lift-served bike park has more than 13 miles of trail spread across two lifts. Beginners start on Little Pine, where the terrain is gentler and a skills park handles the jumps — 2026 also added Little Dipper, a new intermediate line in the same zone.

Once you’re ready for real descents, Pine Marten Express is the one to ride. Its trails run up to 3.8 miles back to the base, mixing flow sections with berms, rollers, and technical rock through old volcanic terrain — genuinely one of the better lift-served days in the Northwest, not just a decent one.

Disc golf with a view most courses can’t touch

The mountain’s 18-hole PDGA course starts near the top of Pine Marten Express and winds back down to the base, so you can ride the lift up or hike the roughly 1,500-foot approach through loose volcanic rock to earn your first throw. Either way, wear real shoes — this isn’t a flat city park.

New for 2026, Mount Bachelor also opened two courses at the Nordic Center: a free nine-hole Green Course and an 18-hole Black Diamond Course, if you’d rather skip the lift entirely.

Zip lines and a hike that actually reaches the summit

The ZipTour is a dual-line, three-stage course that drops nearly 1,400 vertical feet from mid-mountain back to the base, and it runs daily through September 1, then Thursday through Sunday until October 5.

If you’d rather hike, both summit routes now start at the West Village base — the old Sunrise Base approach isn’t accessible anymore. The full route up Little Pine runs 6.5 miles round trip with 2,742 feet of elevation gain to the 9,065-foot summit; riding the lift to mid-mountain first cuts that climb down considerably if you’d rather save your legs for the view.

Above Pine Marten Lodge, you’re on unmanaged mountain terrain with loose lava rock and weather that can turn fast, so bring more water and layers than you think you need.

Cap it off at 7,775 feet

Pine Marten Lodge runs a reservation-only Sunset Dinner through the summer, and riding the lift back down afterward — with the light going gold over the Cascades — is arguably better than the ride up. Book ahead; it fills.

One practical note: Deschutes National Forest is currently under Stage 2 fire restrictions, which affects campfires and some equipment use on the surrounding land, so check current rules before you camp nearby.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.

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