Spout Springs Ski Area
| Spout Springs Ski Area | |
|---|---|
Main Lodge in mid-December | |
Location in Oregon | |
| Location | Northeast Oregon, U.S. |
| Nearest major city | Tollgate, Portland: 250 mi (400 km) |
| Coordinates | 45°45′18″N 118°03′15″W / 45.7550°N 118.0543°W |
| Vertical | 530 ft (162 m) |
| Top elevation | 5,450 ft (1,661 m) |
| Base elevation | 4,920 ft (1,500 m) |
| Trails | 17: - 35% easiest - 35% more difficult - 30% most difficult |
| Lift system | 2 chairs |
| Snowfall | 130 in (330 cm) |
| Snowmaking | none |
| Night skiing | Yes |
Spout Springs Ski Area is a former ski area near Tollgate, Oregon, in the Blue Mountains, within the Umatilla National Forest. The ski area, which opened in the 1940s, offered beginner and intermediate terrain, served by two fixed-grip double chairlifts. It is adjacent to Oregon Route 204, midway between Weston and Elgin.
Spout Springs closed after the 2017–2018 ski season due to the actions of the USFS. The USFS had designated the ski area parking lot to be "multiuse" and insisted that snowmobilers be allowed to park in the ski area parking lot. The owners were not able to obtain insurance which covered third party use of snowmobiles. Insurance is required under the ski area special use permit and the area was not able to open. The USFS revoked the permit due to non-operation and the matter is currently under litigation. Even though the litigation was ongoing in July 2022, the Umatilla National Forest released a “Request for Expression of Interest” for someone to manage and operate Spout Springs. The Forest Service announced that it received more than a dozen proposals from parties interested in doing so, but as of late 2024 no new operator had been announced, and the ski area remained closed.