If you’re a mountain biker in Oregon who loves riding downhill on your mountain bike and doesn’t want to have to pedal up the mountain, lift-assisted bike park riding is a great option for a day on mountain bikes.
We have a few options for lift-assisted bike parks locally: the Timberline Bike Park on Mt. Hood and the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park in Bend, Oregon. In this article, we’ll break down a few options for purchasing your bike park passes in terms of value.
Is buying a season pass to the Timberline Bike Park worth it?
The Timberline Bike Park is expected to open July 9th, with operating hours Wednesday through Sundays 10:30 am-5 pm. An all-day lift ticket for mountain biking at the Timberline Bike Park costs $50. A season pass to the Timberline Bike Park costs $249.00.
If you ride the bike park more than five times this summer, the season pass adds value, as you’re essentially getting the additional days on the mountain for free. And if you’re planning to make a trip to Bend to ride the Mt. Bachelor bike park, thanks to the Dirt Alliance program, you’ll receive 2x bike park passes for Mt. Bachelor. The Dirt Alliance program also includes 2x passes for Grand Targhee, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and Whitefish Mountain Resort.
As a mountain biker living in Portland, we love making the 2.5-hour trek to Bend to ride the trails. It’s a bit further to reach the Bachelor Bike Park, but its also a lot of fun to ride.
Riders who love the lift-assisted mountain biking experience can get a lot of value with the season pass. If you’re planning just to go a few times, it may be better to pay as you go.
Note: for those with e-bikes, Type 1 eMTBs (pedal-assist) are permitted in the Timberline Bike Park.
https://timberlinelodge.com/mountain/bike-park
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park – Bike Park Ticket Pricing
In the past, I’ve purchased a season pass for the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park as opposed to the Timberline Bike Park, as Bachelor has some of my favorite jump trails in the State. The cost of the Season Pass includes the Dirt Alliance passes, and I’d use the 2x free passes at Timberline. This year, an adult season pass is listed to cost $289.00. Day pass costs range from $59 (purchased in advance, online) to $79 (on-site, paid for at the ticket window)
With day-of ticket pricing at $79 a day, you can “break-even” with a 3-day weekend, and a second trip adds even more value. With the two free tickets at Timberline included with the $289 cost, it’s a great value. If you’re planning two weekends (4x days @$79= $316.00) at Mt Bachelor, and two days at Timberline ($100 value), that $289 breaks down to $48 a day for six days of riding. And if you ride more, you’re getting even more value.
Note: E-bikes are not permitted at the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park.
https://www.mtbachelor.com/tickets-passes/summer-tickets-passes
You can currently order a bike park season pass for Mt. Bachelor at this link, and it will include 4x friends and family mountain bike tickets at 35% off (the window rate) for friends that want to try the park.