Just two months ago, the slopes of Mt. Bachelor ski area were buried in nearly 5 feet of snow as visitors enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, tubing and other winter activities.

Now, only a few spots of snow remain. But no snow doesn’t mean no fun.

This summer, visitors are already climbing up the mountain for newly-opened activities like zip lining, mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hikes, disc golf and sunset dinners.

Over the past few years, Mt. Bachelor has upped its tourism efforts for the summer with newer activities like zip lining. Its offerings have become part of the larger suite of summertime activities that draw 10,000 to 15,000 tourists to Central Oregon each day in the summer, according to Nate Wyeth, vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Bend.

Mt. Bachelor added mountain biking in 2014, offered whitewater rafting through Sun Country Tours in 2016 and debuted zip lining in 2020, all of which were geared toward summer.

Visit Bend doesn’t work to attract visitors in summer, said Wyeth, because Bend is already crowded. Instead, Visit Bend works with land managers so outdoor spots don’t get damaged by heavy use from tourism.

“We’re investing in a lot of these special places through our grant programs, and that actually ties back to a project that we’ve been working on with the folks at Mount Bachelor … to build a new hiking trail,” Wyeth said.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a downward trend in tourism in Central Oregon, Wyeth said, but that came with new appreciation for outdoor recreation.

“I think the pandemic reminded people of how important it is to be outside and spend time outside,” said Lauren Burke, Mt. Bachelor spokesperson. “We just continue to see increased interest and engagement and business in most of our summer activities.”

Thanks to the recent heat wave, Mt. Bachelor has already been busier than last summer, as people can enjoy temperatures on the mountain that are 15 degrees cooler than in Bend.

Zip lining and more

Mt. Bachelor ZipTour Adventure only operates during the summer. It swoops through sites where space-suited astronauts prepping for an Apollo 15 mission used to train on lava rock, said ZipTour Lead Guide Jesse “Big Bear” Fico. Riders on the self-paced zip line fly more than 1 mile through scenic views so quickly their eyes water.

There are a total of four zip lines that span over 3,443 vertical feet, and the last line is an 866-foot drop in elevation at speeds of nearly 70 mph.

Though Mt. Bachelor isn’t seeing tremendous growth in summer activities each year, there has been noticeable growth in newer, more specific activities like sunset dinners and chairlift rides, said Burke.

“We are always continuing to add to the experience,” Burke said.

This is the first year child care is offered year-round, versus just in the winter months. It’s available for both visitors and employees.

While hiking in Central Oregon wilderness areas can require pricey permits, it’s free to hike Mt. Bachelor’s designated trails of varying difficulty.

The first multiuse trail, in collaboration with Discover Your Forest, a nonprofit environmental conservation organization, will open on Aug. 1. The trail to the summit will be free for bicycle riders and hikers.

“It’s a hiking trail to the summit that really helps to offset the demand that’s being placed on our wilderness areas and our other outdoor places,” Wyeth said. “It provides arguably better or just as good a summit experience as many other peaks.”

Women of the Dirt, a summer-long all-female mountain bike series, is an activity that aims to provide a safe, nonintimidating mountain biking experience for female-identifying individuals. The series opened for the first time Saturday with 30 attendees, said Burke.

In years past, a disc golf course was arranged on the side of the mountain where it was difficult to navigate the hills. This year, the course is located at the Nordic Center on more level ground and is free to use.

The best place to start in terms of summer activities is to browse the Mt. Bachelor website and then plan your day from there, Burke said.