In the Upper Hood River Valley, the gap between the last farm stand and the first chairlift is about four days long. Kiyokawa Family Orchards keeps winter hours through Nov. 29. Mt. Hood Meadows has a planned opening day of Dec. 4, 2026, weather permitting. That leaves Nov. 30 through Dec. 3. A cider tap pours on all four of those days, and a brewery taproom pours on three of them.
Through November, one schedule after another drops to weekends or shuts for the winter, while the winter calendar starts to fill. By the time Meadows spins its lifts, the valley's center of gravity has moved uphill, and a handful of places stayed open the whole time.
Below is the November calendar, laid out in the order it actually shrinks and grows.
The orchards close on a staggered schedule
Harvest doesn't end on one date. Each farm stand on the Hood River Fruit Loop runs its own calendar, and the Upper Valley ones go weekend-only or close at different points between now and Christmas. These hours come from the stands' standing schedules, so call ahead before you drive out.
| Stop | November schedule | What comes next |
|---|---|---|
| Kiyokawa Family Orchards, 5625 Hutson Drive, Parkdale | Open daily 10 to 4, Nov. 3 to Nov. 29 | Winter hours end |
| The Gorge White House | Fri to Sun; cider, wine and food cart 11 to about 5; U-pick fields 11 to 4 | Closed December through February |
| Apple Valley Country Store | Fri to Sun, 10 to 4, November through Christmas | Closed for the winter |
| Draper Girls Cider Company, 6200 Highway 35, Parkdale | Open 11 to 4, November through April | Stays open year-round |
Kiyokawa is the stand that stays open daily the longest. Its fall schedule ran daily through Nov. 1, and it switched to the 10-to-4 winter schedule on Nov. 3. With more than 125 apple varieties and a farm stand stocked with boxed and fresh cider, small-batch jams and canned fruit, it's the place for a last full-size fruit run of the year.
Draper Girls is the one stop on this table without an end date. The cidery pours 16 flavors on tap and calls itself the Hood River Valley's only non-pasteurized cidery. New this year, it also carries non-alcoholic sparkling ciders. Draper Girls doesn't allow pets, so the dog stays home on this stop.
The places that don't change when the season does
Parkdale never fully empties because a few places don't run on the harvest calendar at all.
Solera Brewery in Parkdale posts the same hours all year: noon to 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. It's closed Wednesdays. Monday is the night to know about. Solera runs trivia every Monday from November through April, with sign-in at 6 p.m. and play at 6:30. Trivia starts the same month the farm stands start closing, which makes Monday night one of the first winter routines to switch on.
Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill at Cooper Spur Mountain Resort serves breakfast Friday through Sunday from 8 to 11 a.m., and lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It's closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Cooper Spur is also offering 50% off cabin and condo stays all through November 2026 with promo code fall2026, which could make an easy overnight for visiting family without the drive back down Highway 35.
Put those together with Draper Girls and you have three places open between Kiyokawa's last day and Meadows' first. Wednesday, Dec. 2, is the one day Solera and Crooked Tree are both closed, which leaves Draper Girls' 11-to-4 cider tap open on its own. On the other three days you can get cider in the afternoon, a pint in the evening and a tavern dinner near the mountain.
What fills the calendar as the orchards close
While the farm stand hours shrink, the winter calendar gets busier. In date order:
- Nov. 1: Meadows' parking FAQ says day parking is free but requires an Oregon Sno-Park permit from Nov. 1 to April 30.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Teacup Nordic holds its Après-ski Fundraiser and Celebration at The Ruins in Hood River from 4 to 7:30 p.m. The auction includes a groomer ride-along and cross-country ski gear, and proceeds keep skiing free for kids under 18 at Teacup.
- Nov. 20: The Mt. Hood Railroad's Polar Express begins running on select days through Jan. 2. The railroad asks riders to arrive 45 to 60 minutes early and points them to an overflow lot at 113 Portway Ave. with shuttle service.
- Nov. 26: Cooper Spur serves a Thanksgiving Feast with seatings at 1:30, 4 and 6:30 p.m. Prices are $64 for ages 13 and up, $33 for ages 5 to 12, and free for ages 4 and under, and they include gratuity and non-alcoholic beverages. Reservations are by phone.
- Nov. 29: Kiyokawa's last winter day.
- Dec. 4: Meadows' planned opening day, weather dependent.
The Teacup event is the one most tied to the Upper Valley's own winter. Teacup Nordic already has 2026-27 season passes on sale. Adults need a season or day pass, kids 17 and under ski free, and the club funds grooming four to five or more days a week from first snowfall through March. Because grooming starts at first snowfall rather than on a set date, Nordic skiing could start before Meadows opens if snow arrives early.
Once Meadows opens
When the lifts start, the season speeds up quickly. Night operations run Dec. 18 through March 7. The first peak stretch runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 3, followed by weekends from January through March 7, plus the MLK Day and Presidents Day Mondays. According to Meadows' operating schedule, the Hood River Express will open at 8:30 a.m. on peak days, depending on conditions.
Season-pass holders don't need reservations. Value Pass holders can ski peak days starting at 1 p.m. For anyone who lives a short drive from the mountain, that 1 p.m. start can line up with a morning of errands in the valley before heading up Highway 35.
Highway 35 conditions can change overnight, so check ODOT's TripCheck before any early start up the mountain.
Next spring's season also ends sooner
The Upper Valley's winter will also be shorter at the far end. Meadows is cutting its April schedule. Seven-day operations end April 4, Thursday-through-Sunday spring hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. start April 8, and closing day is April 24. In its 2026-27 season pass announcement, Meadows explained the trade-off:
"Next season, instead of passing those costs along through significantly higher pass prices, we are choosing a more efficient schedule in April. This allows us to continue delivering a high-quality experience throughout the core of the season while keeping pass prices for the first tier the same as this season."
In the same post, Meadows says it has historically stayed open seven days a week deep into April even when that meant operating at a loss. For the Upper Valley, that means the handoff from mountain back to orchard next spring should come sooner than it has in past years. Draper Girls' November-through-April hours and Solera's trivia season, which also runs through April, already cover that whole stretch.
If you own in Parkdale, Odell or up toward Cooper Spur, the change from orchard season to ski season affects your property's value as much as your weekends. I keep track of both calendars. If you'd like a clear number before winter sets in, reach out to Kenzie Carlstrom and get your free home valuation.
