Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge located within Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. Built during the Great Depression, the location is a four-story structure comprising approximately 40,000 square feet. Notable features of the Timberline Lodge include the six-sided stone chimney, headhouse lobby, historic lodge rooms, restaurants and bars. In addition to its skiing and hotel accommodations (the lodge is a ski-in/ski-out location), other amenities of note include a sauna, heated outdoor pool, fitness center and hydro spa.
The location has hosted a long list of productions. Given that the Timberline Lodge has year-round snow access, summer sees many high-end fashion productions and catalogues shooting footage for the coming winter season. Summer is also popular for commercial shoots looking for mountain backdrops, hiking trails and colourful wildflowers. Winter commonly attracts winter product shoots and action sports shoots.
Brands that have filmed at the Timberline Lodge include amongst others; Burton, RedBull, GoPro, J. Crew, Nieman Marcus, and REI. Most famously, the Timberline Lodge featured as the Overlook Hotel (exteriors) in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include rail jams, music festivals, Hood to Coast, running events, and the The Overlook Film Festival.
Permits and Costs
The Timberline Lodge has a quick and easy permit process. The location is open to both large and small footprint shoots. Certain areas of the hotel will be less open to filming than others. Filming in the lobby, for instance, may be possible for a small photo shoot, but might not be permitted for a 30 person crew TV commercial.
Film location and photo release fees are determined on a case by case basis depending on the specifics of the shoot and extent of disruption to the Timberline Lodge’s guests and regular business.
Allow at least a week to process permit applications.
Proof of a minimum $1 million in public liability insurance is required to film at the Timberline Lodge. The policy must name the U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and R.L.K. & Company dba. Timberline Lodge and Ski Area as additional insured & indemnified.
Filming within the ski area boundary is possible, providing it is deemed reasonable and safe.
Drone filming is currently not permitted.
Filming on the roadways heading up to the Timberline Lodge is managed by Oregon Department of Transportation.
The Timberline Lodge is open to packaging fees for permits, hotel rooms to sleep clients and crew, staging rooms, catering, on-hill support (snow cat, snowmobiles, ski patrol), and any other services they can provide.
For more information or to contact the Timberline Lodge directly, please visit here.
Oregon Film Crew & Production Support
The Timberline Lodge is a 1.5hr drive from Portland, the closest place where crew and equipment are based. Portland International Airport is well serviced by major domestic and international carriers.
If you’re looking for a Portland based director, DoP, videographer, stills photographer or other camera crew for your shoot, contact us for recommendations. Likewise, if you require a Portland fixer or service producer to help organise your shoot at the Timberline Lodge, or anywhere else around Oregon, contact us.
Images courtesy of the Timberline Lodge.
