Mt. Bachelor ski area just added its first mixed-use hiking trail to its facilities Thursday, with the new trail offering two-way traffic for hikers and downhill bikers.

The Evergreen Trail goes from the West Village base area to Pine Marten Lodge, making it just under 4.5 miles long.

The easy-level hiking trail is the seventh trail Mt. Bachelor ski area offers without permits or sign-ups, according to Lauren Burke, Mt. Bachelor’s director of marketing and communications.

The project began in 2022 in partnership with Visit Bend and Discover Your Forest, a local environmental nonprofit.

The trail has an average grade of 5% and its low difficulty level and wide width make it a great hiking opportunity for families, said Burke.

“You’re not going to encounter any technical aspects of the trail, like you’re not going to find any big rocks or big banked turns or anything like that,” Burke said. “It’s a really great beginner experience for hikers and bikers of all ability levels.”

Hikers can hike up and down the Evergreen Trail for free or purchase a Scenic Chair Lift ticket for a lift up the mountain to hike back down. Mountain biking on Evergreen is only allowed downhill with a Bike Park ticket.

“I’m just most excited to continue to expand our offering to people of all ability levels,” Burke said. “Bend has such an engaged community of bikers and hikers.”