37 Ski Resorts in Western Canada: British Columbia and Alberta

Western Canada is one of the great ski regions of the world. British Columbia and Alberta hold the longest vertical drop in North America at Revelstoke, the continent’s largest resort at Whistler Blackcomb, the 1988 and 2010 Olympic venues and dozens of friendly community hills. Here are 37 ski areas across the two provinces, from Vancouver Island to the Rockies, with the key facts for each.

Western Canada ski regions at a glance

Three numbers help you compare mountains. Summit elevation is the height of the top lift above sea level; vertical drop is the difference between the top and bottom of the lift-served skiing; skiable area is the size of the terrain. Canada’s figures are usually given in metres and hectares.

• Coast Mountains: Whistler Blackcomb plus Vancouver’s city hills, Cypress, Grouse and Seymour, and Sasquatch in the Fraser Valley.
• Vancouver Island: Mount Washington and the community hill of Mount Cain.
• Okanagan and Thompson: Big White, SilverStar, Sun Peaks, Apex, Baldy and Harper.
• Kootenays and Rockies of BC: Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Fernie, Kimberley, RED, Whitewater, Salmo and Phoenix.
• Northern BC: Powder King, Shames, Hudson Bay Mountain, Murray Ridge, Purden, Troll and Mount Timothy.
• Alberta: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Norquay around Banff; Marmot Basin at Jasper; Nakiska in Kananaskis; Castle Mountain in the south; and WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

The season generally runs from December into April. The main gateway airports are Vancouver, Kelowna and Calgary. Use winter tyres and check DriveBC or Alberta 511 before mountain drives.

Explore more: comparing terrain-park options; a separate Swiss destination shortlist.

1. Revelstoke, British Columbia

Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened on Mount Mackenzie, just outside the town of Revelstoke, on 21 December 2007, and quickly made its name with the longest vertical drop in North America: about 1,710 metres from a 2,200-metre summit. The 1,263 hectares of alpine bowls and old-growth glades get around 10.5 metres of snow a year. Pace yourself: top-to-bottom laps are long days for the legs. Official site.

2. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

North of Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb is the largest ski resort in North America, with 3,307 hectares, more than 240 marked trails and around 11.7 metres of snow a year. Whistler Mountain has 1,530 metres of vertical, Blackcomb 1,565 metres, and since December 2008 the 4.4-kilometre PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola has linked the two high above Fitzsimmons Creek. Whistler hosted the alpine events of the 2010 Winter Olympics; its pedestrian village sits at the foot of both mountains. Vail Resorts has owned it since 2016. Official site.

3. Panorama, British Columbia

Panorama Mountain Resort sits in the Purcell Mountains, 19 kilometres from Invermere in the Columbia Valley. Its 1,300 metres of vertical, from a 2,450-metre summit, rank among the biggest in North America, and the mountain has hosted eleven World Cup races. A slopeside village sits at the base, beginners start in the Discovery Zone, and experts head for Taynton Bowl and the Extreme Dream Zone. Official site.

4. Kicking Horse, British Columbia

Kicking Horse rises just 6.4 kilometres west of Golden, with views over the Columbia Valley to the Rockies. It began as Whitetooth in 1986 and reopened as Kicking Horse in December 2000, when the Golden Eagle Express gondola started carrying skiers straight from the base to the peak, now above 2,500 metres. The resort has 1,315 metres of vertical, more than 1,400 hectares and 75 inbound chutes, and its dry snow is marketed as “Champagne Powder”. It is a mountain for strong skiers. Official site.

5. Lake Louise, Alberta

Lake Louise Ski Resort lies inside Banff National Park, 57 kilometres west of Banff. It covers 17 square kilometres, with 991 metres of vertical from a 2,637-metre summit, and since 1993 it has opened the FIS Alpine World Cup season with men’s and women’s downhill and super-G races. Stay in Lake Louise village for the quickest access, or in Banff for more restaurants. Official site.

6. Red Mountain, British Columbia

RED Mountain rises above Rossland, an old gold-mining town in the West Kootenays just north of the US border. Its ski club dates back to the first decade of the 1900s, which makes it one of the oldest ski hills in North America; in 1947 it installed the first chairlift in Canada, and in 1968 it hosted Canada’s first FIS Alpine World Cup. Today RED offers 887 metres of vertical from a 2,072-metre top and about 1,100 hectares of lift-served terrain, famous for tree skiing. Official site.

7. Castle Mountain, Alberta

Castle Mountain Resort sits in the Westcastle Valley of southwestern Alberta, about 50 kilometres west of Pincher Creek. It offers more than 1,400 hectares of terrain and 853 metres of vertical from a 2,377-metre top, much of it steep and ungroomed, and it hosted the 1975 Canada Winter Games. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with Castle Mountain in Banff National Park. It is a good choice for a trip entering the Rockies from the south, away from the Banff crowds. Official site.

8. Fernie, British Columbia

Fernie Alpine Resort spreads across five bowls on the Lizard Range above the town of Fernie: Siberia, Cedar, Timber, Currie and Lizard. It averages about 8.75 metres of snow a year and has 1,082 metres of vertical from a 2,149-metre summit, over roughly 1,000 hectares. The town of Fernie below makes a lively base. Film fans may recognise the mountain: in 2009 it played the fictional Kodiak Valley in Hot Tub Time Machine. Official site.

9. Sun Peaks, British Columbia

Sun Peaks, 56 kilometres northeast of Kamloops, is the second-largest ski area in Canada, at about 1,600 hectares across Tod Mountain, Sundance Mountain and Mount Morrisey, with 882 metres of vertical. Olympic champion Nancy Greene is its Director of Skiing, and the Burfield chair is the longest fixed-grip chairlift in North America. The compact village keeps hotels, restaurants and lifts within walking distance, and the terrain mix suits intermediates especially well. Official site.

10. Silver Star, British Columbia

SilverStar Mountain Resort lies 22 kilometres northeast of Vernon in the Monashee Mountains. Its mid-mountain village puts hotels and cafés right on the slopes. The resort has 760 metres of vertical from a 1,915-metre summit and about 1,300 hectares of terrain, and its Comet Express is billed as Canada’s largest six-passenger chairlift. Official site.

11. Nakiska, Alberta

Nakiska was built on Mount Allan in Kananaskis Country, 83 kilometres west of Calgary, for the 1988 Winter Olympics, and it opened in autumn 1986. It hosted all ten Olympic alpine events and the freestyle moguls demonstration. Today it offers 735 metres of vertical from a 2,260-metre top, 413 hectares of terrain, a snow school and rentals: an easy day trip from Calgary. Official site.

12. Big White, British Columbia

Big White, 56 kilometres southeast of Kelowna, is known for its “snow ghosts”, trees encased in rime ice near the summit since skiers first came here in 1965. It has 777 metres of vertical from a 2,319-metre top, more than 1,100 hectares of terrain, and the largest night-skiing area of any resort in Western Canada. Lara’s Gondola links the village with Happy Valley, where families can skate and go tubing. Official site.

13. Marmot Basin, Alberta

Marmot Basin is Jasper’s ski hill, about a 20-minute drive south of town inside Jasper National Park. It has 914 metres of vertical from a 2,612-metre summit and 680 hectares of terrain, from open alpine bowls to sheltered glades. Jasper has its own restaurants and hotels, so it works as a separate base from Banff; leave a full travel day between the two. Official site.

14. Powder King, British Columbia

Powder King sits in the Pine Pass area of the Northern Rockies, 194 kilometres from Prince George. Its reputation rests on its snow, regularly ranked among the deepest in North America, on 640 metres of vertical with a 1,575-metre lift-served top. Most of its 37 runs have Beatles-themed names. Accommodation is simple: a hostel and Azouzetta Lake Lodge. Check the operating calendar before you go, as the lifts do not run every day. Official site.

15. Kimberley, British Columbia

Kimberley Alpine Resort is on the northeast face of North Star Hill in the Purcell Mountains above the town of Kimberley. It has 751 metres of vertical from a 1,982-metre summit and about 730 hectares of terrain, with a beginner area, long cruising intermediate runs and steeper glades, plus night skiing. Official site.

16. Sunshine Village, Alberta

Banff Sunshine Village straddles the Continental Divide, with runs in both Alberta and British Columbia, 15 kilometres southwest of Banff. Three mountains, Mount Standish, Lookout Mountain and Goat’s Eye, give 1,359 hectares of terrain and 1,070 metres of vertical from a 2,730-metre top. An eight-person gondola climbs to the upper village in 18 minutes, home to the 84-room ski-in, ski-out Sunshine Mountain Lodge. Experts can enter Delirium Dive, but the gate opens only for skiers carrying a working avalanche transceiver. Official site.

17. Apex Mountain, British Columbia

Apex Mountain Resort lies just west of Penticton in the South Okanagan. It has 603 metres of vertical from a 2,178-metre summit and about 600 centimetres of snow a year; its first Pomalift went in back in 1961. The compact village brings together snow school, a magic carpet, a tube park, a hockey rink and a skating loop, so families can split the day easily. Official site.

18. Troll, British Columbia

Troll Ski Resort is on the Barkerville Highway near Quesnel. Opened in 1972, it offers beginner slopes, groomed runs and steeper glades on an expanded trail layout. It is a friendly local hill, and it closes on selected midweek days, so plan your visit around the calendar. Official site.

19. Cypress Mountain, British Columbia

Cypress Mountain, in Cypress Provincial Park about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, hosted all the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Downhill runs cover Mount Strachan (1,440 metres) and Black Mountain, with 610 metres of vertical and city and ocean views. The Nordic area on Hollyburn has 19 kilometres of groomed trails, 7.5 of them lit at night. In 1987 Cypress became the first BC resort to allow snowboarding. Official site.

20. Murray Ridge, British Columbia

Murray Ridge serves Fort St. James in northern BC. Run as a community ski area, it has a lodge, rental shop, café and lounge, and a trail network varied enough to keep intermediate and advanced skiers busy, not just beginners. It is a northern BC day out, best combined with a stay in Fort St. James or Prince George. Official site.

21. Mount Washington, British Columbia

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is the big ski hill of Vancouver Island, above Courtenay and Comox in the Comox Valley. It averages around 9 metres of snow a year and offers 82 trails and 507 metres of vertical from a 1,590-metre top. Alpine skiing, Nordic trails and snowshoeing share the mountain, and slopeside condos make it a full resort. From the mainland, take a BC Ferries crossing or fly into Comox. Official site.

22. Hudson Bay Mountain, British Columbia

Hudson Bay Mountain rises above Smithers in the Bulkley Valley of northwestern BC. The ski area offers ski-and-stay packages and alpine accommodation, so you can stay in town or on the hill. Smithers, with its alpine-style main street, is a good base for exploring northern BC in winter. Official site.

23. Shames Mountain, British Columbia

Shames Mountain, west of Terrace, is famous among powder hounds for its deep coastal snow and its unusual ownership. When it faced closure, local skiers formed My Mountain Co-op, which began running the hill in 2011 and became its owner in 2013. The mountain is off-grid with no cell coverage, so save maps and agree on a meeting time before you split up. Official site.

24. Mount Norquay, Alberta

Mount Norquay is the ski hill right above the town of Banff, a few minutes’ drive up the switchbacks. It is small, with 503 metres of vertical from a 2,133-metre top, but historic: its 1948 chairlift was the second in Canada after Red Mountain. Norquay is good for lessons, short days and night skiing The same resort runs summer sightseeing, so pick the winter pages when booking. Official site.

25. Mount Cain, British Columbia

Mount Cain, in the northern part of Vancouver Island, is run by a non-profit society whose stated aim is to keep a viable local ski community and recreation for North Islanders. The hill opens mainly on weekends and selected extra days, and many visitors stay in the cabins on the mountain. Check the travel updates and the calendar together before driving up. Official site.

26. Harper Mountain, British Columbia

Harper Mountain is the local hill for Kamloops, a short drive east of the city. Skiing, snowboarding and the Snow Town Tube Park make it a good family outing and an easy ski day during a Kamloops stay, a smaller-scale alternative to nearby Sun Peaks. Official site.

27. Baldy, British Columbia

Baldy Mountain Resort lies east of Oliver, between the South Okanagan and the Boundary Country. Groomed trails and gladed terrain are the core of its winter offer, with lessons, rentals and snowshoeing. Compare the drive from the valley towns with staying nearer the lifts. Official site.

28. Whitewater, British Columbia

Whitewater Ski Resort sits in the Selkirk Mountains beneath Ymir Peak, about 20 kilometres from Nelson. It averages around 12 metres of snow a year, and 62 percent of its runs are rated advanced, with steep bowls and celebrated tree skiing; the resort opened in 1976, though Nelson has had a ski club since 1932. There is no cell service or Wi-Fi on the mountain, so download the map and set a lunch meeting point. Nelson’s heritage downtown makes an excellent base. Official site.

29. Grouse Mountain, British Columbia

Grouse Mountain, the peak above North Vancouver, is reached by the Skyride aerial tramway, whose main cars carry close to 100 people from the 274-metre base to the mountain-top lodge. The ski area has 33 runs and 365 metres of vertical, 14 runs lit for night skiing,. In summer, locals climb the Grouse Grind trail: 2,830 steps and about 850 metres of ascent. Official site.

30. Sasquatch Mountain Resort (Hemlock Valley), British Columbia

Sasquatch Mountain Resort, formerly Hemlock Valley, is near Harrison Mills in the Fraser Valley. It offers downhill skiing, a snow school and a tube park, with Hemlock Valley Road forming the final climb. Check the road report before you go, especially after fresh snow. Older photos and listings may still use the Hemlock Valley name. Official site.

31. Salmo, British Columbia

Salmo Ski Hill is a volunteer-run club hill in the West Kootenays. It is best known for night skiing: a few hours under the lights after work or school, with the cosy feel of a small community hill. Check the session schedule before visiting, as evening and daytime opening hours differ. Official site.

32. Manning Park, British Columbia

Manning Park Resort sits in E.C. Manning Provincial Park on Highway 3, between Hope and Princeton. Alpine skiing takes place at Gibson Pass, with a separate Nordic centre, snowshoe trails and a lodge with cabins. It suits groups who want to mix downhill days with cross-country skiing and quiet nights in the park. Official site.

33. Purden, British Columbia

Purden Ski Village lies near Prince George in central BC. It is a relaxed regional hill for Prince George residents and visitors, with the operator also running lakeside accommodation. Despite the name, it is a ski area with a lodge, not a resort village. Check the ski report before driving out. Official site.

34. Mount Seymour, British Columbia

Mount Seymour, in Mount Seymour Provincial Park, is only about 15 kilometres north of downtown Vancouver; the park was created in 1936. The ski area has 330 metres of vertical below the 1,449-metre summit, the Goldie learning area for beginners, and tubing, tobogganing and snowshoe trails, so a mixed group can all find something. Beyond the resort boundaries lies backcountry terrain for experienced, well-equipped visitors. Official site.

35. Mount Timothy, British Columbia

Mount Timothy is a family ski area in the South Cariboo near Lac La Hache and 100 Mile House. Its sports school and manageable layout make it a good place for a relaxed day together, and the Cariboo’s lakes and ranch country make a peaceful winter base. Official site.

36. Phoenix Mountain, British Columbia

Phoenix Mountain is the community ski hill of the Boundary Country, near Greenwood and Grand Forks. It offers terrain for a range of abilities, lessons and rentals, and the easygoing atmosphere of a volunteer-supported hill. Check the calendar before travelling. Official site.

37. WinSport at Canada Olympic Park, Alberta

Canada Olympic Park in Calgary is run by WinSport. Its small city hill is the place to learn: lessons and programmes run from first turns to advanced training, and it is an ideal spot to warm up before a Rockies trip. Use WinSport’s levels guide to choose the right lesson. Official site.

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