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Best ski resorts in Canada

Canada's Best Ski Resorts

Best ski resorts in Canada

From the lofty Rocky Mountains in the west to the rounded Laurentian Mountains in the east, Canada’s topography gives rise to a wide range of ski and snowboard terrain. Add in long, crisp winters, a steady supply of snow and as many resorts as you can shake a ski pole at — and it’s no surprise the country’s slopeside offerings continue to be envied across the globe.

 

Strap in this winter and make the most of these world-class and local favourite resorts on and off the hill.

 

Family fun in British Columbia

Skiing Sun Peaks Resort
Sun Peaks Resort - credit: Destination BC/Ryan Creary

With 13 major resortsExternal Link Title sprinkled over 10 mountain ranges, British Columbia is a ski vacation mecca. Make tracks to the Thompson OkanaganExternal Link Title region in the province's interior and its host of well-rounded, family-friendly winter hot spots.

 

Cruise down Canada's second largest ski area at Sun Peaks ResortExternal Link Title, home to 4,269 acres of alpine bowls, open trails and gladed runs less than an hour's drive from KamloopsExternal Link Title. Then dip into melted cheese and chocolate at the Fondue StubeExternal Link Title for dinner, and a slopeside hot tubExternal Link Title before bedding down in the village. Further south, just an hour's drive east of KelownaExternal Link TitleBig White Ski ResortExternal Link Title beckons with 16 lifts, 119 trails -- and a 4.8-metre ice-climbing towerExternal Link Title. Warm up with 60 varieties of hot sauce at Underground PizzaExternal Link Title or over brunch after a horse-drawn sleigh rideExternal Link Title through the woods. A 21.9-kilometre jaunt from VernonExternal Link Title, start on gentle slopes and open bowls before schussing secluded glades and sweet steeps at SilverStar Mountain ResortExternal Link Title. Or take to Canada's largest daily groomed cross-country network for the day. Hang your crew's helmets at one of nine slopeside lodgings after a round at the world's only ski-in/ski-out bowling alleyExternal Link Title.

 

Let it snow on Vancouver Island

Skiing Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington Alpine Resort, Vancouver Island - credit: Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Blessed with some of the biggest snowfalls in North America, Mount Washington Alpine ResortExternal Link Title receives more than 11 metres of white magic each year. A 1.5-hour drive north of NanaimoExternal Link Title on Vancouver IslandExternal Link Title, the resort puts all that powder to good use on its 1,700 acres of alpine terrain, as well as cross-country, snowshoe, and fat biking trail networks.

 

After ripping through glades or carving groomed runs, point your tips down for apr?s-ski at Ted's Bar + Grill -- think poutine, popcorn shrimp and craft beer -- or the Eagle View Bistro, serving up charcuterie, wine, and mountain-and-parkExternal Link Title vistas. Then return to your cozy condo, chalet or A-frame cabin in the Swiss-style villageExternal Link Title. Bonus: stay at the on-mountain Bear & Deer LodgeExternal Link Title.

 

British Columbia's Powder Highway

Skiing Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Kootenay Rockies - credit: Destination BC/Dave Heath

Catch some of the best skiing in Canada along the fabled Powder HighwayExternal Link Title. Dusted with no less than eight unique resorts, the circular route connects you with mountain ranges like the world-renowned Rockies and laidback alpine towns like RevelstokeExternal Link Title and RosslandExternal Link Title.

 

Hit all the spots or just a few on the way. Billing itself the Champagne Powder Capital of Canada, Kicking Horse Mountain ResortExternal Link Title near GoldenExternal Link Title thrills with 60 per cent advanced and expert runs, and more than 85 inbound chutes. Conquer those steeps on a Big Mountain Private lessonExternal Link Title, then tuck into duck confit or wild boar at the Eagle's EyeExternal Link Title -- the country's highest five-star restaurant at 2,347 metres. A variety of terrain and piles of powder await at Fernie Alpine ResortExternal Link Title near its namesake townExternal Link Title, anchored by a historic hub of early 1900s brick buildings. And Panorama Mountain ResortExternal Link Title near InvermereExternal Link Title caters to novices and experts alike with both wide open cruisers and the gnarly all-black-diamond Taynton Bowl. Scoot into the mid-mountain Elkhorn CabinExternal Link Title for a raclette lunch, then soak in Canada's largest slopeside hot poolsExternal Link Title at the resort base.

 

In the tracks of Olympians

Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, Whistler, BC - credit: Destination BC/Blake Jorgenson

Canada has hosted two Winter Olympics -- 1988 in CalgaryExternal Link Title and 2010 in VancouverExternal Link Title. Experience these games' legacies and ski or ride in the wake of medal-winning athletes at venues chosen for their slope angles, facilities and proximity to urban centres.

 

A 1.5-hour drive from VancouverExternal Link Title along the snaking Sea to Sky Highway, Whistler BlackcombExternal Link Title saw the likes of United States' Lindsey Vonn rocket to gold glory in the women's downhill. Make like an Olympic hero yourself on the same run -- Franz's is a long intermediate trail down to the bottom of CreeksideExternal Link Title -- and scope out more game spirit at Whistler Olympic ParkExternal Link Title. Don't miss post-Olympic attractions either, including the engineering marvel that is the Peak 2 Peak GondolaExternal Link Title and the forest-merged Audain Art MuseumExternal Link Title. Down at Cypress MountainExternal Link Title on Vancouver's North ShoreExternal Link Title, just try to hit the bumps like freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau did on his way to becoming Canada's first ever Olympic gold medallist on home turf. Then wind down on a twinkly Lights to the LodgeExternal Link Title snowshoe trek.

 

Next door in the province of AlbertaExternal Link Title, NakiskaExternal Link Title was built for the 1988 games and has since lured skiers from nearby CalgaryExternal Link Title and beyond to its 79 varied trails -- accessed by the aptly named Bronze, Silver, Gold and Olympic Chairs. Take a break at the Kananaskis Nordic SpaExternal Link Title just down the road, where massages, mountain-view pools, a steam cabin and more await.

 

Room to roam in Alberta

Skiing Marmot Basin Resort, Jasper
Marmot Basin Resort, Jasper - credit: Travel Alberta/Mike Seehagel

For a taste of some of AlbertaExternal Link Title's 30-plus ski resorts, best to head to the Rocky Mountains in the southwest corner of the province. Here you'll find satisfyingly long peak-to-base runs with plenty of shorter schussing options in between.

 

Home to Canada's highest base elevation at 1,698 metres, Marmot BasinExternal Link Title lies just a half-hour drive south of the railway-town-turned-mountain-hub of JasperExternal Link Title. Bomb down chutes, cruise groomed lines, weave through trees and master moguls, all the while taking in surrounding Jasper National ParkExternal Link Title vistas. On the way back to town, stroll past frozen waterfalls and ice caves on a Maligne Canyon IcewalkExternal Link Title before hanging your toque at a wood cabin or luxurious lodgeExternal Link Title for the night.

A 1.5-hour drive east of CalgaryExternal Link Title or a mere 15-minute jaunt from BanffExternal Link Title, Banff Sunshine VillageExternal Link Title boasts the country's longest non-glacial ski season and its first and only heated chairliftExternal Link Title. Explore three mountain faces while stopping to fuel up or chill out at seven village dining spots, then shuffle off to your deluxe balcony or loft room at Banff's only ski-in/ski-out boutique hotelExternal Link Title. Wake up and drive 40 minutes to Lake Louise ResortExternal Link Title, where green, blue and black runs can be reached from any chair. Then see the Rockies from another vantage on a guided snowshoe tourExternal Link Title -- take the two-hour scenic intro or the nighttime trek under the stars. Put your trail-tired feet up at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake LouiseExternal Link Title or other nearby hotelsExternal Link Title.

 

Go big in Ontario

Blue Mountain Resort, Ontario
Blue Mountain Resort, Ontario - credit: Destination Ontario

Tucked along the shores of South Georgian BayExternal Link TitleOntarioExternal Link Title's largest ski area -- Blue Mountain ResortExternal Link Title -- is an easy 1.5-hour drive north of TorontoExternal Link Title. The family-friendly destination delivers 363 acres of skiable terrain, ranging from the north section's more technical trails -- Elevator Shaft is the resort's steepest -- to the village and south sections' vast mix of runs. Keep on skiing and riding well after sundown, when lights lead the way till 9 pm along a whopping 30 of the 42 total trails.

 

Off the slopes, slow the pace down on a few leisurely turns around the 1-kilometre-long Woodview Mountaintop SkatingExternal Link Title loop. Along the way take in Niagara EscarpmentExternal Link Title views by day and snow-laden-tree silhouettes at night on the illuminated route. Then shift into overdrive on the Ridge Runner Mountain CoasterExternal Link Title, reaching speeds of up to 42 kilometres per hour on the 1-kilometre-long track. Sink into both hot and cold pools at the nearby Scandinave SpaExternal Link Title before curling up at a nearby inn, lodge, condo or townhomeExternal Link Title.

 

Steep and deep in Qu?bec

Mont-Sainte-Anne Ski Resort, Beaupré, Quebe
Mont-Sainte-Anne Ski Resort, Beaupré, Québec - credit: Etienne Dionne

With 10 ski resorts across three regions, Qu?becExternal Link Title makes it hard to choose which slopes to hit on a Canada ski holiday. But wherever you go, count on witnessing much lively French chatter (45 per cent of residents are bilingual), as well as Qu?becois culture and cuisine.

 

Home of North America's first ski liftExternal Link Title in 1931, the Laurentian MountainsExternal Link Title make for a fitting starting point, and TremblantExternal Link Title the ideal base a near-two-hour drive from Montr?alExternal Link Title. Sprawled across the range's highest summit, the 102-trail winter playground consistently ranks No. 1 ski resort in the eastExternal Link Title in SKI Magazine. Meander down easy 6-kilometre Nansen or dare to tackle double-black Dynamite -- either way you'll end up in Tremblant's Euro-style cobblestone villageExternal Link Title lined with bistros and boutiques, with townhouses, condos, and intimate hotels just steps away. Take a break from skiing to lead your own husky team on a guided dog sled adventure or get wet at the Brind'O Aquaclub with its four slides and 35 water games.

Anchored by the highest vertical east of the Rockies, Le Massif de CharlevoixExternal Link Title juts out from the CharlevoixExternal Link Title region just over an hour's drive northeast of Qu?bec CityExternal Link Title. Sitting on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, the resort delivers sweeping waterway views from 53 scenic trails that spill down to the sea. Refuel at the Summit Cafeteria, which takes pride in not serving anything fried, then give the guided sled runExternal Link Title a go. 
 

Ski Canada Safety Tips

  • Before hitting the slopes, familiarize yourself with Canada's Alpine Responsibility CodeExternal Link Title.
  • Observe all COVID-19 health and safety protocols including uploads, masks and within enclosed common areas.
  • New to skiing or boarding? Most resorts offer half-, full- or multi-day lessons to help you learn the basics and build confidence straight out of the gate.
  • All skiers and snowboarders should wear a helmet to reduce the risk of head injuries.
  • Pay attention to slopeside signage and maps to make sure you ski in bounds and on open trails. Also watch for hazard signs pointing out exposed rock or drop-offs.
  • Most resorts offer free guided mountain tours for skiers and boarders of all abilities. Get acquainted with trails, terrain and more than a few fun facts before heading off on your own to explore.
  • Ski and board with care and courtesy. Slow down in congested areas and be extra cautious where trails merge.
  • Backcountry skiing can subject you to severe weather and avalanches. Only those with avalanche training and proper gear (probe, shovel, transceiver) should attempt the sport.


 

Start planning your winter getaway with this list of some of the best ski resorts in Canada.