Amanda PhillipsWe all know how beautiful the Rocky Mountains are and how fabulous Canada is for skiing – so imagine the opportunity to combine those things.
Alberta and British Columbia (the provinces that the Rocky Mountains stretch over) are home to some of the best skiing resorts in all of Canada, and many of them of hidden within the folds of the Rocky Mountains. There are numerous resorts to choose from, but we’ve compiled a list of the best that anyone who considers themselves a serious skier should visit at least once in their lifetime.
Sunshine Village
If you like your ski resorts filled with attractions then we recommend Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort. Sunshine Village is home to delicious restaurants, a spa, yoga studio, and craft beer.
The skiing is also second-to-none. There are three mountains in Sunshine Village – Goat’s Eye Mountain, Lookout Mountain, and Mount Standish – each with slopes of varying difficulty. In total there’s 3,358 skiable acres, 10 lifts (including a heated lift!), 107 trails, 3,514 feet of vertical, and 33 feet of average annual snowfall.
You’ll also just be 20 minutes from the town of Banff, making a twin-break stay incredibly easy.
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful location for a ski holiday (or any holiday) than Lake Louise. Not only does the 4,200-acre area includes four faces on three mountains, 139 runs, 3,250 feet of vertical, and 12 feet of snow each winter – but the surrounding area offers other magical winter activities. Including torchlight dinner and ski, a horse-drawn sleigh ride, snowshoe tour, and ice-skating on 1.5-mile-long Lake Louise. Perfect for a romantic ski break with your adventure-loving partner.
Mount Norquay
If you love a bit of night-time skiing then we recommend Mount Norquay Ski Resort – the only ski resort in Banff to offer night-time runs. Open daily from 9am to 4pm between November and April, it also offers Friday night skiing between 5pm and 9pm between December and February (as well as Saturday skiing throughout January and February).
But regardless of whether you ski at night or during the day, Mount Norquay boasts excellent conditions. There are 190 acres, 74 runs and a 1,650-foot vertical drop! The runs are also (very nearly) evenly split between easy, medium, difficult and expert – so every member of the family will find terrain to suit them.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Welcome to the Rocky Mountain’s newest ski resort. Here you’ll find over 2,800 skiable acres, with alpine, Telemark, heli-skiing and cross-country terrain – for intermediate skiers and up. Not only that but it is home to the fourth-highest vertical drop in North America.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort also has something else up its sleeve: Canada’s highest elevated restaurant and hotel room. Aptly named the Eagles Eye Restaurant, it sits at 2300m above sea level and offers stunning views of the five surrounding national parks. It also boasts two suite-style rooms, where perks include a private chef, butler, instructor guide, and easy access to the slopes.
Fernie Alpine Resort
Though not official, Fernie Alpine Resort (and the town of Fernie) is said to have the highest annual snowfall in the Canadian Rockies, with 875 centimetres of the stuff across a calendar year. The slopes are home to 142 named runs, 5 alpine bowls, and boast a vertical drop of 1,082 metres. The resort also has ski-in and ski-out hotel accommodation.
The nearby town of Fernie has also been named “Coolest Town in North America” by Rolling Stone Magazine and “The Best Ski Town in Canada” by Ski Canada Magazine. The town is home to many cultural events, talented artists, engaging history and a lively cultural scene. The Arts Station in town is the centre for Fernie’s cultural scene and hosts concerts, art exhibitions, workshops, and community events. In the Historic Downtown area, you’ll also find unique shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Not only does Revelstoke Mountain Resort offer the longest vertical descent of any ski resort in North America, but it is the only resort in the world to offer lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing in one village box! If that wasn’t enough, the resort is home to 3,121 acres of skiable area but only 69 official trails – that’s a lot of off-piste skiing.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is still in its infancy and, when finished, it aims to be the largest resort in North America. Right now the centre of the resort is Sutton Place Revelstoke, which provides upscale condo-style accommodation that is fully ski-in and ski-out. As well as a couple of restaurants, a bar, a retail shop, a ski and snowboard rental shop, and snowsports school.
Have you visited any of these ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains? Which one was your favourite?
