Home to some of the best ski resorts in Canada, exploring British Columbia should be on every avid skier or snowboarder’s bucket list. Lucky for you, we've pick out the top resorts you must visit including some on the infamous ‘Powder Highway’.
5. Fernie Alpine
Why Ski Fernie Alpine
Sitting on the famously dubbed ‘Powder Highway’ should give an idea of what to expect at Fernie Alpine. Given its location in BC’s interior, snowstorms tend to lose their moisture far to the west, allowing light and dry snow to fall on Fernie. Best of all, it gets loads of it and hidden powder stashes can be found wherever there are fresh tracks! The deep and steep lines off their five – yes five – bowls are also sure to please. The base village offers basic accommodation, dining, and limited activities. While there are a few cool concerts and events throughout the season, the town of Fernie down the road has more variety for everything above.
4. Revelstoke
Why Ski Revelstoke
Revelstoke is home to some epic skiing with an unparalleled vertical that is longest in North America at over 1,700 m. Revelstoke is most suited for intermediate skiers and boarders and above. What makes Revelstoke so attractive to many visitors is the accessibility to back-country skiing, cat-skiing and heli-skiing due to the abundance of snow and diversity of terrain. However, the resort is not the easiest to travel to, located around 2.5 hours from Kelowna and 5 hours from Calgary. Nevertheless, this makes Revelstoke a must-stop destination for thrill-seeking ski enthusiasts that values no crowds.
3. Sun Peaks
Why Ski Sun Peaks
As Canada’s second largest ski resort with over 1,728 ha of skiable terrain, Sun Peaks offers a crowd-free, family-friendly ski resort that spans across three different mountains. You will be able to find ski-in/ski-out lodging in the village base with a number of bars and restaurants to dine at. Sun Peaks is incredibly well laid out with an inter-connected lift system between the three mountains for over 130 runs. The resort is very reasonably well-priced and has childcare and ski school facilities. Sun Peaks is located just a 45 minute drive from Kamloops Airport and is accessible by shuttle buses from Kamloops and Kelowna.
2. Big White
Why Ski Big White
Big White is incredibly family-friendly because it has a convenient resort base and relatively mellow slopes. Skiers and boarders will have access to plenty of powder to learn on with the resort receiving over 762 cm of powder on average per year. To top this off, Big White’s entire village is covered by ski-in/ ski-out accommodations which makes it extremely accessible, especially if you have little ones. For visitors that want a bit more diversity, you can find a network of snowshoeing paths, a tubing hill, snowmobiling and an ice rink!
1. Whistler Blackcomb
Why Ski Whistler Blackcomb
As the largest ski area in North America and the vast variety of terrain to go with it, it’s safe to say Whistler-Blackcomb has rightfully earned its spot on this list. The skiing here is world-class and the impressive size of the terrain is backed up by some of the most impressive terrain around including 200 runs, inbounds backcountry, bowls, glaciers, tree trails and five terrain parks! A destination within itself, Whistler Village has everything you’d ever want from a ski village. There are endless options for pretty much anything with an abundance of accommodation, dining options, lively nightlife venues and a long list of non-skiing activities.