6 Canadian Ski Destinations For Value and Adventure

“], “filter”: “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button” }”>

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Download the app.

When stress and anxiety rear their ugly heads, getting outside and doing something that brings you joy can be the best medicine. Even science agrees: Spending time in the mountains has the dual benefit of easing stress and helping to more positively reframe our perspectives.

When you want to get a little further afoot than your usual weekend-warrior slopes, look to our neighbors to the north. With one Canadian dollar sitting at .69 cents at press time, it’s a great way to stretch your travel budget. For inspo, we took a deep dive into our best Canadian skiing content from the last couple of seasons and gathered it here for you.

Table of Contents

6 Canadian Ski Destinations To Visit Right Now

Uncrowded Slopes in a National Park Setting at Marmot Basin

Skier in red heads downward with lots of powder and blue skies — Marmot Basin is unquestionably a hidden gem. (Photo: Courtesy of Marmot Basin)

Skiable Acres: 1,720
Vertical Drop (feet): 3,000
Lifts: 7
Beginner/Intermediate/Expert Terrain (percent): 30/30/40

When SKI Digital Editor Jamie Aranoff visited Marmot Basin last season, she fell in love with the laidback ski area and its nearby town of Jasper, a charming, authentic ski town that sits inside Jasper National Park. The resort offers a unique type of ski vacation that checks all the boxes, and more.

“I visited Jasper in mid-March, which turned out to be an exemplary time to ski,” Aranoff writes in “This Remote National Park Ski Area is Well Worth The Trek.”

“Jasper lies at the very edge of Mountain Daylight Time, which makes sunset around 8 p.m.—ideal for skiing and having plenty of daylight afterward for après or, if you’re feeling extra bold, an evening hike.”

Big-Mountain Skiing with a Small Mountain Vibe at Whitewater

Whitewater Resort — Plenty of untapped powder for the taking at Whitewater. (Photo: Steve Ogle)

Skiable Acres: 2,014
Vertical Drop (feet): 3,247
Lifts: 5
Beginner/Intermediate/Expert Terrain (percent): 8/26/66

What jumped out most about Whitewater to longtime SKI contributor Matt Coté is how understated the place is. It has all of the components it needs to be the next Canadian Rockies destination resort to rival places like Whistler and Revelstoke, yet values keeping its authenticity and devoted local fan base above all else.

“In true backwater fashion, the mountain is a catcher’s mitt of pillowy, playful powder skiing set in iconic evergreen forests,” Coté writes in “This Ski Area Could Be Canada’s Next Big Thing—But It’s Not Interested.”

“You can cruise the uninterrupted old-growth of the backside, lap the mini-golf of Powder Keg Bowl and Catch Basin, or bop all day with your family over on the Silver King side. Or, if you’re a backcountry skier, you can work your way up around or over Ymir Peak—a tall diamond of a mountain that guards the alpine goods beyond. At a moment where so many people are yearning for a return to simpler times, Whitewater has become an inadvertent hit. But making it big poses an existential conundrum for a mountain whose brand has always been small. “

An RV Road Trip to Six Soulful, Mom-and Pop Ski Areas in B.C.

They took the road less traveled, and it made all the difference. (Photo: Christie Fitzpatrick)

For SKI contributor and avid world traveler Christie Fitzpatrick, skiing British Columbia’s least-touristy ski areas was the most authentic way to experience the province. It wasn’t always easy, and traveling by RV is not for everyone, but the multi-week, six-resort road trip proved to be a rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime trip filled with character, camaraderie, and lots of powder.

“We had switched our Google search from ‘ski resort’ to ‘ski hill,’ allowing a few red pins to sprout up in a vague northerly route,” she writes in “A Skier Discovers the Best Way To Explore British Columbia’s Secret Stashes.”

“The rationale for picking our destinations was essentially this: the less information we could garner, the better. My main goal was to skip the inefficiencies of a traditional ski trip. No more dragging duffel bags through hotel lobbies and frenzied driving to the parking lots each morning to secure a space.”

A Family-Friendly Sleeper With Terrain for Days at Sun Peaks

Skiing Sun Peaks at sunset — Sun Peaks serves up over 4,000 skiable acres with boatloads of intermediate slopes. (Courtesy of Sun Peaks Resort/Kelly Funk)

Skiable Acres: 4,270
Vertical Drop (feet): 2,936
Lifts: 13
Beginner/Intermediate/Expert Terrain (percent): 10/58/32

Outside Associate Gear Editor (and former SKI editor) Jenny Wiegand visited Sun Peaks and was impressed with the overall breadth and amenities of the resort. It’s the kind of place you can explore for the better part of a week and never ski the same terrain twice. And rarely, if ever, wait in a lift line.

“Wherever we go, the absence of crowds is noticeable,” Wiegand writes in “Why You Should Visit Sun Peaks As Soon As Possible.”

“We move through the lift lines without waiting and hop on chairs that we have mostly to ourselves, save for the occasional Australian family or Sun Peaks local. The Sun Peaks crowd—if you can even call it that—is made up mostly of young retirees and families, and it’s not hard to guess why. The trail map reveals a resort intentionally designed to suit skiers of all abilities.”

Meet Fernie, a Diehard Skier’s Mountain With Some of the Best Snow in the Region

Skiing at Fernie Alpine Resort — Don’t underestimate the rad terrain on offer at Fernie. (Photo: Destination BC/Dave Heath)

Skiable Acres: 2,500-plus
Vertical Drop (feet): 3,550
Lifts: 10
Beginner/Intermediate/Expert Terrain (percent): 13/30/57

Fernie’s terrain is legit. That became evident to SKI contributor Matt Coté immediately upon spending time with longtime locals at the ski areas a few years back. All it took was one look at the gnarly headwall that connects the resort’s five massive bowls, so steep and technical that it’s been deemed unskiable. Luckily, there’s plenty of less-deadly terrain.

“On average, Fernie gets 30 feet of snow a season: arguably the driest, lightest, and deepest stuff in Western Canada,” writes Coté in “Think You Know What Fernie Alpine Resort is All About? Think Again.”

“To boot, skiers have so much space in the gargantuan terrain, and there’s hardly any competition. These bowls then lead into serene glades that trace natural contours before spilling onto wide, booming groomers like Quite Right, Gilmar Trail, or China Might. All of it is slung together by a series of chairlifts that drops skiers on top of each successive ridge.”

A High-Alpine Backcountry Powder Adventure With Skeena Cat Skiing

Skiing powder in Skeena Cat Skiing's tenure — Remote but worth it at Skeena Cat Skiing. (Photo: Courtesy of Skeena Cat Skiing)

Tenured Acres: 74,586
Average Daily Vertical (feet): 15,000

When SKI contributor Stephen Sebestyen embarked on a journey to remote Skeena Cat Skiing, he didn’t know exactly what he was getting himself into. After all, just getting to the remote lodge, located 750 miles north of the U.S. border, requires an hour-long transfer via snowcat through a pristine and rugged mountain landscape. Good thing it was worth every minute.

“Each morning begins with the deep rumble of the snowcat firing up,” Sebestyen writes in “Explore Some of B.C.’s Most Remote Backcountry Terrain with Skeena Cat Skiing.”

“This is the camp’s alarm clock, waking us to coffee, a multi-course breakfast, and beacon check before we’re ushered into the awaiting cat. With 230 square miles of powder-filled bowls, spine lines, glades, and gullies up for grabs, there is little need to ski the same line twice during the trip. And with small group sizes—a maximum of 12 per snowcat—there are plenty of fresh tracks to go around.”

link