Is Vancouver Good for Skiing?
Vancouver is an excellent place for skiing. This beautiful city in Canada experiences great ski-friendly weather and year-round snow.
If you’re planning a ski trip, keep reading because we’ve scoured the city to find the best ski resorts in Vancouver.
Where to Ski in Vancouver
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is one of the Pacific Ranges’ North Shore Mountains in North Vancouver. It’s one of the most popular attractions, offering a variety of summer and winter activities.
The peak of Grouse Mountain provides riders with a great view of Vancouver and the Burrard Inlet. There are also many trees nearby where you can enjoy a breath of fresh air.
Activities in Grouse Mountain
What we liked best about Grouse Mountain is that they offer ski lessons for beginners and advanced riders.
Day lessons for all ages can cost up to CAD 70. This package includes a two-hour class with a professional ski instructor who will design a curriculum based on your experience level.
Do take note that a helmet is required while skiing on Grouse Mountain. So if you haven’t brought one or have forgotten yours, don’t worry – you can rent one for CAD 5.
Other activities available at Grouse Mountain include snowboarding, riding the Skyride, ziplines, and many more. Grouse Mountain also has many restaurants and cafes where you can eat or drink and relax after a long day of activities.
Moreover, if you’re a fan of watching movies, Grouse Mountain’s Theatre in the Sky can offer a unique experience!
How to Get There
The Seabus will take you to Lonsdale Quay if you’re coming from downtown Vancouver. Then you take the #236 bus to Grouse Mountain, which takes about 25-30 minutes.
Take Georgia Street through Stanley Park and over the Lions Gate Bridge if you’re driving. Continue to North Vancouver and take the Marine Drive exit, then a left up Capilano Road.
Cypress Mountain
Cypress Mountain is Vancouver’s largest ski and snowboard resort. This mountain is located only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
This mountain has a high skiing and riding peak with vertical drops and icy terrains. The entire resort is well-lit with cutting-edge LED lights so customers can ski safely at night.
They have also recently added a heated Patio where guests can dine and enjoy the outdoors no matter what the season. If you’re a fan of live music, there is also a stage for performers to provide entertainment from.
Activities in Cypress Mountain
Within the resort, riders can also enjoy the Raven Rider Freestyle camp. This camp is designed for free skiing, where riders can show off their skills or practice on slopey terrains.
Cypress Mountain has 19 kilometers of ski trails and 7.5 kilometers of night skiing trails. It’s also worth noting that they are the largest ski school, providing lessons to children, adults, and seniors.
Other activities include snow tubing and children’s sliding, which allow customers to sit down and ride down six chutes. Guests can also go snowshoeing, which allows you to explore the forests of Hollyburn Ridge.
How to Get There
You can get to Cypress Mountain by taking the Skytrain or a bus to the Waterfront station. From there, you can board the private Cypress Mountain Shuttle Bus, which will take you to Cypress Mountain in about 45 minutes.
If you’re driving from downtown Vancouver, take the Lions Gate Bridge and head straight to Highway One. Continue west until you reach Exit #8 onto Cypress Bowl Rd.
Follow this three-lane highway for 13 kilometers for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow tubing, or 15 kilometers for downhill skiing and snowboarding.
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is one of Vancouver’s most popular ski resorts. The resort comprises the towering Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, with over 200 runs for skiers to enjoy.
They have an annual average snowfall of 39.1 ft, and we highly recommend Whistler Blackcomb to riders looking for a thrilling skiing experience because there are 8,171 acres of terrain to explore.
Activities in Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb Snow School has a variety of lesson programs for children and adults. They also have an Olympian Program where you can ski with Vancouver’s award-winning athletes.
You can sign up for a full-day private lesson with an Olympian, where you and your friends can practice with an award-winning skier. This lesson ranges in price from CAD 1,099 to CAD 1,199.
Besides the skiing scene, we recommend visiting Whistler Village as it’s packed with endless shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants.
You can also go mountain biking at the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which has over 4,900 vertical feet of descending trails. It has four different zones and more than 80 kilometers of trail to explore.
How to Get There
You can ride a bus from downtown Vancouver to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky highway that extends from West Vancouver to Whistler.
If you’re driving, take Highway 99, but remember that you’ll need winter tires because it’s the law, and you don’t want to be caught without them in winter conditions.
Mount Seymour Resort
Mount Seymour Resort is one of the best ski resorts in Vancouver for beginners to learn skiing and snowboarding. It is only a 30-minute drive from Vancouver, and they offer numerous winter recreation programs for families and individuals.
There are five terrain parks at Mount Seymour Resort, but we recommend the Mushroom Terrain Park for beginners and intermediates.
Activities in Mount Seymour Resort
Mount Seymour has four terrain parks, each with a different level of challenge and complexity. We recommend the Rockstar “pit” terrain park because it has some of the most innovative terrains that provide a highly dynamic place to ride.
Season passes cost CAD 799 for adults and CAD 499 for kids and seniors. This pass includes complimentary shuttle bus passes, snowshoe trail passes and rentals, guaranteed parking, and many more.
Aside from that, they also have snow tubing starting at CAD 22 for two hours and tobogganing at CAD 15.
How to Get There
North Vancouver is home to Mount Seymour Resort. Cross the Second Narrows Bridge and take the 22B exit to Mount Seymour from downtown Vancouver. Then, take the Mount Seymour Parkway exit. Take a left at Parkgate Village and travel up to Mount Seymour Road.
In the winter, Vancouver is a skier’s paradise. There are numerous mountains to choose from, and the ski and snowboard season lasts at least four months each year.
So, if you’re wondering if Vancouver is a good place to ski, we hope this article has confirmed that it is.