Canada Ski Resorts RANKED - Worst to Best

When it comes to planning a ski trip,

now seems like as good a time as ever to

go to Canada. The consistent snow, huge

mountains, and beautiful views make it a

really appealing place on paper. And if

you're coming from the States, it's not

that much further to travel there than

the destinations domestically. But

Canada's Rockies, interior, and west

coast mountains come in all sorts of

shapes and sizes. So, which one is best

when you decide to go out there? Well,

in this video, we'll rank all the major

Canadian ski resorts west of the Rockies

in order of their overall mountain

experience, and we'll go through the

strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Let's jump right into it.

Coming in at the bottom of this list, we

have Nikkisa, a resort that has a

storied history, but comes with a number

of drawbacks that detract from a

destination great experience. Let's

start with the positives. Nikkisa has a

fleet of high-speed lifts, a simple to

figure out footprint, and enjoyable

intermediate and advanced terrain. The

resort also has some really unique

secret terrain areas that were used in

the 1988 Olympics and are now hiked to

only, and it's only an hour from

Calgary, making it an easy day trip.

This all being said, Nikkisa just

doesn't have the raw footprint size or

terrain diversity to put up a serious

fight against the other resorts on this

list. Expert terrain is underwhelming,

as is the beginner experience to a

certain extent. And the resort doesn't

have many redeeming factors in terms of

snow quality either with less

competitive snow totals than the resorts

further west, inconsistent snow making

on trails that aren't used for racing,

and slopes that often lack cover or feel

skied off. Finally, Nikkisa gets really

crowded with day trippers from Calgary

on weekends and some holidays. And

there's no on-site lodging. Nikkisa

isn't a bad dayrip mountain if you can

work around the crowds, but it makes

very little sense as a flyto

destination. Lift tickets aren't quite

as high as the bigger Canadian resorts,

but they're still expensive for what you

get if you go on a holiday. The resort

is available on the full Epic Pass and 4

to 7-day version of the highest tier

Epic Day pass, but no matter your lift

access product, all guests have to pay a

$15 Canadian fee to park.

Next up, we have the first B area ski

resort on this list, Mount Norway.

Norway sits in the iconic B National

Park and accordingly it's home to some

of the most stunning scenery one can

find anywhere, let alone at a ski

resort. Norway also has some

surprisingly compelling advanced terrain

and rarely sees crowds compared to the

rest of the Bamp area resorts and its

footprint is significantly more wind

protected as well. However, compared to

the other resorts on this list, Norway

is tiny with only 190 skiable acres.

Most people will cover the whole

mountain in half a day, if that. Norway

also sits at a lower elevation and

doesn't see the same quantity of snow as

its band brethren, let alone the best

other mountains on this list. But

perhaps most importantly, while Norway

has some decently challenging terrain

and great views, they're not anything

that can't be achieved by the two other

BA area resorts, which are arguably

better in both respects. Norway isn't a

bad option if you're in B for a few

hours and have some time to kill, but

it's way too small to justify a visit

otherwise. At least lift tickets are

fairly reasonable compared to the other

resorts on this list, especially if you

buy in a holiday or close to the day of.

That said, we still wouldn't call them

cheap and guests will need to have a

valid B national park pass to park

there. Norway is also a partner on the

Icon Pass suite of products, but unlike

the other B area resorts, it is not on

the mountain collective pass.

Next up, we move to our first entry in

the PCEL mountains, Kimberly. Kimberly

is a solid choice for those looking for

a family-friendly option with enjoyable

cruising terrain, fun glades, an easy to

figure out footprint, and lower crowds

than many competitors. The lack of

resort traffic means that snow can stay

unttracked for days, and a decently high

base elevation makes for fairly light

snow accumulation. The resort also

offers numerous on-site accommodations,

and they're reasonably priced for the

access, making the resort a great choice

if you want ski in, ski out access on a

budget. This all being said, Kimberly

has rather vanilla slopes compared to

the ski resorts higher on this list. The

resort only offers so terrain diversity

and many neighboring trails feel similar

to one another. The resort is also

fairly small and while it does have one

high-speed lift, if that one goes down,

as it notably has for protracted periods

in the recent past, the resort does not

have any lift redundancies out of its

base. And finally, while Kimberly does

see reasonably good early season snow,

its overall average accumulation numbers

haven't been all that impressive, and

conditions after February can be hit or

miss. Kimberly is a good choice for an

early season family-friendly ski resort

with reasonable lodging options, but

it's way less interesting than the

mountains higher up on this list. That

said, the resort's tickets are also a

pretty reasonable value for what you

get, making the mountain an economical

option in pretty much all respects. The

resort is also a partner on the epic

pass suite, but like with Nikkisa, it's

only on the full pass in the 4 to 7-day

version of the highest tier Epic day

pass.

Next up on this list, we stay in British

Columbia to cover Apex, another under

the radar ski area in the town of

Pentictton. Apex is great for its lack

of crowds with very few weights even

during peak weekends and holidays. The

resort also benefits from top to bottom

high-speed lift service and extensive

on-site lodging options for a resort of

its status. And while the resort has a

footprint that's ideal for families on

paper, it also offers a few surprisingly

enjoyable expert shoots as well. That

said, Apex is small compared to the

behemoth destinations further up on this

list, especially when it comes to its

sub2000 ft vertical drop. In addition,

above treeline terrain is confined to

what's essentially just a few turns on

the front face of the resort summit. And

if you want to lap some of the mellower

cruiser runs in full, you do have to

take a slow lift to do that. Finally,

while Apex has a strong quality of snow,

the resort is lacking in terms of the

raw quantity of its accumulation. As a

result, other resorts will be better

bets when it comes to powder days. Apex

is a great resort if you're looking for

something uncrowded and don't

necessarily need the highest quantity of

snow, but other resorts out there offer

larger footprints and more consistent

conditions. But while it may have its

drawbacks, Apex is actually a pretty

good value with reasonable lift tickets

even at the window and a two-day

partnership on the Indie Pass.

Next up, we move back to the Canadian

Rockies to cover Castle Mountain, an

independently run ski resort in

southwest Alberta. Castle Mountain

stands out for its views, and while it's

not quite as stunning as the resorts

closer to B proper, it still has some

incredible scenery from the slopes.

Castle also sees excellent snow for

Western Canada with competitive

accumulation totals and a dry

consistency that's way more enjoyable

than the resorts not as far inland.

Finally, Castle is expected to at long

last install its first high-speed lift

this season with a new detachable quad

adding service to an area that used to

be accessible by Snowcat only. However,

Castle's biggest drawback is still its

infrastructure. Even with the new quad,

all of the resorts other lifts will

remain slow, including notably all of

the out of base lifts. Even though the

mountain is rarely that busy on weekdays

and less snowy weekends, lines on powder

days can actually be a pretty big

problem. And despite the resort's

claimed 3,592 acre footprint, our

measurements only reflected half of that

number. Finally, Castle's high alpine

footprint is exposed, and the resort's

upper mountain terrain, especially its

expert areas, can be closed for

significant periods of time. Castle is a

fantastic mountain if you're looking for

a down-to-earth resort with unique

terrain, great snow, and incredible

views in good visibility conditions.

That said, other resorts higher up on

this list are more polished, and that's

likely to remain true even with the

substantial addition of a high-speed

quad this year. At least Castle's

downto-earth atmosphere extends to its

lift ticket prices with some of the best

value tickets in the region. The resort

is also a two-day partner on the Indie

Pass. And if you happen to have a season

pass that's part of the Powder Alliance,

you get three complimentary days at

Castle as well.

Next up on this list, we move to the

Lizard Range to cover Fernie, the

easternmost ski resort on Canada's famed

Powder Highway. Fernie is renowned for

its incredible snow quality on good days

with light dry powder that's up there

with the best in North America. Fernie

also sees strong quantities of snow

throughout a typical season and its high

alpine heavy footprint makes for some

epic bowls and lightly spaced glades.

Fernie also boasts a striking aesthetic

with especially distinctive peaks both

inbounds and across into nearby mountain

ranges. However, Fernie falls short of

the other mountains on this list because

of its reliability. Despite being very

far north and right in the heart of the

Rockies, the resort sees variable

temperatures throughout the winter. And

even a slight warm spell can bring much

wetter snow or even rain. The resort is

often forced to close significant

portions of the mountain due to weather

conditions. And while it has gotten

better in recent years, it's still

somewhat of a game of chance as to

whether the Polar Peak Summit will be

open during your visit. Also, Fernie has

a really strange lift network, and the

resort is bogged down by frustratingly

placed lifts that make lapping trails

difficult and result in significant

traversing to get in or out of some of

them. Finally, Fern's on- mountain

facilities are small and outdated. So,

Fernie might be one of the best ski

resorts in North America if you hit it

on a good day, but its reliability and

lift network issues can make for a

frustrating experience. Lift tickets

aren't cheap, but they're not horribly

expensive either. And the resort is also

a partner on the Epic Pass suite. Albeit

like Nikkisa and Kimberly, it's only on

the full pass in the 4 to 7-day version

of the Epic Day pass.

Next up, we move over to the Mishi

Mountains to cover Red Mountain, which

is one of the oldest ski resorts in all

of North America. Red Mountain stands

out for its sizable footprint with over

2,700 acres of skiable terrain. Much of

this terrain almost never sees lift

lines, even on weekends and holidays.

The resort experiences strong snow

preservation thanks to its low

visitation density, and it's home to

some of the most demanding expert

terrain in the region, especially if you

like glades. In addition, the resort

offers surprisingly extensive on-site

lodging options given its local roots

with options ranging from hostels to

even a four-star hotel. However, Red is

not a ski resort for those who want

creature comforts once on the mountain.

It might be the biggest ski resort in

North America without a single

high-speed chairlift. And given the

resort's size, it can take up to 20

minutes to get from the parking lot to

even your first full lap. The resort

also has a few annoying navigational

quirks that make getting between certain

areas either confusing or indirect, with

the slow lift speeds making it even more

frustrating if you miss your turn.

Finally, while Red Sea's strong early

season snowfall totals, the resort's

overall seasonl long accumulation tends

to fall short of the best resorts in

Canada in warm spells can bring wet and

heavier accumulation. Red is a great

choice if you want some of the gnarliest

inbounds tree skiing you can find

anywhere and you don't want any lift

lines. But if you're looking for modern

infrastructure outside of the

accommodation scene, the resorts higher

up on this list are much better options.

Red Mountains lift tickets are fairly

reasonable, but they're not that much

cheaper than other more well-rounded

resorts in the province. The resort is a

partner on the Icon Pass suite of

products, including the full base and

day ticket- like session passes.

Next up, we stay in the Monaches and

move up to Silverstar, which offers one

of the most family-friendly experiences

of any resort in Canada. This partially

upside down resort stands out for its

large inconvenient ski and skiout

village about 2thirds of the way up its

slopes with plenty of terrain for

everyone ranging from beginner to

advanced. And Glade terrain that's

extensive not just for experienced

skiers and riders but also for

intermediates. Silverstar also does not

see the same crowds as the better known

destinations on this list and its large

3,000 acre footprint means the typical

vacer won't be left wanting for more.

However Silverstar's

family-friendliness extends to its

extreme terrain footprint, which is to

say there isn't much of it. The resort's

backside does have some genuinely steep

trails, but a good chunk of them take

prolonged traversing to get in or out

of. Speaking of traversing, this is a

key theme when it comes to getting

between certain terrain areas within the

Silverstar footprint. So, be prepared

for a lot of catwalking throughout your

visit and even a few road crossings in

some surprisingly unexpected areas.

Finally, Silverstar is not the place to

find particularly lengthy big mountain

terrain. The resort's 2500 ft vertical

drop is not all that impressive. Above

treeine bulls are essentially

non-existent, and snow totals aren't

quite as strong as the best in the

country. Silverstar is a great choice if

you're looking for a hassle-free on-site

ski trip and you don't mind a lot of

travel to get there from parts of the

US. But for experts and those looking

for iconic big mountain terrain, it's

not quite up to the standards of the

resorts higher up on this list.

Depending on when you go, Silverstar's

lift tickets can be a solid value for

what you get. And new for this year,

Silverstar is also a bonus mountain on

the full icon pass, but this means

passholders only get 2 days with holiday

blackouts, and the resort is absent from

all other pass products, including the

base pass and the session pass in the

icon pass suite.

Next up on this list, we move to

Whitewater, a resort that's also fairly

under the radar, but for significantly

different reasons. Unlike Apex,

Whitewater stands out substantially for

its snow. The resort might have the best

combination of snow quality and quantity

in Canada with light and dry

accumulation that often feels like

skiing through a cloud and snowfall

totals that rival all but the wet and

heavy resorts by the coast. Whitewater

also offers excellent glade terrain,

especially for advanced skiers and

riders, as well as fantastic access to

nearby backcountry areas. And while it's

not quite as empty as the least known

resorts on this list, Whitewater still

does not see nearly the degree of crowds

of Canada's big destinations. And while

Whitewater's facilities aren't all that

extensive, its food is especially high

quality, and the resort actually sells

cookbooks with their recipes. However,

if glades, powder, and backcountry

access aren't your thing, you'll

probably have a better time elsewhere.

Beginner and intermediate groomer

terrain is limited. All the lifts are

slow, and inbounds bull terrain is

relegated to a very small area and only

accessible by a boot pack. The resort

also doesn't have all that large of a

footprint overall, measuring in at just

under 1,400 skiable acres in a 2,000 ft

vertical drop. And the resort is fairly

remote, too, requiring a very long drive

from the nearest major airport.

Whitewater is a worthy destination for a

true powder hound looking for reliable

and high-quality snow, but in most other

regards, it's not as competitive as the

resorts higher up on this list.

Whitewater is not a partner on any

multi- resort pass product, although it

does have some season pass partners if

you happen to own a local pass, and lift

tickets are pretty reasonable if you buy

in advance.

Next up, we move back to Canada's Powder

Highway to cover British Columbia's

Panorama Resort. Panorama stands out for

its sheer height. The resort is the

first so far on this list to have an

over 4,000 ft vertical drop, and it

offers a variety of exceptionally long

runs that are perfect for those looking

for a cardio challenge. The resort also

offers some of the most beautiful views

of any ski resort in North America with

absolutely stunning vistas of the

surrounding PCEL mountains from various

elevation areas. And while the resort is

tall, it's also impressively accessible

from an ability standpoint with

toptobottom terrain that can be done by

intermediates as well as advanced and

expert skiers and riders. But Panorama's

overall footprint isn't actually all

that massive. Because while the resort

is tall, it's fairly narrow as well.

There's really only one zone of lapable

trails in each of the mid and upper

elevations. In the rest of the terrain

in these areas requires embarking on the

vast majority of the vertical drop to

lap. While this does result in several

trails that take quite a while to get

skied out, it also means that for those

who don't want to ski or ride over 3,000

feet in a single lap, the mountain skis

is much smaller than it really is. But

it's a good thing that these less

tracked areas do exist because

Panorama's Achilles heel is its raw

quantity of snow. Snowmaking does help,

but the resort sits in a snow shadow

falling quite a bit short of the

accumulation total seen by its

comparably sized Canadian Rocky's

competitors. Panorama is a great choice

for those looking for stunning views and

an exceptional vertical drop accessible

by intermediates, but it doesn't have

the snow quantity and intuitive

footprint design to beat out the other

resorts on this list. At least lift

tickets aren't a bad value for the

quality of slopes you get. And the

resort is also a partner on the Icon and

Mountain Collective pass suites for

those visiting multiple ski resorts next

winter.

Next up, we move over to one of the

biggest ski resorts in Canada, Sun

Peaks. With a 4,200 acre footprint, Sun

Peaks is huge and only loses out to

Whistler Blackhol in terms of skiable

terrain in the country. But while Sun

Peaks is huge, it's not all that

intimidating with some of the best

groomer terrain in the country and a

very convenient ski village. Sun Peaks

also offers a very strong terrain park

setup, and the resort's sizable

footprint helps keep crowds quite low,

even on weekends and holidays. However,

while Sun Peaks is big, it doesn't feel

all that big mountain. That's because

the resort's footprint is relatively

ordinary as far as Canadian ski resorts

go with limited expert terrain and

several runs that feel quite similar to

one another. Snow totals are

respectable, but they're not among the

best in the country. The resort also

doesn't offer quite the same vertical

drop or quality of views as some

competitors. And while the resort does

feel somewhat compact for the amount of

skiable terrain it's home to, getting

between the south facing Mount Todd and

the north facing Mount Morrisy sides can

be quite a pain. And finally, while the

majority of lifts at Sun Peaks are fast

and modern, a handful are slow and

outdated, with the worst defender

arguably being the Burfield Quad, which

is the longest fixed grip quad in all of

North America. To give the resort some

credit, there is an option to load or

unload at the midstation. But if you

embark on the full journey, it takes an

agonizing 21 minutes to get from base to

summit. So, Sun Peaks is one of the best

ski resorts in Canada if you're looking

for a large and familyfriendly

footprint. But the resorts higher up on

this list just offer more interesting

terrain. Lift tickets are actually quite

reasonable for the size. And the resort

is also a partner on the Icon Pass suite

with access on the full base and session

pass products. The resort is also a

partner on the two-day mountain

collective pass.

Next up, we need to talk about what's

arguably the most notorious ski resort

in Canada, Kicking Horse. This British

Columbia resort is all about extremes.

The resort boasts some of the most

intense expert terrain in the world with

shoots, cliffs, and kars that are

accessible directly off the lifts. And

for those looking for an even greater

challenge, the resort is home to copious

hike to terrain with lines off these

hikes that are even more gnarly than the

ones off the lifts, often requiring

mandatory straight lining or hidden

cliff drops. And one of the craziest

parts about Kicking Horse is that it not

only offers a 4,300 ft vertical drop,

but straight up requires guests to

embark on it on a large portion of the

resort's terrain due to the lift layout

and general lack of redundancies.

Finally, Kicking Horse's modest

visitation and consistently cold

temperatures keep snow fresh for days or

even weeks, especially when there's any

hiking involved. However, Kicking

Horse's layout makes it a poor choice

for those who want anything but the

toughest ski vacation. First off,

beginner and intermediate terrain is

extremely limited, and with lift service

heavily dependent on a singular top to

bottom gondola, the overwhelming

majority of runs are incredibly long and

will take a toll on the typical guest.

There are a handful of other lifts to

runs that are more moderate in length,

but they're incredibly slow and only

directly serve a handful of runs each.

Even if you're a confident Black Diamond

skier or rider at another resort, it's

not out of the ordinary to take only a

handful of laps and then want to call it

a day. Kicking Horse is a must-hit ski

resort for skiers and riders looking to

push their cardio and technical prowess

to the max, but it's way too intense for

just about everyone else. At least

Kicking Horses lift ticket rates are

pretty reasonable for the quality of

slopes it provides. And the resort is

also a partner on the Epic Pass suite.

Albeit like the other resorts we've

covered so far, it's only on the full

pass in the 4 to 7-day version of the

highest tier Epic Day pass.

Next up, we move back to Alberta to

cover the lone ski resort in Jasper

National Park, Marmet Basin. Marmet

Basin stands out for its views, and with

several towering peaks close by to the

resort, the surrounding background

during your ski day will be incredible.

Marmmet Basin is also both the

northernmost ski resort on this list and

home to the highest base elevation of

any Canadian ski resort, leading to

excellent snow retention. The resort's

out of the way location also lends

itself to an almost unbelievable lack of

crowds for the generally modern lift in

facility infrastructure. And while

Marmet Basin does not have any on-site

lodging, the town of Jasper offers one

of the most unique lodging experiences

of any ski vacation. Given the town's

location directly in a national park,

lack of buildup, and much lower

visitation than nearby BA. However,

despite Marmet Basin's favorable snow

preservation numbers, the resort sees

surprisingly weak annual snowfall for

Western Canada, the overall snow

conditions are often still good thanks

to the factors we discussed earlier. But

those planning a trip in advance and

hoping for a true powder day may find

better luck elsewhere. But while its

snow totals aren't the strongest, that

doesn't mean the resort gets a pass from

the extreme cold spells that

occasionally plague Interior Canada ski

resorts. In fact, Marmmet Basin might

have the worst predisposition to some of

these extreme weather events of any

major ski resort in the country. And it

is not out of the question for

temperatures to drop as low as -40 if

you get really unlucky. In addition,

with less than 1,200 acres of skiable

terrain and only about 920 of those

directly accessible by lift, Marmet

Basin is quite a bit smaller than most

of the other destinations on this list.

And with so much of the footprint

dedicated to admittedly highquality

advanced and expert terrain,

intermediate cruising terrain is a bit

lacking with many of the upper mountain

blues filtering into a flat traverse and

others requiring a ride down a black

first in order to access them. Marmet

Basin is a great choice if you're

looking for top tier views, limited

crowds, and the ability to stay right in

the heart of a national park. But the

resorts higher up on this list are a lot

bigger and home to more consistent snow.

Lift tickets are fairly reasonable for

what you get, though, and the resort is

also a 2-day partner on the mountain

collective pass, making it a really good

stop if you can plan out a multi- resort

Canadian road trip.

Next up on this list, we move back to

the Okonagan region to cover Big White.

Big White might not be the first place

you think of when it comes to a Canadian

ski destination, but as the name

suggests, the resort is actually quite

big. Boasting a 2,600 acre skiable

footprint and plenty of terrain for a

range of abilities, the resort stands

out for its exceptional tree terrain

with thin and widely spaced glades

throughout the resort, many of which are

often fully coated with a decidedly

unique thick sheet of snow. And Big

White isn't all that crowded compared to

the other destinations on this list,

with serious lift lines rare on all but

the busiest of days. But despite the

lack of crowds, Big White offers plenty

of convenient lodging with a ski and

skiout village right in the middle of

the resort, ripe with plenty of

activities once you're done skiing or

riding for the day. Big White's biggest

drawback is arguably its weather. The

resort's skies are often overcast, and

total white out conditions aren't out of

the question either. And while the

resort does see pretty consistent

episodes of snowfall, true powder days

are a lot rarer, and some competitors do

see higher annual accumulation totals.

It's also worth noting that expert

slopes are fairly limited. And while on-

mountain infrastructure isn't truly bad,

it is a little bit lacking compared to

the best ski resorts in Canada. So, Big

White is an excellent choice if you're

looking for a large and family-friendly

mountain and you don't mind the chance

of low visibility, but other resorts on

this list are a bit more polished in

Snowshure. Lift tickets have gotten a

lot more expensive in recent years, but

if you buy in advance, you can still get

a decent deal. Big White is also a

two-day member of the Indie Pass.

Although, it is worth noting that if you

get the lower tier Indie base pass, the

access to Big White is subject to

significant weekend and holiday

restrictions.

Next up, we move to a ski resort that

might be the spiritual antithesis to Big

White, Revel Stoke. This British

Columbia ski resort is about as big

mountain as it gets in Canada with an

absolutely astounding 5600 foot lifts

vertical drop from top to bottom in that

metric expanding to an even more insane

6,000 ft if you include hike to terrain.

But either way you measure this gives

Revel Stoke the longest vertical descent

of a North American ski resort by a

significant margin. But Revel Stoke's

big mountain chops don't just extend to

its vertical drop. The resort has the

views to back it up with some of the

most striking peaks one can see inbounds

at a ski resort, as well as the

consistent snow to make for regular

powder days. And the snowfall is

bolstered by low visitation with much of

the resort taking days to get tracked

out even if it's been a while since the

last storm. But if Revel Stoke sounds

too good to be true, that's because in a

couple of ways it is. While Revel Stoke

excels as a big mountain, it falls short

in terms of familyfriendliness. Beginner

and intermediate terrain is quite

limited, and many of the runs that do

exist are too long to be consistently

enjoyable for guests of those abilities.

The resort's uphill lift network also

feels halfbaked with essentially

non-existent redundancies and missing

lifts where it feels like there should

be some. As a result, despite the

resort's low visitation, lift lines are

actually relatively common. Finally,

it's worth noting that the resort's

6,000 vertical feet are not created

equal. You'll probably find excellent

snow conditions in upper mountain areas,

but much more dicey conditions the

further down you get. It's probably in

large part due to this circumstance that

the resort's trails are generally biased

towards its upper elevations. Revel

Stoke should be a bucket list ski resort

if you're looking for the ultimate in

big mountain terrain, but if that

doesn't appeal to you, the other resorts

on this list are a lot better choices.

Lift tickets aren't cheap, but the

resort is also a partner on the Icon

Pass suite, including the full base and

session passes, as well as a two-day

partner on the Mountain Collective Pass.

For our third place finisher, we move

back to B National Park to cover

Alberta's Lake Louise. Lake Louise might

be the most beautiful ski resort we've

ever tried. The resort overlooks some of

the most beautiful peaks in the world.

And with the frozen Lake Louise itself

tucked right in the heart of those

mountains, guests will find some truly

jaw-dropping sights during their visit.

But Lake Louise doesn't just stand out

for its views. The resort is

well-rounded in a number of other ways

with standout terrain, especially for

advanced and expert guests, highquality

snow, and a lift network that handles

crowds quite well. And while the resort

already offers a sizable 3,000 acres of

skiable terrain, that's slated to get

even higher this year with the

introduction of the Richardson's Ridge

expansion on the backside. But while

Lake Louise does do a lot, it's not a

perfect resort. Perhaps the biggest

annoyance is the preponderance of

traverses to get in or out of certain

terrain areas, especially on the

backside. The resort's lift network is

mostly modern, but a few lifts on the

backside could use upgrades to

high-speed quads. And while Lake

Louise's beginner and intermediate

terrain is enjoyable, runs for these

abilities are a bit limited compared to

the best destinations, at least prior to

the Richardson's Ridge expansion

opening. Finally, Lake Louise sees a

handful of extreme cold spells each

winter, and there's always a chance that

you could arrive to temperatures as low

as -30° F if you're really unlucky. Lake

Louise is a must hit if you want to ski

ride under a backdrop that feels like

it's out of a movie, and its large and

varied footprint makes it a worthy

destination in its own right. However,

the two resorts higher up on this list

are just a bit more well-rounded. While

Lake Louise's lift tickets aren't cheap,

they're still not a terrible value for

the quality of skiing you get. The

resort is also a partner on the Icon and

Mountain Collective pass suites.

For our silver medalist, we stay in B

National Park for the final Alberta ski

resort on this list, BA Sunshine

Village. Like Lake Louise, Bamp Sunshine

stands out for its views. The resort

overlooks some of the most beautiful

peaks in the world, offers a nearly 360°

skiable footprint in upper mountain

areas, and boasts a remote topography

that completely blocks out views of the

outside world once you get out of the

base. The resort is also a lot more

family-friendly than Lake Louise with

plenty of beginner and intermediate

terrain even in the most striking upper

mountain areas. And with the resort

being home to the highest top elevation

of any Canadian ski resort, it also

excels in terms of snow preservation.

But Bamp Sunshine's groomers don't mean

it's a slouch when it comes to expert

terrain. And the resort's restricted

delirium dive and wild west areas

provide access to some of the most

technical terrain in the country. Bamp

Sunshine is also home to a one-of-a-kind

ski village more than 2/3 of the way up

the mountain. And this village provides

an extensive facility setup and even

on-site lodging for the lucky few who

can afford it. This all being said, Bamp

Sunshine is not a perfect resort and its

biggest drawbacks result from its

unorthodox layout. Despite a 3,500 ft

vertical drop on paper, about half of

that involves a relatively flat traverse

back to the base, and most of the

enjoyable trails are a lot more modest

in length. A poorly designed trail map

doesn't make getting to know the

confusing footprint any easier. In

addition, the resort only has one out of

base lift, an eight passenger gondola.

And while crowds tend to spread out once

guests make it on the mountain, long

gondola lines are a common problem at

the beginning of the day. And while the

bubble lifts up there help, Bamp

Sunshine's upper mountain slopes are

wide open and heavily wind exposed,

making for uncomfortable conditions even

when it's not particularly cold out.

Speaking of cold, sunshine is just as

susceptible to occasional extreme cold

snaps as Lake Louise. So be sure to pack

especially warm clothes if you're

planning to visit, and one of these

weather windows seems to be rolling in.

Bamp sunshine does have a few problems,

but if you're looking for a well-rounded

resort in Canada, it's hard to beat

overall. Like with Lake Louise, lift

tickets aren't cheap, but they're not

terrible for what you get from a

destination either. And the resort is a

partner on the Icon and Mountain

Collective passes as well. Ultimately,

Bamp Sunshine offers a compelling enough

package to beat out the other ski

resorts on this list, except one.

That's right, the best ski resort in

Canada is none other than the biggest,

Whistler Blackhol. Whistler Blackholm is

home to such a high quantity and quality

of slopes that no other resort even

comes close in terms of terrain

diversity. The 8,171

acre footprint is nearly double the size

of the next biggest ski resort in

Canada. In addition, the resort

essentially offers top bottom skiing and

riding for guests of all abilities. And

the extreme terrain offerings are

notorious enough to rival the most

perilous other mountains on this list.

And the resort anchors these exceptional

terrain strengths with a

state-of-the-art lift network offering

high-speed lift service essentially

everywhere. And the lift fleet includes

North America's only tririccable

gondola, which links the Whistler and

Blackhol sides through the longest span

between lift towers of any lift in North

America. Finally, Whistler is home to

perhaps the best opera ski base village

in Canada with a prepoundonderance of

live music, concerts, and bars once

you're done on the mountain. But while

Whistler Blackholm's terrain places it

squarely above all the other resorts on

this list, that doesn't mean the resort

doesn't have its own issues. Perhaps the

biggest of these issues is crowds.

Whistler Blackholm is a known entity,

and despite some redundancies, guests

should expect significant weights at

popular lifts on weekends and holidays.

But another notable issue is

reliability. While Whistler Blackholm

sees some of the highest snow totals of

any Canadian ski resort, the

accumulation is often wet and heavy,

especially below mid- mountain, and rain

isn't out of the question even during

the course season. Neither of these

issues are catastrophic, but they are

relative disadvantages compared to some

of the other resorts on this list. And

it's also worth noting that these two

drawbacks can compound in tandem. If

it's a busy weekend and it's raining on

one part of the mountain and snowing in

another, the conditions can force

everyone into only a fraction of the

terrain the resort is designed to

handle, putting serious pressure on the

mountains lift infrastructure. So,

Whistler Blackholm isn't perfect, but

there's no doubt it's the best ski

resort in Canada. Unfortunately, the

resort is priced accordingly with one

day lift tickets coming in at truly

outrageous rates. At least if you're

watching this before early December,

Whistler Blackholm is a partner on the

Epic Pass suite of products. And unlike

every other Epic affiliated resort in

Canada, it's on the base level Epic

Local Pass and 1, 2, and 3-day versions

of the highest tier Epic Day pass in

addition to the 4 to 7-day versions. So,

that's our rank order of the best

destination ski resorts in Canada based

on overall mountain experience. Here's

the full overview of these resorts based

on their peak rankings, mountain scores.

Sure, Western Canada tends to offer

consistent snow preservation and amazing

views no matter where you go, but the

best resorts on this list stand out with

truly exceptional big mountain terrain,

strong lift networks, and huge

footprints. And yes, our top ranked

resort does have a few issues when it

comes to crowds and resiliency, but if

you plan a multi-day trip there, the

resort is still more than consistent

enough where you'll get some truly

awesome skiing and riding in. And

speaking of a multi-day trip to Whistler

Blackhome, we still have a few spots

left for Peak House Whistler this

February if you want to join us for the

trip of a lifetime. We're renting out a

huge chalet in Whistler proper and

booking it for five nights so you have

plenty of time to explore all the

terrain the resort has to offer. And

we're also providing a fully stocked

kitchen so you never go hungry. And

since this is a midweek trip, we won't

have to deal with the weekend crowds the

resort has become infamous for. If

you've been wanting to visit North

America's biggest and best ski resort

and you're looking for the crew to do it

with, Peacouse Whistler is for you. For

more information and to snag one of the

few remaining spots, click the link in

the description below. And if you're

watching this video later on, be sure to

check the description for future trips,

cuz chances are this won't be our last

season doing one to Canada. If you found

this information helpful, be sure to

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you don't miss any of our content.

Special thanks to our peak patrons and

see you for the next one.