Winter Recreation in Western Canada
Trip Ideas
Explore Further
If you enjoy winter sports, you could spend an entire season exploring western Canada. Here are just a few places to enjoy winter recreation, depending on where you’re headed.
Vancouver
In Vancouver, suit up and head for Grouse Mountain, where the ski runs are lit for night skiing and the views back across British Columbia’s largest city are breathtaking.
Kelowna
Upon arrival in Kelowna, spend the afternoon browsing through town or visiting a local winery. Spend the night at Silver Star Mountain Resort, a fully self-contained resort, making sure to take a sleigh ride before dinner. The next day, hit the slopes and ski or snowboard the great terrain and enjoy the facilities of an outstanding on-hill village.
Rossland
Experienced skiers looking to indulge in British Columbia’s legendary powder will love a visit to Rossland, enjoying the deepest snow this side of a helicopter at Red Mountain Resort, a former gold mine and home to some of the area’s most challenging lift-served runs.
Banff
If you head to Banff from Rossland, make sure to stop for a soak at Radium Hot Springs along the way. Once in Banff, head out for a few nights at Sunshine Village. High above the treeline and accessible only by gondola, here you get to take advantage of the only on-hill accommodations in the mountain parks (the oversized outdoor hot tub is a bonus).
Lake Louise
Join in the postcard view that is Lake Louise by trying ice skating at the rink on the lake in front of the chateau at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which is lit well into the night. You’ll want to spend more than a few days here enjoying Canada’s second largest alpine resort, but if you’re short on time, be sure to at least ride the main chairlift, which takes you high above the tree line for magnificent views in all directions.
Whistler
Beautiful snowcapped peaks and crystal clear lakes coupled with a cosmopolitan village right in the middle of it all make Whistler one of Canada’s best-known resort towns. Whistler Blackcomb is one of North America’s best skiing and snowboarding destinations, and is not to be missed.
© Andrew Hempstead, from Moon Western Canada, 3rd Edition
Buy Moon Travel Guides
Search
Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.