Winter Recreation in Western Canada

If you enjoy winter sports, you could spend an entire season exploring western Canada [1]. Here are just a few places to enjoy winter recreation, depending on where you’re headed.

Vancouver [2]

In Vancouver, suit up and head for Grouse Mountain [3], where the ski runs are lit for night skiing and the views back across British Columbia’s largest city are breathtaking.

Kelowna [4]

Upon arrival in Kelowna, spend the afternoon browsing through town or visiting a local winery [5]. Spend the night at Silver Star Mountain Resort [6], 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 [7]

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 [7], a former gold mine and home to some of the area’s most challenging lift-served runs.

Banff [8]

If you head to Banff from Rossland, make sure to stop for a soak at Radium Hot Springs [9] along the way. Once in Banff, head out for a few nights at Sunshine Village [10]. 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 [11]

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 [11], 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 [12]

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 [13] is one of North America’s best skiing and snowboarding destinations, and is not to be missed.