It’s true: Vancouverites really do hit the slopes after work, on weekends, and whenever they can. And who wouldn’t? With three awesome ski centers within minutes of the downtown core, city-based powder hounds can enjoy local skiing every day (or night) of the week during the ski season. Even more local mountains, including Manning Park – a top Nordic destination – and snowy Hemlock Resort, are within daytrip range.
Grouse Mountain
Just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain is the closest ski area and the most fun to get to. The Grouse Mountain Skyride, North America’s largest aerial tramway system, whisks visitors a mile up the mountainside to the resort.
And besides great skiing, there’s also skating, mountaintop dining, sleigh rides and ziplining -- all against the backdrop of sweeping city views.
Cypress Mountain
Cypress, with the longest vertical and most terrain of Vancouver’s three local ski areas, boasts more than 50 downhill runs and eight lifts.
Though, if cross-country is your thing, it’s also one of BC’s most popular Nordic destinations.
The world-class facilities at Cypress were also host to the freestyle skiing and snowboard events during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
www.CypressMountain.comMount Seymour
For more than 60 years, Vancouverites have flocked to North Vancouver’s Mount Seymour to ski, snowshoe, toboggan and, more recently, snowboard and tube.
Mount Seymour gets an average annual snowfall of 10 m (33 ft) and has an impressive 39 runs, five lifts, 200 skiable acres, plus a vertical drop of 330 m (1,082 feet).
Locate BC ski areas
BC Ski Areas
BC Ski Resorts
- 1Apex Mountain Resort
- 2Big White Ski Resort
- 3Fernie Alpine Resort
- 4Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
- 5Kimberley Alpine Resort
- 6Mount Washington Alpine Resort
- 7Panorama Mountain Village
- 8Red Mountain Resort
- 9Revelstoke Mountain Resort
- 10Silver Star Mountain Resort
- 11Sun Peaks Resort
- 12Whistler Blackcomb
- 13Whitewater Ski Resort
