9 Hills to Ski and Snowboard Near Calgary, Alberta | Cheap Lift Tickets and Gear

Calgary is located just outside of the Rocky Mountains and this means there are many ski resorts to choose from.

In this post, we will take a look at the best skiing that you can find near Calgary.

We will also show you how to save on lift tickets and all the skiing and snowboarding gear.

In this post, we will list all the ski and snowboard hills based on the distance from Calgary downtown.

9 Hills to Ski and Snowboard Near Calgary

1. WinSport Ski Hill (Canada Olympic Park)

Depending on your ski level, WinSport might be a great hill to improve your skills without leaving Calgary.

It a small ski park with just a couple of lifts and only a few runs. The longest run is about 650 m and the elevation drop is 120 m.

If you never skied or snowboarded before, go to WinSport first before going to any other bigger hills. This is a great hill to learn how to ski or snowboard without spending too much money.

WinSport can get very busy and I would only recommend going there after a big snowfall and during the week. Try to avoid the warm days when the hill can get pretty icy.

They also rent all the skiing and snowboarding gear at a reasonable price.

2. Nakiska Ski Resort

Nakiska is Calgary’s closest ski and snowboard resort and it is a great place to visit after a big snowfall.

However because it is not located as high in the mountains as some other ski resorts, it can get pretty icy during the warmer weather.

Nakiska is also smaller and has fewer runs than Sunshine or Lake Louise and usually doesn’t get as much snow.

On the positive side, Nakiska is one of the cheapest places to ski around Calgary so it is a great hill to improve your ski level without spending too much on lift tickets.

I was avoiding Nakiska for a few years because of all the negative reviews that I heard from other snowboarders. However, when I finally visited it, it was epic! Mainly because of 25 cm of fresh powder.

There are a lot of runs between the trees there which can be fun but please be careful not to hit any trees.

Nakiska is usually popular with families and can get very busy on the weekends.

They also sometimes close some of the runs due to races so it might be worth checking in advance before going there.

Nakiska is located 100 km from Calgary which is about 1 hr drive.

It has 79 runs and 6 lifts. The longest run is 3.3 km. The vertical drop is 735 m.

3. Mt. Norquay Ski Resort

Located just outside of Banff it is a great hill to snowboard and ski if you don’t want to go to Sunshine Village or Lake Louise.

It is a smaller ski resort with slightly steeper terrain than Nakiska.

The lift tickets to Norquay are cheaper than for Sunshine or Lake Louise so it is another great hill for learning how to ski or snowboard.

It is also usually not as busy as the other nearby mountains.

The distance to Mount Norquay is 130 km from Calgary and it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. If you are traveling from Banff, it is just 6 km away.

There are 60 runs and 5 lifts at Norquay. The longest run is 1200 m. The vertical drop is 500 m.

4. Sunshine Village Ski Resort

I snowboard a lot at Sunshine and I love it! It has everything you need – great snow, lines on the lifts are usually short and there are a lot of runs to choose from.

Sunshine is also a great place for beginners to learn how to ski or snowboard and has many green runs.

There are also expert runs both single and double diamonds. If you are a confident skier or snowboarder, try the Delirium Dive run.

Some people even saying that it is one of the scariest runs in Alberta. You will need your avalanche gear and a partner to ride Delirium Dive.

Sunshine is located high in the mountains so it has one of the longest ski seasons in Canada that starts in November and ends at the end of May.

One problem with Sunshine is parking. It gets full pretty fast on the weekends and if you are late you might end up parking several kilometers away from the gondola.

They do have busses that pick up skiers if you parked far but I personally always try to avoid it.

The gondola ride from the base (parking lot) to Sunshine Village is about 17 minutes.

On your way back to the parking lot from Sunshine Village, you can use a 5 km ski-out. This is a great run for beginners to practice their skills.

Just keep in mind that it gets quite busy at the closing time because most people prefer to ski out instead of using a gondola on the way down.

Some snowboarders also complain that Sunshine has a lot of flat spots but in my experience, there are always ways to avoid those spots.

The drive to Sunshine is 145 km from Calgary which is around 1 hr and 40 minutes. If you drive from Banff, it is just 19 km.

There are 139 runs and 12 lifts at Sunshine Village. The vertical drop is 1070 m and the longest run is 8 km.

5. Lake Louise Ski Resort

Most people consider Lake Louise to be the best ski resort in Alberta. It has amazing views, variable terrain great for all the ski levels, and 4200 acres of skiable area.

It is located a little further than Sunshine but if you take into account the amount of time required to get to the Sunshine Village via gondola from the base you are looking at a pretty similar time.

I snowboarded at Lake Louise only once and it was great but it was also super busy and I had to wait quite a bit to get on their main gondola. However, after that lines were not that bad.

I am definitely planning to go back there again but this time I will be going midweek to avoid the crowds.

It takes 2 hours to get to Lake Louise from Calgary and the drive is 185 km.

Lake Louise ski resort has 145 runs and 10 lifts. The vertical drop is 990 m and the longest run is 8 km.

6. Castle Mountain Resort

Castle Mountain gets some of the best snow in Alberta but it can also get pretty windy there.

It is usually not a busy hill even on the weekends and great if you want to avoid the crowds.

The closest town to Castle Mountain is Pincher Creek so this is a pretty remote resort.

I never skied there myself but did some hiking in the summer and the hill looked pretty awesome. Definitely planning to come back there in the winter.

It is not a very fancy resort and the lift tickets are usually pretty reasonably priced especially if you buy in advance.

Castle Mountain is located 243 km from Calgary which is 2.5 hr hour drive. It has 94 runs and 6 lifts. The vertical drop is 863 m and the longest run is 5 km.

7. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Kicking Horse has a lot of steep terrains so this hill is great for anyone who enjoys riding black diamonds.

This is probably not the best place to learn how to ski or snowboard if you are a complete beginner.

Just keep in mind that if you go to Kicking Horse on a weekend after a big snowfall, the lines for the gondola can get pretty long.

The gondola ride is 3.4 km and it takes 12 minutes to ride it.

Kicking Horse is located 276 km from Calgary (3-hour drive) just outside of Golden.

Since it is a 3-hour drive it might be worth staying at Golden for one night so that you don’t have to drive back on the same day.

Kicking Horse has 129 runs and 4 lifts. The vertical drop is 1315 m and the longest run is 10 km.

8. Fernie Ski Resort

Fernie gets a lot of snow and if you enjoy powder it is the place to go.

It is also not as busy as Lake Louise or Sunshine because it is not located close to any major airports.

Fernie is 294 km away from Calgary and it takes a little over 3 hours to get there.

There are a lot of hotels in Fernie to choose from if you decide to stay for a day or two.

It has 142 run and 10 lifts. The vertical drop is 1080 m and the longest run is 5 km.

9. Panorama Mountain Resort

I have been to Panorama once and really enjoyed it. The crowds were not bad and it always nice to go to Radium hot springs after a long day of snowboarding.

Panorama is located 296 km from Calgary which is a 3.5-hour drive.

If you are planning to visit Panorama, it might be worth spending one night there to avoid a long drive. There are several hotels that you can book directly at Panorama.

However, if you want to save money, check the hotels in nearby Invermere or Radium.

Panorama has 133 runs and 10 lifts. The vertical drop is 1300 m and the longest run is 6.5 km.

There are a lot of other great ski resorts that you can reach from Calgary by car like Revelstoke, Marmot Basin, Big White, or even Whitefish but this will be a longer drive and you will have to get a hotel for at least one night.

How to Get Cheap Lift Tickets?

Skiing and snowboarding can be pretty expensive and lift tickets seem to increase in price every single year.

However, there are a few ways to save money when buying lift tickets.

1. Buy Discounted Season Pass

First of all, you have to decide if you want to get a season pass and if you do, buy it in the summer. You can get a good discount if you buy early before the ski season begins.

Secondly, if you have a flexible work schedule it might be worth getting a weekday season pass instead, which sometimes can be purchased for about 40% less than the everyday pass.

2. Buy Ski Super Card

If you are not looking to get a season pass, the next option is to get a Lake Louise Plus Card or Sunshine Super Card.

Both cost $99 if you buy it early in the season.

Lake Louise Plus Card – your 1st, 4th, and 7th visits are free. For other visits, you will get 20% off the regular price. This card works for Lake Louise, Castle, Panorama, RED Mountain, and Schweitzer.

Sunshine Super Card – your 1st, 4th, and 7th visits are free. With a Sunshine card, you can go to Sunshine Village, Marmot Basin, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort. For all other visits, you get $25 off on the weekdays and $15 on the weekends.

Plus you get one free day at WinSport, Snow Valley, or Rabbit Hill. For all additional visits to these 3 hills, you will get up to a 50% discount.

3. Buy Lift Tickets in Costco

The next option if you are not planning to go more than one time to each ski resort is to buy lift tickets in Costco.

Here are the current prices for the 2020-2021 ski season. Some ski resorts are missing so I will update this when they add them later in the season.

4. Check With Your Local University

If you are a student, the UofC ski club sells discounted tickets. I am not sure about SAIT and MRU but it might be the same so check it out.

5. Get Discounted Lift Tickets When Booking a Room

Most mountain resorts will discount your lift tickets if you book a room with them. This might be a good option if you are planning to ski for more than one day.

In addition, most resorts will also give you an extra discount if you get ski tickets for multiple days.

My final advice is never to buy your lift ticket at the ski resort directly because it will be very expensive!

Where to Get Snowboarding or Skiing Gear?

Renting Snowboard or Ski Gear

If it is your first time, it is probably a good idea to rent all your gear.

This way you can see if you actually enjoy skiing or snowboarding before investing in all the expensive equipment. Secondly, it might be a good idea to try a few different types of skis or snowboards to see what you enjoy riding before buying anything.

A lot of people new to winter sports make the mistake of buying all their equipment only to realize that it is not for them.

You can rent all your gear either directly on the hill or from rent shops here in Calgary. Renting at the hill will be more expensive and you will likely have to wait in line.

Last time I checked, UofC had relatively cheap rates so if you want to save money go with them. However, the inventory might be limited.

They also rent avalanche safety equipment in case you decide to do some backcountry skiing or snowboarding.

Buying Snowboard or Ski Gear

After you skied a few times and you actually enjoy it, then you can look into buying all the stuff.

There are many specialized ski stores but I personally just buy everything from the Sport Check.

I suggest waiting for some type of sale before buying your gear so that you can save 20-50%. The best time to buy all the equipment is in late spring and early summer when everything is on sale.

If you don’t want to spend money on new gear, you can find some good deals for used equipment on Kijiji.

For used skis and snowboards, it might be a good idea to buy some wax and P-Tex to remove all the small scratches. It is not expensive and can easily be done at home.

There is quite a difference between waxed and un-waxed snowboard.

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