How to ski & snowboard BC, with over 40 BC ski areas to choose from
Fourty-four: that's the number of ski resorts or ski hills you can ski or ride in the province of BC.
Lots of places to go, so use this story for just the right detail on how to ski or snowboard across British Columbia. A ski or ride experience in British Columbia can come with some of the world's gnarliest terrain.
It can also come with beautiful scenery and lots of days on the slopes where you'd swear what you are seeing is too good to be real.
Photo:
Ember Harper-Fedirko
Snowboarders dropping in to a "Hard Day's Night" at Powder King.
Ski and snowboard BC: a how-to
To ski or snowboard in BC you just really need to focus on four main highways that run across the province. Three that run East to West and one South to North, these four roads will connect you with most of BC's ski or snowboard hills and resorts.
1) Highway 1: Trans Canada road trip
Scouting ridge lines at Kicking Horse.
Start in Golden BC, home to Kicking Horse, and make your way west to Tofino/Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.
From Calgary, ski or ride the TransCanada Highway to connect Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, Sun Peaks, Whistler, Mount Washington and finally to Tofino for a winter surf!
2) Highway 3: The Crowsnest Highway
Photo:
Dave Heath
RED Mountain, on the Powder Highway, is known for getting deep.
Drop in from the east at Fernie and follow this route to Vancouver.
From Calgary, ski the Crowsnest to connect Fernie, Kimberley, Whitewater, Red Mountain, Mount Baldy, Apex and Manning Park.
3) Highway 97: #skinorthbc
Skiers revel in a Sun Peaks powder day.
South to North, from Osoyoos at the US border, you can make your way all the way up to Powder King (10.5 hours north).
From Osoyoos, ski the 97 to connect Mount Baldy, to Apex, to Big White, SilverStar and Sun Peaks, then on to Troll Ski Resort and Powder King.
4) Sea to Sky Highway
Photo:
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb, the largest ski resort in North America.
Last but not least, the Sea to Sky connects local Vancouver hills (Mount Seymour, Grouse Mountain & Cypress) up to Whistler, along one of the most beautiful coastal drives in the world. Loop in Vancouver Island via ferry to extend your trip, or veer north and east towards Quesnel and continue into a #skinorthbc adventure.
Winter driving in BC
For winter driving in BC, make sure you have the proper tires. In winter, especially on snowy, high mountain passes, most BC roads require vehicles have either snow tires or chains. Also good to have: a road safety kit, shovel, extra water and food and a fully charged phone. Check Drive BC before heading out on the road for all road conditions and events updates.
Flights Daily
If you're traveling to Western Canada from points beyond, here are a few options for destinations to embark on your ski trip.
Fly into Kelowna to rent an SUV to take on the Highway 97 or a shuttle to Big White, Revelstoke or SilverStar.
Fly into Vancouver, hire some wheels to ski Mount Washington, Vancouver's local mountains and Whistler.
Fly into Cranbrook to rent a vehicle to experience what is known as the Powder Highway, home to the world's highest concentration of ski and snowboard cat, heli, resort and ski hills!
Fly into Smithers and rent an SUV to experience #skinorthbc, connecting Hudson Bay Ski Resort with Murray Ridge, Troll Resort and Powder King.
Offset your impact if you do have to fly into BC to go skiing or snowboarding, consider carbon offsets to minimize your impact.
At SnowSeekers we recommend LESS, a carbon tax credit company powered by Bullfrog Power, a leader in alternative energy sources since 2005.
Map It Out & Get Stoked
Use our helpful Western Canada destinations map to gain a better idea on how to get around and where to book. You can always DM us on Instagram or Facebook, we are happy to provide advice on how to make the best ski or ride BC road trip ever.
Last but not least sign up to SnowSeekers e-newsletter so we can keep you stoked on why BC and Alberta (the province right next store) are the right choice for your next snow bound adventure/road trip.
Do your homework and get inspired through this series of BC SnowSeekers stories, or check out more stories below.
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