How to do a Quesnel winter getaway, like the locals

Quesnel quick facts: getting here & where to stay

Quesnel is a city of 10,000, with another 13,000 residents in the outlying North Cariboo region. Centered between Prince George and Williams Lake, Quesnel is a four-hour drive north of Kamloops on Highway 97. 

There are lots of great places ready to host your next ski trip; from hotels with a pool and hot tub to cozy home rentals, you'll find exactly what suits your group by connecting with the Tourism Quesnel website. 

Now that you've got a warm bed and a place to park, let's go skiing!

Nordic at Hallis Lake 

Nordic skiing has been a winter staple in Quesnel for a half century and the Hallis Lake Nordic Centre is proof.

A 15-kilometre drive from downtown Quesnel, the trails are on the shoulder of Dragon Mountain. Being at slightly higher elevation, the ski area gets snow earlier in the season and holds onto winter for usually about three weeks longer than the City of Quesnel. Spring is often a good time for a ski! 

Pop into the modern lodge, with a fireplace roaring warmth throughout, to buy a day pass (or use the honour box on the porch outside if the rental shop is closed; cash is best). 

You can also pick up rental Nordic skis (classic and skate) or snowshoes there. In downtown Quesnel, we also offer snowshoe rentals at Rocky Peak Outfitters.

Check the Cariboo Ski Touring club website for rental shop hours, grooming reports and weather conditions. It's also a good idea to pick up a new full-colour trail map, or download the trail network on avenza before you go. 

Go for a ski on the 75km of groomed ski trails: under a full moon, on the lit track or by headlamp at night; enjoy the two long dog loops. 

Afterwards, pop back into the lodge with a thermos of hot chocolate and snacks, to thaw your frosted tips by the fire. 

Skiing at Troll Ski Resort 

If you want to glide downhill with gravity, drive North of Quesnel and turn East, towards the historic villages of Wells and Barkerville for 40 minutes.

With every turn of the road, winter gets amplified: the trees become more heavily laden with fluffy snow and the roadsides become taller and taller pillows of white gold. 

If you haven't already, Troll Ski Resort will make you fall in love with local community ski resorts.

Skier Savannah Robinson believes that "Whether you're visiting or have skied here for fifty years, it feels like home. You're always welcome." 

This resort is bigger than you'd think. There has been massive terrain expansion in the last 5 years, and they are on the cusp of opening a second, connected mountain. The Pinegrove expansion offers another lift to over 50 new Black Diamond fall-line runs and will open soon. 

Head to Quesnel for a winter getaway

For Nordic, alpine, apres and all the winter beauty you love, make a winter trip to Quesnel

If you've already skied at Troll, you've likely already remarked on the extremely favourable (to skiers) powder to person ratio. It's about to get even better! 

The resort's terrain is accessed by three t-bar lifts, including the upper mountain Silver T-Bar, which only operates on weekends; it's a great reason to wake early on a Saturday morning, to get the fresh goods that have accumulated all week.

Down at the lodge, we bumped into Hildur Sinclair, owner of Troll Ski Resort and namesake of the famous hot drink (The Hildur's Hug) served in Troll's T-Bar Lounge. She shared some of the team's philosophies. 

"We want skiers at Troll to have space here to connect with nature, and the space for families to connect with each other and to create their own special memories," she says. 

When you ski a run and decide to sit in the snow with your posse to chat and admire the sinking golden sun and nobody passes by to interrupt your "Moment", you will truly appreciate what the Troll team is working towards here. 

Après in Quesnel 

Back in Quesnel after a long day (or several) of skiing, the refreshment of choice in Quesnel for craft beer lovers is served up at Barkerville Brewing Co.

The brewery has won several Canadian Brewing Awards, and there are non-alcoholic beverages on tap as well. The hearty pub fare here will hit the spot after a big day of adventure. 

I've found that gliding on snow in any form makes me the happiest, and Quesnel is one of my favourite places to do it. Come for a visit, and see for yourself why Quesnel is a secretly awesome outdoors town in winter.