British Columbia’s (BC) Okanagan Valley is home to some of the best powder in Canada, making it the perfect winter travel and skiing destination for people like us. Sitting right in the heart of BC is Kelowna, which is an absolute gem of a city for skiers and snowboarders alike, and we were excited to explore it. It not only provided easy access to the amazing British Columbian ski resorts in Kelowna, but it was also away from the hustle and bustle of Vancouver. The cold and dry winter here made for the perfect snow conditions for powder skiing, a season that stretches from November to early March. In fact, the farthest skiing resort on this list is less than .5 hours away, with the nearest being right outside the city!
With jaw-dropping views of Okanagan Lake nestled among the BC mountains, skiing in Kelowna is as pristine as it gets. Have you been dreaming of fresh powdery turns? Kelowna is the place to be!
Meanwhile, you can start your research by reading about the most visited cities in Canada.
Table of contents
- Harper Mountain Ski Hill
- Sun Peaks Resort
- Silver Star Mountain Resort
- Apex Mountain Resort
- Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club
- Big White Ski Resort
- Our Verdict!
- What are the 3 top ski destinations in British Columbia?
- What month is best to ski in BC?
- What is the best ski mountain close to Vancouver for kids?
Harper Mountain Ski Hill
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We begin with the skiing resort farthest from the city, the inimitable Harper Mountain Ski Hill. Tucked outside the city of Kamloops, this skiing region boasted more than 400 acres of skiable area and emphasized fun for the entire family. That’s why they also had lesson packages, which included everything we needed, from equipment rentals and discounted lift tickets to lessons and even hot cocoa! The kids loved how patient the instructors were and were thrilled to get out on the slopes and begin skiing. Between Thursday and Saturday, we could even ski at night!
Aside from skiing, there’s so much more to do here. We particularly loved the lift-operated popular snow town tube park where the long tubing lanes offered hours of fun. There was also the thrilling terrain park where we spied snowboarders showing off their tricks. Did you know that Harper Mountain also has 6.8 mi (11 km) of snowshoeing trails? They winded through trees and some of the most gorgeous views we’d ever seen.
The Terrain. Harper Mountain has 12 mi (20 km) of skiing routes and 16 named runs, which are divided into 25% beginner and expert runs each and 50% intermediate ones.
The Town. The cozy Harper Mountain day lodge is very popular, especially due to the large wooded fireplace where we could warm up – and that too with panoramic views of the mountain. Thanks to the licensed hot food cafeteria, we could fill up on warm food before heading out on the slopes. That said, Kamloops, which lies 15.5 mi (25 km) away, is the base town for Harper Mountain. It has a lively après-ski scene, with hotels, drinking and dining places.
At a glance
- Known for: A fun winter recreation destination where the entire family can enjoy.
- Opening: Mid-December
- Closing: Late March
- Elevation: 3,600 ft (1,100 m)
- Summit: 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
- Lifts: 3 (1 triple chairlift, 1 T-bar, 1 handle tow)
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 112 mi (180 km)
Pros
- It was fun for the entire family.
- The staff and team here are very hospitable and warm.
- We loved that the lessons included everything.
Cons
- The base town is half an hour away.
Where to Stay: The Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in Kamloops sits on the northern fringes of the town and is the closest hotel to the skiing area. The rooms and suites here were modern and comfy with all the mod-cons we could imagine, including a coffeemaker, fridge, and microwave! The indoor pool was heavenly to relax after a day of skiing, after which we’d grab a delicious dinner with drinks at the onsite restaurant and bar. If you’re traveling through Kamloops airport, then there’s even a free airport shuttle.
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Sun Peaks Resort
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Largest skiing resort. Tucked in the Thompson Okanagan skiing region, Sun Peaks Resort is Canada’s second-largest skiing resort. With a massive skiable area of 4,270 acres to explore, we were absolutely thrilled to spend a crowd-less vacation here. It consisted of three majestic mountains – Sundance, Morrisey, and Mt. Tod – thus offering something for every level of skier and snowboarder. That, combined with impeccable grooming and the almost non-existent lift lines, is what made Sun Peaks so fun for our entire family.
What’s more, the skiing resort is also very reasonably priced and affordable, especially the amazing ski school and kid’s activities and facilities. Besides skiing, we also enjoyed XC skiing, tobogganing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, horse-drawn sleigh rides, fat biking, heli-skiing, and even ice skating. If that wasn’t enough, there was even a downhill mountain bike park with more than 2,000 ft (609.6 m) of vertical terrain. Rounding up the thrilling features are snow tubing and a permanent banked slalom course. What made Sun Peaks so enjoyable was the presence of the day spa, where we could relax our sore bodies after long hours on the mountain.
The Terrain. Sun Peaks has 84 mi (135 km) of skiing routes across 137 runs which are divided into 10% beginner
runs, 58% intermediate ones, and 32% expert runs. Even though most of the terrain was for intermediate snowboarders and skiers, we saw expert riders enjoying the steep glades, moguls, and groomers. Pro tip: Advanced skiers can indulge in heli-skiing directly from the resort.
The Town. The European-style Sun Peaks village itself is the base town, with fabulous shopping, dining, and après-ski, along with some great ski-in ski-out hotels. In fact, a majority of the accommodations in the cozy village are ski-in/ski-out! Kamloops is a 45-minute drive.
At a glance
- Known for: After Whistler-Blackcomb, this is the second-largest skiing resort in Canada.
- Opening: Mid-November
- Closing: Mid-April
- Elevation: 4,117 ft (1,255 m)
- Summit: 7,060 ft (2,152 m)
- Lifts: 13 (6 surface lifts, 4 quads, 3 detachable quads)
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 130 mi (209 km)
Pros
- It’s not as crowded as Whistler-Blackcomb.
- It boasts a diverse terrain with impeccably groomed slopes.
- It’s a family-friendly mountain and village with lots of après-ski activities.
Cons
- It gets somewhat less snowfall compared to other resorts.
Where to Stay: For those of you who love living large like us, you’ll love the ski-in/ski-out Sun Peaks Grand Hotel & Conference Center, one of the finest ski hotels in all of Canada. Aside from ski-to-door access, we enjoyed the resort’s central location in the ski village, so we could walk down to most of the drinking and dining establishments around. Apart from the contemporary rooms, the resort’s highlight is the outdoor heated pool and hot tub, complete with views of the snowy slopes and mountains. What’s more, the resort also has sauna and spa facilities, free Wi-Fi, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. What more could we want?
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Silver Star Mountain Resort
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Canada’s largest XC terrain. We’re now moving closer to Kelowna with the Silver Star Mountain Resort, which lies around 48 mi (77 km) north of Kelowna. Nestled in the heart of the Monashee Mountain range, this skiing region boasts a whopping 3300 acres of skiable terrain. In fact, even its vertical drop is a jaw-dropping 2500 ft (762 m), which made for some of the most thrilling skiing we’ve done in our lives. SilverStar also offers night skiing on the magic carpet, the silver queen chair, and the gondola?
What made Silver Star so amazing for our family was that there was a lot to do apart from skiing too – and we meant pure winter recreation and fun. For instance, we enjoyed unique winter experiences with the children, like ice skating, horse sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and even tubing at the tube park. In fact, the kids were able to ride mini snowmobiles on their own, which thrilled them to no end! Add to that fat biking and cross-country ski trails, and you know why Silver Star deserves more than a silver star!
The Terrain. With 71.5 mi (115 km) of skiing routes across 132 designated and marked skiing trails, Silver Star enjoys a good mix of expert and extreme terrain. The frontal slopes are mellower, with blues, greens, and a few easier black diamond runs. However, most of the intermediate and advanced skiers headed to the back of the mountain for tough moguls, fast glade skiing, steep runs, and heaps of champagne powder.
The Town. Silver Star’s colorful mid-mountain village has lots of accommodation, drinking, dining, and entertainment options. That said, its base town is Vernon, 25 minutes away on the northern shores of Okanagan Lake. Since it’s a year-round tourist destination, it boasts a lively après-ski scene too.
At a glance
- Known for: It’s a compact skiing destination that’s very popular with families.
- Opening: Mid-November
- Closing: Mid-April
- Elevation: 3,780 ft (1,155 m)
- Summit: 6,280 ft (1,915 m)
- Lifts: 12 (2 tube lifts, 3 beginner magic carpets, 1 T-bar, 2 fixed grip quads, 2 detachable high-speed quads, 1 six-pack express, 1 8-person express gondola)
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 40 mi (64 km)
Pros
- Silver Star offers great value and is easily accessible.
- The terrain is perfect for intermediate and expert skiers and snowboarders.
- We loved the mid-mountain village with loads of ski-in/ski-out options.
Cons
- It receives slightly less snowfall than Big White.
Where to Stay: Since we were looking for quirky accommodations, the ski-in/ski-out Bulldog Hotel suited us perfectly. The rooms and suites here were spacious and came with private bathrooms, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, and flatscreen cable TVs. Despite being a smaller hotel, the place even had a full-service restaurant, free Wi-Fi, a patio lounge that offers drinks, and a guest terrace. However, its biggest selling point is that it sits right on the slopes, with the ski lift just a few feet away!
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Apex Mountain Resort
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If value for money is what you’re looking for, then Apex Mountain Resort is where you should be. Like you, we went looking around for a fun skiing area that wouldn’t be too heavy on the pocket, and the surprisingly low-key Apex suited us perfectly. With just 112 skiable acres, it’s surely smaller than other Okanagan resorts. however, this hidden gem has a long history, and it now accommodates skiers of all skiing abilities, from complete beginners like us to advanced thrill seekers. At the same time, it also offers unbeatable snowy conditions and fantastic machine-groomed runs. The best bit? The beginner/intermediate runs here are outnumbered by the black diamonds winding through the chutes and trees!
But that’s not all. There’s something from everyone at Apex Mountain Resort, from snowshoeing trails and a hockey rink to even ice skating loops. We loved the tube park, where kids were thrilled to go zooming down the slopes in tubes and do it all over again! All in all, Apex is perfect for skiers looking for challenging slopes on a budget.
The Terrain. 41 mi (67 km) of skiing routes across 79 named runs are divided into 12% beginner runs, 49% intermediate runs, and 39% advanced/expert runs. Hence, Apex enjoys a wide variety of alpine and forest terrain and machine-groomed runs.
The Town. Even though it’s smaller than most other ski resort base towns, Apex Village has many bars, shops, and restaurants. That said, it has very few options for actual hotels. Don’t miss grabbing drinks and lunch at the Gunbarrel Saloon in between the runs. Are you here in February? Try and catch the annual Brewski Festival!
At a glance
- Known for: It’s an affordable local mountain.
- Opening: First week of December
- Closing: First week of April
- Elevation: 5,167 ft (1,575 m)
- Summit: 7,146 ft (2,178 m)
- Lifts: 4 (1 high-speed quad, 1 triple chairlift, 1 T-bar, 1 conveyor)
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 68 mi (110 km)
Pros
- Children aged 7 years and under ski for free.
- There are practically no crowds on the slopes or at the lifts.
- It’s great for advanced skiers.
Cons
- It’s much smaller than Big White or even Silver Star.
Where to Stay: Since we didn’t want to go all the way down the mountain for accommodation, we decided to stay at the Apex Mountain Lodge. It’s a fantastic place to stay, and we loved being right in the thick of things during the winter season. This boutique ski-in/ski-out property has just 10 rooms, so staying here felt intimate and exclusive. After a long day of skiing, the front lobby, with the cozy fireplace, was a great place to catch up with fellow skiers and hear thrilling tales of skiing on the mountain.
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Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club
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Best XC skiing. The cross-country skiing area of Kelowna Nordic Ski Club sits skiing area 40 minutes away from Kelowna, right next to the McCulloch lakes. That’s why it’s also known as the McCulloch cross-country ski trails and is suitable for skiers of all skill levels. We loved everything about this skiing area, from the friendly staff and rustic facilities to the stunning wooded skiing trails, which are made all the better with the club’s state-of-the-art grooming and track setting. If you want to indulge in something beyond skiing, there are even 50 mi (80 km) of snowshoeing trails. On clear days, we could feast our eyes on pristine views of the Okanagan Valley as we glided along the trails. It’s no wonder that this vibrant, long-established club that specializes in XC skiing and snowshoeing is so popular.
“We had the best time skiing at Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club, and it was a day well-spent!”
WOW Travel
The Terrain. Kelowna Nordic Ski Club boasts not just 46.6 mi (75 km) of double-backed, groomed, and wooded skiing trails but also an equal length of snowshoeing trails.
The Town. There were a good number of warming huts along the trails where we could catch our breaths, eat lunch, and have a drink. That said, the Nordic club really doesn’t have any base town, and Kelowna, which is 40 minutes away, is the only place where one can find hotels, pubs, dining, and entertainment options.
At a glance
- Known for: It’s a family-friendly day skiing area close to Kelowna.
- Opening: Mid-end of November
- Closing: N/A
- Elevation: 4,160 ft (1,268 m)
- Summit: N/A
- Lifts: N/A
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 30.7 mi (49.5 km)
Pros
- It’s a great skiing area close to Kelowna.
- It’s fun for the entire family.
- It also has snowshoeing trails.
Cons
- Experts might find that they have fewer runs here dedicated to them.
Where to Stay: Since we had to stay in Kelowna, we chose the utterly charming and alluring Hillcrest Farm Market B&B. It sits on the outskirts of the city on the way to the skiing resort. With the number of rooms in single digits, staying here was certainly intimate and exclusive. After a day of skiing, we would soak up the sun rays on the sun terrace and plan the next day’s itinerary, thanks to the free Wi-Fi. Our days began with American breakfasts and ended in our comfy rooms, which came with private bathrooms and cable flatscreen TVs.
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Big White Ski Resort
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Best overall. Sitting at the top of the list is the family-friendly Big White Ski Resort, an Okanagan ski resort with lots and lots to do from sunrise to sunset. With 2,765 acres of skiable area, it also boasts having the biggest night skiing area in all of Western Canada – 38 acres! But that’s not all. Since it receives over 300 inches of champagne powder annually, we were thrilled to explore the slopes. What particularly excited us was skiing amongst its infamous snow ghosts – that is, the spectacular snow-covered trees of Big White!
What makes Biggy, as it’s affectionately called, the perfect winter getaway is that even non-skiers have a ton of alternative downhill activities to indulge in. One of the most unusual activities we tried here was ice climbing. Aside from that, we also tried skating on Canada’s highest skating rink, dog-sledding, snowshoeing, and sleigh rides. If that wasn’t enough, the ski resort even offers snowmobiling which was a fun-filled activity we tried with the children.
The Terrain. Big White had 65 mi (105 km) of skiing routes across 119 marked trails that ranged from gentle greens to thrill-seeking double black diamond runs. Clearly, it was enough to keep any avid skier, including even us beginners, occupied for days, if not weeks. Of them, 18% are beginner runs, 54% are intermediate ones, and 28% are expert runs.
The Town. The nightlife at Big White is the busiest when it comes to all of Okanagan’s ski resorts. After a day of skiing, we indulged in drinking and dining at Big White’s pubs, bars, and restaurants for the perfect evening. Add to that the presence of an international crowd and a free fireworks show every Saturday night, and thisBiggy had our hearts. But the best bit was that the whole ski village had ski-in/ski-out access!
At a glance
- Known for: This is a favorite family resort in Canada and one of the best destinations for powder skiing.
- Opening: Mid-November
- Closing: Mid-April
- Elevation: 4,948 ft 91,508 m)
- Summit: 7,608 ft (2,319 m)
- Lifts: 16 (2 tubing lifts, 3 T-bar, 5 chairlifts, 5 high-speed chairs, 1 gondola)
- Airport: Kelowna International Airport, 39.1 mi (63 km)
Pros
- It boasts the largest night skiing area in Western Canada.
- It has the biggest ski-in/ski-out village in Canada.
- It enjoys tons of powder.
Cons
- None, really.
Where to Stay: Since we wanted to stay right in the village, we chose the Sundance Resort. We chose this hotel for the spectacular outdoor setting – for its outdoor heated pool overlooks the snowy slopes and forests! After a day of skiing, or on days when we weren’t day skiing, we spent our entire time in the pool and the hot tub. Besides the choices of rooms and suites, the property even had a restaurant and bar, free Wi-Fi, a gym, a lounge area, and even a kids’ club.
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Our Verdict!
While we love all these ski resorts in Kelowna, BC,
- Largest skiing resort: Sun Peaks Resort
- Canada’s largest XC terrain: Silver Star Mountain Resort
- Best XC skiing: Kelowna Nordic Ski And Snowshoe Club
- Best overall: Big White Ski Resort
What are the 3 top ski destinations in British Columbia?
According to most skiers and boarders, they’re Whistler Blackcomb, Big White Ski Resort, and Sun Peaks Ski Resort.
Check out the world’s best ski resorts.
What month is best to ski in BC?
January, which is the peak of winter in British Columbia, is when most resorts receive the heaviest snowfall and is, thus, the best time to ski.
What is the best ski mountain close to Vancouver for kids?
That would be the Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, BC, Canada, which has not only skiing but also night skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, and whatnot.
