Kicking Horse Ski Vacation Guide

Over 275 inches of champagne powder fall at the summit of Kicking Horse Mountain each year, and Skiing Magazine has named Kicking Horse #1 in North America for powder.

Ski Levels

The summit is an impressive 8,000+ feet high and the lowest elevation is over 4,200 feet high. Kicking Horse is an excellent location for a family ski vacation or for anyone who seeks an incredible ski adventure. It's a unique place because of the grizzly bear sanctuary in the center of the area. The acreage for the grizzly bears is off limits for visitors but it’s still an interesting facet of the resort. The ski area is clearly marked and intended to keep visitors safe because there are many avalanches and it's very risky to go beyond those borders. Kicking Horse is true backcountry, high mountain alpine skiing.

Après Ski

For dining at kicking horse there are a few restaurants on the mountain including a beautiful spot at the summit and there is a larger variety of small restaurants and different fare in Golden, which is only a few minutes away. Guests can indulge in a variety of restaurants ranging from restaurants that require advance reservations or casual, quick fare. Shopping ranges from expensive designer boutiques to everyday stores, these can be found both at the mountain and in Golden.

The area is big fun for families who enjoy snow sports because there's so much to do besides just alpine skiing. Visitors can enjoy snowshoeing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice climbing a large ice tower and more. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants with bars for après ski and nightlife in Golden. Local beers and wines as well as many different spirits are available with occasional wine festivals and tastings in the surrounding area. In fact, the region is renowned for its wine and tastings can be arranged. 

The beautiful scenery and the dry, feathery powder are ideal for an exciting combination that makes Kicking Horse Mountain a great place for a ski vacation. While it's not as well known or as large as some other areas, the location and atmosphere give it a very rustic and backcountry atmosphere, guests will feel as though they have been transported into the deep wilderness. It’s a wonderful place to reconnect with nature while enjoying some world-class skiing and riding.

Kicking Horse Snowboard Vacation Guide


Riders Guide

The vertical drop of over 4,000 feet at Kicking Horse Mountain makes it an exciting place for expert skiers and first-timers alike and provides the second highest vertical drop in Canada. The bottom of the mountain comes in at almost 4,000 feet, so it’s a true high-mountain, backwoods ski adventure. There are more than 2,700 acres of skiable terrain with 97 runs ranging from novice to expert. 20% of the runs are designed for absolute beginners and those areas are clearly marked as beginner ski areas. 20% are for intermediate skiers, which is a much smaller percentage than is found at most resorts. 45% of the trails are reserved for advanced and expert skiers. 15% are double diamond expert runs. Kicking Horse Mountain boasts plenty of steep chutes through feathery dry champagne powder.

Parks & Pipes

Snowboarding is extremely popular at Kicking Horse, and riders can enjoy a wide variety of terrain, whether it’s small features for learning on or bigger ramps, rails and jumps for those riders and freestyle skiers looking for a real challenge. The terrain park is constantly evolving and growing in order to better the park riding experience for Kicking Horse’s many guests.

Out of Bounds

Whether guests go to Golden to enjoy quaint shopping and dining or desire a unique snow sport experience, Kicking Horse is the place. There’s a fantastic ski and snowboard school on the mountain as well as a special camp for kids. Riding in the gondola is a unique experience for many people and dining at the Summit restaurant, which is the highest restaurant in Canada, is a very special vacation experience. Guests to the area also enjoy other sports like ice climbing and dog sledding as well as snowshoeing or an extreme heli-skiing adventure. There are over 25 km of groomed cross-country ski trails and a 4 km snowshoe trail available on the mountain.

Hangout & Hookup

The restaurant at the Summit is a popular place to meet up après ski as it houses a bar and lounge. There are pubs and restaurants in Golden, which is only a few minutes away from the mountain and some of the establishments feature live entertainment on the weekends and during the week.

The Deal

Coming from Calgary simply follow Trans Canada Highway 1 going west for about 2.5 hours until you reach Golden. The resort overlooks the town and is only a few minutes away. From Vancouver follow the highway east until you reach Hope. From the there, the Coquihalla Highway takes you to Kamloops where it then turns into Highway 1 follow that east until Golden. From Golden, signs in the area inform skiers and snowboarders how to get to Kicking Horse Mountain in British Columbia.

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