Ski Purden Lake and Ski Village, British Columbia

For a true backcountry ski experience, choose little-known Purden Ski Village, a ski resort that’s located only about 37 miles away from the northern British Columbian hub city of Prince George. The mountain has a variety of runs with most of them designed for intermediate skiers, but the area also boasts a fair number of beginner and expert slopes as well. The resort has its own ski school where guests of all ages and ability levels can learn skiing and snowboarding or hone specific skills and techniques. There are special lessons which are designed just for kids and teach them the importance of mountain safety as well as how much fun snow sports can be.

Purden Ski Village offers some of the best terrain in the area and boasts that famously dry British Columbia powder that skiers adore so much. Whether guests want to ski, snowboard or enjoy other snow sports, the village and surrounding area are great because there are small crowds, short lines and visitors will never have to wait very long to get back up the mountain.

Conveniently, dining and shopping are with found nearby in Prince George. Flights come into Prince George from places like Vancouver and Calgary nearly every day, there’s also a ferry that arrives daily, and a train service that runs from other parts of British Columbia to town. Because it’s so popular and located in the heart of ski country, there are an impressive variety of restaurants, shops and activities designed to entertain the many tourists that come to the area every winter. It’s also a great place to call home and guests will find a delightful array of small businesses and family owned restaurants as well as other places to visit.

It’s a great place for kids because there are short lines, not the huge crowds found at some of the larger resorts. None of the trails are double black diamond for expert skiers and a good percentage is designed for beginners. The advanced and intermediate trails are challenging enough to keep experienced skiers happy while the beginning trails offer up a great array of terrain to help instill confidence in kids and enough space so that new skiers can learn without pressure.

Skiing and snowboarding aren’t the only activities available at Purden Ski Village. Snowshoeing is a big activity in the area. Guided tours keep snowshoers away from the skiing and snowboarding runs and give them a real backcountry experience as they trek through the gladed areas on the mountain.

Guests are welcome to enjoy the cafeteria for the standard lunch and mountain fare. The day lodge offers absolutely stunning southern views of the slopes and it makes a perfect backdrop for meeting back up with the group and enjoying the pristine mountain scenery. There’s also wireless internet service at the day lodge and a large, beautiful fireplace where guests can enjoy a relaxing après ski drink. Snowboarding Zone – Purden Lake and Ski Village, British Columbia:




Riders Guide – The Purden Ski Village has more than 60 skiable acres and over two dozen trails. It gets about 13 feet of snowfall year and the mountain has an impressive vertical drop of 1,100 feet. The top elevation is 4,300 feet at Yellow Chair and 4,200 feet at Baker Creek. The base elevation is 3,200 feet. The longest run at Purden Ski Village is over 2 miles long and winds down over a variety of different types of terrain. The slopes are split up with about 55% or so, designed for intermediate skiers. About 25% get a black diamond designation while 20% earn a green rating.




Parks and Pipes – There is not a terrain park at the mountain but snowboarders are more than welcome to enjoy Purden’s varied terrain and gladed areas.




Out of Bounds – This resort is only about 60 km away from the hub city of Prince George, so there are a plethora of activities including winter sports, shopping, cultural attractions and a wide range of delectable dining experiences to enjoy.


Hangout & Hookup – The day lodge at the ski village is a place for people to meet between their time on the slopes and for après ski. There is cafeteria dining available as well as a variety of lounges, pubs and taverns in nearby Prince George. Because the town is designed in order to accommodate the wealth of skiers that visit the area each winter, Purden Ski Village makes a fantastic vacation location and the experiences that visitors have here last a lifetime.




The Deal – This is one of the easiest ski resorts to reach in British Columbia, thanks to its convenient location, which only about 38 miles away from Prince George right on the Yellowhead TransCanada Highway. Because Prince George is the hub city of northern British Columbia, there are flights that come into town daily as well as ferries and train service. There is also a ferry to Prince George from nearby areas or visitors can rent a car, take a shuttle bus, or a convenient taxi service to reach Purden Ski Village and the many other resorts in the surrounding area. The area is replete with winter sports and an idyllic mountain paradise.