Canada is home to some of the top-rated ski resorts in the world, and finding the biggest ski resort in Canada for each province reveals just how diverse the country’s snowsports offering really is. With destinations like Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, and Lake Louise, Alberta, plus over 200 resorts spread across the country, there is skiing in every corner of Canada, even the flattest provinces. In this article, I break down the largest ski area in every province, ranked by skiable acreage.
The Biggest Ski Resort in Canada: How We Ranked Each Province
Whistler Blackcomb – British Columbia
Skiable Acres: 8,171
Vertical Drop: 5,280 feet (1,609 meters)
Runs: 200+
Lifts: 36
Snowfall: 408 inches (1,036 centimeters)
Whistler Blackcomb is not only the biggest resort in British Columbia, but it is also the biggest resort in all of North America. The resort is made up of two mountains that, until 1997, operated as two separate resorts. In 2008, the Peak 2 Peak gondola was opened, allowing guests to easily travel between the two mountains. Whistler’s massive footprint and vertical drop allow for some of the most diverse terrain found anywhere in the world. From high alpine bowls to below tree line cruisers and glade runs, Whistler has something for everyone and should be on every skier’s bucket list.
Western Canada: Where the Biggest Ski Resort in Canada Lives
Lake Louise – Alberta
Skiable Acres: 4,200
Vertical Drop: 3,251 feet (991 meters)
Runs: 170
Lifts: 13
Snowfall: 207 inches (526 centimeters)
Lake Louise not only provides some of the best resort views in the world, but also provides an abundance of terrain. With 170 runs serviced by 13 lifts, Lake Louise stacks up with the best destination resorts on the continent. Just this season, Lake Louise expanded the terrain of the resort with the addition of Richardson’s Ridge terrain zone. This new zone features intermediate terrain on the backside of the resort, expanding the resort’s impressive intermediate terrain offering. Lake Louise also offers plenty of advanced and expert terrain, especially off the backside, which offers steep and technical bowl skiing.
Prairie Provinces: Skiing Where You Least Expect It
Table Mountain – Saskatchewan
Skiable Acres: 45
Vertical Drop: 360 feet (110 meters)
Runs: 11
Lifts: 4
Snowfall: 12 inches (30 centimeters)
Although Saskatchewan is known as the flattest province in Canada, it is surprisingly home to a number of ski areas. The biggest of these areas is Table Mountain, located a short 20-minute drive from Battleford, Saskatchewan. Table Mountain offers 11 runs serviced by two high-speed quads and two carpets. Table Mountain also offers night skiing on Friday nights between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm, allowing locals to get some turns in after work.
Asessippi Ski Resort – Manitoba
Skiable Acres: 200
Vertical Drop: 397 feet (121 meters)
Runs: 26
Lifts: 4
Snowfall: 100 inches (254 centimeters)
Located near the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Asessippi Ski Resort offers the most terrain of any ski resort in Manitoba. With 26 runs spread across 200 acres, Asessippi offers a surprisingly big footprint for the region. The resort also offers night skiing on select Friday nights throughout the winter, allowing guests to ski until 10 pm.
Central Canada: Ontario and Quebec’s Mountain Champions
Blue Mountain – Ontario
Skiable Acres: 364
Vertical Drop: 720 feet (219 meters)
Runs: 43
Lifts: 11
Snowfall: 91 inches (231 centimeters)
Blue Mountain sits on the Niagara Escarpment in Collingwood, Ontario, and provides scenic views of Georgian Bay. The resort is serviced by an impressive lift fleet that includes five high-speed six-pack chairlifts, one quad, and a triple chair. Blue Mountain also offers some of the most extensive night skiing on the continent, with almost the entire resort open for night skiing seven days a week. When guests are done on the slopes, they can enjoy the vibrant night lift of the extensive base village made up of restaurants, shops, and hotels.
Mont Tremblant – Quebec
Skiable Acres: 763
Vertical Drop: 2,116 feet (645 meters)
Runs: 102
Lifts: 14
Snowfall: 156 inches (395 centimeters)
Located in the Laurentian Mountains, two hours North-West of Montreal, Mont Tremblant offers an extensive footprint that rivals the best destination resorts in the eastern United States. With a vertical drop of over 2,000 feet and over 100 runs, Mont Tremblant is the biggest ski resort in eastern Canada. The resort offers a variety of terrain for all ability levels across the entire mountain, allowing guests of all ability levels to experience the whole resort. Mont Tremblant also offers an extensive base village similar to Blue Mountain, as both mountains were previously owned by Intrawest, which developed both base villages.
Atlantic Canada’s Biggest Ski Resort in Canada, Province by Province
Crabbe Mountain – New Brunswick
Skiable Acres: 87
Vertical Drop: 853 feet (260 meters)
Runs: 32
Lifts: 3
Snowfall: 130 inches (330 centimeters)
Crabbe Mountain is located in the northern Appalachian Mountains, 45 minutes northwest of Fredericton, New Brunswick. The mountain features 34 runs serviced by a quad chairlift and a T-bar. A unique feature of Crabbe Mountain is that it has an upside-down layout, allowing guests to immediately hit the slopes without taking any lifts to start the day. Crabbe Mountain has something for everyone, including plenty of blue cruisers, steep technical terrain, and even several glade zones.
Cape Smokey – Nova Scotia
Skiable Acres: 160
Vertical Drop: 1,000 feet (305 meters)
Runs: 16
Lifts: 3 (including a magic carpet)
Snowfall: 155 inches (393 centimeters)
Located at the northern end of Nova Scotia, Cape Smoky provides scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Smokey is home to Atlantic Canada’s only gondola, which opened in 2021, and offers guests a vertical drop of 879 feet. Cape Smokey offers 16 trails spread across 160 acres, providing plenty of intermediate runs and even some glade terrain. The resort sits just off the Cabot Trail, a 185-mile-long scenic highway that loops around Cape Breton Island.
Brookvale Ski Park – Prince Edward Island
Skiable Acres: 35
Vertical Drop: 250 feet (76 meters)
Runs: 9
Lifts: 3
Snowfall: 112 inches (285 centimeters)
Brooksvale is the only ski area on Prince Edward Island and provides guests with a vertical drop of 250 feet and 35 skiable acres. The ski area is located just a 25-minute drive from the province’s capital, Charlottetown, and hosted several events during the 2023 Canada Winter Games. The ski area was renamed in 2018 to Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park to celebrate local Nordic skier Mark Arendz’s success at the 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea.
Marble Mountain – Newfoundland and Labrador
Skiable Acres: 230
Vertical Drop: 1,758 feet (536 meters)
Runs: 43
Lifts: 4
Snowfall: 197 inches (500 centimeters)
Marble Mountain, located in the Long-Range Mountains of western Newfoundland, offers guests a vertical drop of 1,758 feet with strong snow totals often exceeding 200 inches of annual snow. The resort is home to Atlantic Canada’s only detachable high-speed quad chairlift and also hosted several events during the 1999 Canada Winter Games. Marble Mountain provides plenty of intermediate and advanced terrain with limited beginner terrain spread across 43 runs.
Which Biggest Ski Resort in Canada Should Be on Your Bucket List?
No matter where you live in Canada, there is skiing in every province. From massive destination resorts on the west coast to small local hills in the prairies, Canada is covered in ski resorts. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, Canada has something for everyone and is a great place to book your next ski vacation.
