What to do and see in Kootenay Rockies, Kootenay Rockies: The Best Ski & Snowboard Areas

Situated on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, deep in the backcountry, Chatter is known for its large and spectacular terrain. Ski or snowboard our mind-blowing powder snow in 58,000 acres of alpine bowls, stunning glaciers and endless tree runs. This amazing place, Chatter Creek, is only a 3 hour drive and a gorgeous helicopter flight away from western Canada’s second largest city, Calgary, Alberta.

Welcome to the Golden Nordic Ski Club (GNSC)! We hope you will enjoy the ski season and invite you to share your stories and pictures of cross country skiing and snowshoeing at Dawn Mountain Nordic Centre and at the Golden Golf Course trails. Dawn Mountain Nordic Centre (adjacent to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, 13 km outside of Golden) offers 33 km of groomed classic and skate skiing trails for all levels of ability. Dawn Mountain was the selected site for the National Masters Championships for 2010, hosting skiers from across the country. With over 500 members last season, the club has seen a steady growth in membership and in day users. The Golden Golf Course ski trails are closer to town (about a 6 km drive) and these easier trails are strictly track set for classic skiing.

Our trails are of varying degrees of difficulty and length to accommodate all levels of nordic skiers, for classic and skate techniques. The modern facility includes a comfortable lodge with washrooms, a racer's warming/waxing hut and some trails are specifically constructed to be Paralympic skiing friendly. Night skiing available with a 3 km lit loop open until 10.

Deep in the snow, high up on the Powder Highway, lies Fernie Alpine Resort. With 37 feet of perfect powder, stunning scenery, 5 huge alpine bowls and endless downhill thigh burning runs. Don't miss an opportunity to fall in love with Fernie, start in the large Learning Area at the base of the mountain serviced by its own t-bar lift, once comfortable you have a huge resort full of secret powder pockets and hidden mountain spots to keep you occupied throughout your skiing/riding career! Find out why Fernie has been named as a Top 25 Ski Town in the World, Best Winter Trip and Coolest Town in North America in recent years.

Kicking Horse has attracted rave reviews for its awesome vertical, deep powder and spectacular terrain mix. With an express gondola accessing over 4314 ft (1315m) of vertical, you’re bound to ski and ride an impressive feat of terrain comparable to only that of heli-skiing. Coupled with summer activities such as mountain biking, wildlife education, and alpine sightseeing, this is a place where the stories are almost too tall to believe.

Fiercely independent RED Mountain Resort delivers 3,850 acres of pristine skiing, putting us in Top 10 terrain territory in N. America. With a new chairlift on Topping Creek, the skier flow and access to Grey Mountain is streamlined along with an additional 7 incredible intermediate runs over 300 acres of terrain. We really pride ourselves on fresh turns you don't have to fight for—that’s why we claim “#1 Acres Per Skier”! Your RED adventure now offers a wider range of ski-in/ski-out accommodations: modern condos with private hot tubs; The Constella, our new mid-mountain cabins; a design-driven modern hostel a snowball’s throw from the lift; and an independent boutique hotel, The Josie, at the base that boasts incredible dining and cocktail options. With 300” of annual snowfall, epic vertical (2,919ft/890m!), wide-open groomers, 360-degree descents, IKON Pass access, a rich tradition, and—phew! the BEST tree runs in BC, is it any wonder RED was voted “Most Underrated Resort” by Skiing

Whitewater Ski Resort, quietly legendary, is hard to describe to those who have not had the privilege to experience its true authenticity and abundance of snow. Over 12 meters (40 feet) of snow falls each season on 2044 vertical feet of uncrowded slopes of family-friendly groomers and bumps, remarkable steeps, top of the line tree-skiing, and endless backcountry. Some come for the legendary skiing, and some come for the legendary food. Whitewater serves up proper Kootenay hospitality with its internationally acclaimed menu that has inspired four National Best Selling cookbooks. Whitewater. Pure, simple and real…DEEP

Epic snowcat boarding & skiing in the deep powdery mountains near Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Massage, sauna, yoga, gourmet food and wine, and comfy luxury lodging.