If you’re dreaming of big terrain and even bigger mountain views, put Lake Louise Ski Resort and Marmot Basin on your radar. Nestled in Canada’s stunning Banff and Jasper National Parks, these ski areas combine world-class slopes with a small-town vibe that makes you feel right at home. Here’s why they’re two of the best ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies.
To grasp the size of Lake Louise Ski Resort in Banff National Park, one truly needs to see to believe. Even on a powder-stacked, bluebird day, with half of Calgary driving to the ski hill, the feeling of having the mountain to yourself, is only a short gondola ride away. The sheer amount of terrain available to riders of all levels makes it hard to beat, even when considering there are two other ski hills in very close proximity (Banff Sunshine and Mt. Norquay). Combine this with the fact that it is located in Lake Louise- a bucket list destination for even the most seasoned travellers- and it’s not hard to see why Lake Louise is proclaimed as ‘Canada’s Best Ski Resort’.
The resort truly does its best to be geared for everyone. Parents can leave the kids at daycare, or one of the many snow school programs, then meet up for lunch at a family-friendly restaurant somewhere on the hill. Speaking of dining, choices are many. From typical cafeteria style (Lodge of Ten Peaks, Whiskyjack Café) to elevated finer dining (Kuma Yama, Whitehorn Bistro)- it will take you weeks to try them all. One of the more underrated venues, in my opinion, is the Temple Lodge. Being mid-ski hill, it is a little quieter, but pours an epic hazy IPA and serves up some of the best poutine I have ever had in my life.
Young people are aplenty, with one of the strongest snowboarding communities I have ever been a part of. You’ll notice most of the staff are Australian or English 20-somethings on a working-holiday visa, who never let last night’s hangover get in the way of friendly service and a great attitude. This means an apres gathering is never hard to find, if that’s what you’re looking for. Even at the base of any given ski lift, you’ll find staff lifting the mood by playing funky music on their BYO speakers and asking you how your day is going.
Trip Tip: Buy a SkiBig3 lift pass to ski Lake Louise as it also includes Banff Sunshine and Mt. Norquay with free transfers from either Banff or Lake Louise townships. And if you combine the pass with accommodation and book with an Australian ski tour operator they’re usually discounted more so than what they are locally. Try: MySnow Holidays, Ski Max, Travelplan, Ski Travel Company, or Mogul Ski World. For general information see Banfflakelouise.com or SkiBig3.com
Key Details of Lake Louise & Marmot Basin
Lake Louise Ski Resort
- Location: Lake Louise, Alberta
- Elevation: 2,637 m top, 1,646 m base
- Lifts: 12
- Terrain Parks: 4
Marmot Basin
- Location: Jasper, Alberta
- Elevation: 2,612 m top, 1,698 m base
- Lifts: 7
- Terrain Parks: 3
