Lake Louise Winter Sports and Skiing Resorts

(Lake Louise, Alberta - AB, Canada)

Whilst Alberta really does stand out in Canada for its winter sports, Lake Louise is renowned for its exceptional skiing opportunities and ranks amongst the very best winter ski resorts that North America has to offer. There are endless mountain slopes, ski runs and winter resorts around Lake Louise, suiting skiers and snowboarders alike.

Lake Louise is actually the biggest skiing area in the whole of Canada, boasting some 40 square kilometres / 15 square miles of skiing trails, and has recently been voted the 'most scenic' by Snow Country magazine. The light, powdery Canadian snow has attracts skiers to this popular winter paradise since 1920, although it was in the last 1950s when the tourism scene really took off, following the arrival of the Mount Whitehorn resort and gondola.

General Information

Whilst the skiing around Lake Louise has become almost legendary, do bear in mind that January and February are especially cold months, meaning that much 'aprés-ski' is often in order. Various World Cup skiing events and winter sports are staged here at this time of the year.

There are three main skiing zones which have evolved around Lake Louise. The very heart of the skiing and snowboarding tends to be based around the Front Side area, often referred to as the 'South Face'.

These ski runs tend to be perfect for beginners and intermediate skiers.

Close to the Front Side is the resort of Back Bowls, which is home to wide-open ski runs, which lead towards the base of the Larch and Ptarmigan area, where some superb glade runs await keen skiers.

Ski lift tickets are available on a daily basis, although many prefer to opt for the Ski Banff / Lake Louise Tri-Area Skiing Pass, which entitles you to three days' worth of skiing around not only Lake Louise, but at both Mount Norquay and the acclaimed resort of Sunshine Village, where more than 10 metres / 33 feet of snow fall each year and more than 100 uncrowded runs are located, suiting all abilities.