Banff Sunshine Village is absolutely legendary, and after last season’s antics, it earned a spot as one of my all-time favorite ski resorts. If Kicking Horse and Sun Peaks had a really good-looking baby, that would be SSV. It has the perfect balance of extreme and beginner terrain, set within one of the most gorgeous mountain landscapes on Earth. And don’t forget, it gets the most snow out of the neighboring areas. Honestly, it’s PERFECT, minus the occasional stint of deadly cold, but we’re Canadians—we’ve got layers and liquid courage.
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Table of Contents
Skiable Acreage & Vertical
Sunshine is made up of three mountains: Goat’s Eye, Standish, and Lookout Mountain. The top elevation of the Great Divide Express is 2,730 meters, and you can hike higher. The vertical drop is 1,070 meters, and Banff Sunshine boasts 3,300 acres of skiable terrain worth exploring.
Total Lifts
There are 12 lifts total: one eight-person gondola, seven high-speed quads, two fixed-grip quads, and two beginner zones. One of those lifts is also Canada’s only heated bubble lift (good news for all you picky Europeans).
Location & Accessibility
Banff Sunshine is located in Banff National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, 7,200 feet / 2,194 meters above sea level on the Continental Divide. Technically, you can ski in British Columbia and Alberta all in the same run (or on the same lift ride). The setup is unique, and once you go up the gondola, you probably won’t want to ski back down to your car. Packing a lunch is essential!
Beginner Terrain
Banff Sunshine is a great place for beginner skiers and riders, offering an ideal progression of chairlifts to improve your skillset. Unlike other mountains that don’t allow beginners to safely explore, every chair (except Goat’s Eye) has awesome green run options that aren’t just complete cat tracks.
Intermediate & Carving Runs
I couldn’t have been more stoked with the groomed terrain at Banff Sunshine. There’s something about cold, squeaky corduroy that hits differently than the icy boilerplate stuff we are so accustomed to skiing on in the Sea to Sky. Remember, this resort is an alpine paradise, so you don’t have to worry about trees in the upper portions if you really want to lay it down. If you love carving, I’d recommend getting out there early in the morning so you have plenty of space to let it fly. Some of my personal favorites were South Divide to Red 90 and World Cup Downhill on the Great Divide Express quad. I also really liked Raptor to Scapegoat on Goat’s Eye.
Thanks to the lack of trees, I also found some of the black runs to be super approachable for intermediate riders. On clear days, you can spot different runs from where you are or hop on and off multiple runs on your way down the mountain. There are also some great spots for intermediates to experiment with trees and bumps on the WaWa and Standish chairs.
Advanced / Expert Terrain
Banff Sunshine Village is a 0-to-100 type of resort. Either you’re skiing something mellow, or you’re busting into the burliest terrain of your life. I’m exaggerating as per usual, but of course, there is an in-between. However, most of the black runs at Sunshine felt like blues with bumps to me. For the advanced/expert skier looking for a challenge that doesn’t require avalanche gear, training, or a partner, hang out over on the Goat’s Eye chair. The Southside Chutes (Wildside, Farside) are absolutely amazing, and I skied one of my favorite lines of the trip over here. I’d also recommend playing around in the Hell’s Kitchen trees and finishing up on Supermodel under the lift. Also, if you like getting creative on natural features, the Standish chair offers lots of drops and jumps in a mini-golf style along a headwall ridge.
Extreme Terrain
The extreme terrain at Banff Sunshine is absolutely mind-blowing. I’m honestly still dreaming about Delirium Dive and Wild West. At Sunshine, these are known as the ‘Freeride Zones,’ and I still can’t believe these spots are resort-sanctioned terrain. The Dive and Wild West all require avalanche gear, training, and you are required to ski with a partner. These areas are monitored by patrol and protected by a gated entry, which will only open if you have a transceiver turned on in send mode.
The Dive is located at the top of the Great Divide Express chair and requires a short hike up to the drop-in point. Once you’re on the ridge, you’ll get a feel for how steep it is. There were dudes lying on their stomachs looking over the edge while we were jumping off. You can either send it off the top, walk down the stairs to a slightly easier entrance, or, if conditions allow, walk along the ridge and drop into one of the many chutes on the right. The Dive opens up and mellows out a little more near the bottom, but you always need to be aware of where you’re skiing because there are cliffs everywhere.
The other extreme area, known as the Wild West, is located on the far skier’s right of the Goat’s Eye chair. The lines here are sick and unlike anything I’ve seen inbounds at a resort before. A few tight, walled couloirs and chutes hide here, some of which require straight lines and mandatory airs. I’d recommend starting with Wheeler’s or Peyto’s to get a feel for the zone before pushing into even more committing lines.
We also managed to snipe a few cool pillow lines during our visit, but like a good fishing hole, I’ll let you find those ones on your own. 😊
Tree Skiing
Banff Sunshine doesn’t have many trees on steep pitches. This makes it a tough destination to ski in flat light. Your best bet is the bottom half of the runs on the Goat’s Eye Express chair. If you’re an intermediate skier, there are some well-spaced glade options on WaWa. If you’re feeling exploratory, there are some sick tree and pillow lines in the Freeride Zones, if you know where to look.
Bowls
Thanks to Sunshine’s elevation, almost all the skiable terrain at the resort feels like an open alpine bowl. The only named bowls are the Bye Bye Bowl and Boundary Bowl off the Great Divide Express quad and the WaWa Bowl on the WaWa chair. On a clear day, though, you’ll feel like most of your skiing is in open alpine bowl terrain.
Terrain Parks
If you’re looking to jump and jib, head over to the Great Divide terrain park, which offers 12 acres of space and about 50 features when fully operational.
Lift Lines
I didn’t wait in a single lift line. Honestly, everything is a breeze compared to Whistler Blackcomb. However, if it’s a weekend, peak vacation time, or there’s a massive dump, you can expect some waiting.
Snow Conditions & Climate
Thanks to its location high on the Continental Divide, Sunshine Village gets the most snowfall of the Big 3 resorts. Up to 900 cm (360 inches) blankets the resort annually. And this isn’t just your average Sea-to-Sky snow—it’s light, dry, fluffy champagne goodness. The snow here is just so much better than the coastal stuff. Sunshine doesn’t even make snow; they ‘farm’ it, which means they move it around with snowcats or use funny-looking fences to protect it from the wind.
Backcountry Access
There is solid backcountry access from the resort, but you need to be very careful and properly prepared. The snowpack in the Rockies is especially volatile, so you must choose terrain wisely and follow avalanche reports carefully. Personally, I had so much fun and found so much snow in the Dive and Wild West that I had no urge to venture outside the controlled resort areas.
Family
As long as you can keep the kiddos (or friends) warm with ample hot chocolate and coffee breaks, I couldn’t think of a better mountain for families. The fun mix of mellow terrain is perfect for kids, and every chair has a fun mix of runs, so skiers of all abilities won’t get bored. I think the Standish Express is a great option for families because it’s not too long, you can keep an eye on everyone, and it’s easy enough for everyone to enjoy a different run and meet at the bottom.
Views
The views of the Rockies while skiing at Sunshine are some of the best in the world. On a clear day, you can even spot Mt. Assiniboine (aka the Matterhorn of the Rockies) hanging out in the backdrop.
Ticket Prices & Passes
Banff Sunshine is associated with the Ikon Pass, Mountain Collective, and SkiBig3, so you have ample options when figuring out how to best secure passes depending on your situation. Last season, I used the SkiBig3 Pass, and it was awesome. It allows you to go to Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Norquay. It gives you a 5-day window to use 3 days of ski passes, and you can go to any of the mountains during the days you scan in.
My Honest Opinion
There are a few downsides: cold temperatures, flatter sections of the resort, the ski-out, and not enough extreme terrain early in the season when the Dive and Wild West are closed. These are minor concerns, considering most mountains have to juggle closures. Honestly, I might be one of Banff Sunshine’s biggest fans and could totally see myself spending a season there, becoming an expert in this resort and Alberta’s
