Canada established its first national park in 1885. Today, Banff National Park remains an area of spectacular natural beauty, with wide-open vistas of picturesque mountain ridges and frequent wildlife sightings. A visit to one of the park’s three ski areas — Sunshine Valley, Norquay, and Lake Louise Ski Resort — provides unique glimpses of this remote region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Lake Louise Ski Resort is the largest of the Banff ski
areas. With over 4,000 skiable acres, it is the second
largest resort in Canada after Whistler Blackcomb and
one of the largest in all of North America.
A real destination resort, Lake Louise Canada is popular with visitors from around the world. More people come to ski Lake Louise from the United Kingdom than to any other ski resort in North America. Lake Louise Ski Resort is also becoming increasingly popular with visitors from the United States.
They are attracted by the varied terrain and consistent snow at Lake Louise Ski Area. Over 120 runs are spread across four mountain faces and three distinct areas: the Front Face, the Back Bowls, and the Larch Area. You can easily ski Lake Louise for a week and not get to every run.
The Back Bowls are a good place for experts to head at the beginning of the day, when they are under the sun’s glare. Some of the most terrain at Lake Louise Ski Area is at Diamond Mine, off the Paradise chair on the Back Bowls. There are some nice mogul runs around the Ptarmigan chair in this area.
On the Front Face, advanced skiers should try the Summit Platter, which has several hair-raisingly steep chutes. Tree skiers should head for the glades between the Larch and Bobcat runs in the Larch area or the woods to the right of the Ptarmigan chair in the Back area.
Intermediates will enjoy the Larch Area at Lake Louise Ski Area; Bobcat, Larch, and Wolverine are the best long cruisers in this section. On the Front Face, there are some great blue runs from the top of the Summit lift that are often covered with fresh powder.
Beginners who come to ski Lake Louise are spoilt for choices; about a quarter of the ski area is labeled green. The best green trail is probably Wiwaxy, a 2.5-mile cruising run from the top of Friendly Giant lift. There is also a large learning area for novices on the Front Face.
Banff National Park and the town of Lake Louise Canada are very popular with summer tourists, so in winter there is a surplus of hotel rooms available at very affordable rates. When you consider the size and varied terrain at Lake Louise Ski Resort and the good deals on accommodation in the area, it is no surprise that Banff has become one of the most popular regions for skiing in Canada.
