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Sunshine Village Ski Resort - Banff, AB
| Mountain Statistics |
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| Longest Run |
8km / 5mi |
| # of runs |
107 |
| Skiable Terrain |
3,358 acres |
| Ave Annual Snowfall |
10.1m / 33.0ft |
| Top Elevation |
2730m / 8954ft |
| Vertical Rise |
1070m / 3514ft |
| Lift Capacity |
20,000/hr |
| % runs (beginner / intermediate / advanced) |
20/55/25 |
| Full Ski Rentals |
yes |
| Day Care |
yes |
| Ski School |
yes |
| Food Service |
Day Lodge - The Deli, The Alpine Grill, Lookout Pasta Company. Old Lodge - Mad Trapper's Saloon. Goat's Eye Gardens. Base - Creekside Bar & Grill |
| Season |
early Nov - late May |
| Standard Rates (based on 2 days min)* |
Adult - $56.50, Senior - $46, Youth - $38, Child - $20.09 |
* Adult: 18-64, Senior: 65+, Youth: 13-17, Child: 6-12
Ski Resort Overview
Sunshine Village is located in Canada's Banff National Park and is an unparalleled ski destination resort, spread across 3,358 acres and three incredible ski mountains. The resort receives more than 33 feet of snow annually and keeps skiers “knee-deep” in powder on a large number of its hundred plus runs. With its abundance of natural powder, Sunshine Village is also renown as a “snowboarder’s paradise”. Throw in a lot of sunshine, the fastest lifts in the world, Banff's only "Ski-in, Ski-out" hotel and a ski season that extends from early November to late May, and the end result is an experience you'll never forget.
Thanks to over $40 M in capital improvements over the past 10 years, Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort has moved into the big leagues of world ski resorts.
Always known for its abundance of soft natural snow, spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery and convenient location just 8 km (5M) west of Banff, Sunshine Village has attracted over 500,000 skier visits four times during the past five years and has recently re-established itself as one of North America's premier ski destinations.
“There are a ton of reasons for the recent success of Sunshine Village,” confirms Marketing Director John Ross. “The expansion and opening of Goat’s Eye Mountain (1995) added a lot of expert terrain to the resort and the opening of Delirium Dive (1998) created a big buzz with the extreme skiing crowd. But the big difference at Sunshine Village from a decade ago is the rapid improvement in lift infrastructure.
Sunshine Village completely eliminated base area lineups in 2002 when they built a new super high-speed 8-passenger gondola (2001). Skiers and boarders can now reach Goat’s Eye Mountain in just six minutes and the Village area in 13 minutes.
“From the time you leave your hotel room in Banff, you can be standing on the top of Goat’s Eye mountain contemplating your first powdery turns in under half an hour,’ confirms Ross. “The Goat’s Eye high-speed quad chair is an incredible lift as it has a capacity of 2,400 skiers per hour and travels a vertical rise of 1,900 feet in less than 5 minutes. An aggressive skier can pound out 23,000 vertical feet in just three hours, if they are so inclined.”
Thanks to the recent installation of quad chairs at Wawa (2002) Wolverine and Jackrabbit (2000) and this year’s new quad chair at Standish, Sunshine Village now offers a total of seven quad chairs – the most in the Canadian Rockies.
“Lift lines are a thing of the past at Sunshine Village,” said Ross, who notes that the majority of lifts are sparsely used after 2:30 PM.
“The quad chairs are so efficient that most skiers and boarders are burnt out after four or five hours and that’s a good thing. We’ve provided them with the opportunity to ski or board as much as they possibly can and everyone leaves satisfied.”
Where to Stay
The most popular base for a Sunshine Village ski vacation is Banff. The town of Banff offers an exceptional variety of lodging from ultra luxurious hotels like the Fairmont Banff Springs and the Rimrock to economical lodges like the Aspen Inn and Banff International Hostel. Banff also boasts a modest inventory of 2 bedroom chalet style accommodation at resorts like Douglas Fir, Banff Rocky Mountain Resort and Hidden Ridge. An increasingly popular alternative to Banff is the scenic town of Canmore just 10 minutes east along the TransCanada Highway. Canmore features a wide array of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos and the Alberta Rockies' best selection of vacation homes - ideal for families that want the comforts of home (and the savings of not eating out in restaurants every night). Canmore also features a number of hotels that are generally less expensive than their counterparts in Banff.
For people that want nothing more than to ski until they drop, the newly renovated Sunshine Inn is an 84-room hotel situated at the top of Sunshine Village, at an elevation of 7,200 feet. The Sunshine Inn is the only on-mountain accommodation in Banff National Park. Access to the Sunshine Inn is by gondola only. The Sunshine Inn features a gigantic outdoor hot-pool, sauna, exercise room, games room, Eagles Nest Dining Room, Chimney Corner Lounge and Java Lift coffee/pastry shop.
Regardless of your budget, Ultimate Rockies offers numerous lodging options in Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore that will keep you warm and cozy at a cost that will keep you smiling the whole trip.
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