Red Mountain Ski Resort Guide
For unbeatable powder and super friendly locals, true to typical Canadian style, few choices can compete with Red Mountain. This is one ski resort you will want to keep coming back to again and again.
Access the resort from Rossland, a former mining town located two and a half hours from the airport in Spokane, Washington and three and a half hours from the Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia.
Good for
The Resort
Nestled high in the Kootenay Rockies of British Columbia, this small and charming town of about 4,000 people is a true gem. It is one of the numerous ski resort towns and hot springs along the famed Powder Highway.
The historic downtown is full of eateries, art galleries and unique boutiques. There is an easy-going vibe present in the town of Rossland that makes visitors fall in love with the place.
Accommodation includes secluded cabins nestled among the trees, luxury hotels, and hostels for the more budget-minded. One of the newer luxury hotels is The Josie.
Only steps from the chairlifts, The Josie is a true ski-in, ski-out hotel and with its outdoor cedar saunas, decadent spa and luxury suites, it may be one place you really don’t want to miss.
On the slopes
Red Mountain ski resort has been in operation for 122 years and is one of Canada’s original ski resorts. With three mountains (Granite, Grey and Red) 17km2 (4,200 acres) of skiable terrain comprised of 119 runs, Red Mountain has something for every level of skier.
Experts will love the epic, lift-served tree skiing and beginners will appreciate the gradual slopes served by Red Mountain’s Magic Carpet.
If you are looking for something a little bit different there is ‘cat skiing’ available, in which a Snowcat transports skiers up a steep grade so they can ski down the advanced and varied terrain of Mount Kirkup.
The ride up is a lot of fun too, so it doubles the pleasure. Red Mountain is well known for its great powder, averaging 7.6m (300 inches) annually.
With the closest international airport being two and a half hours away (Spokane), Red Mountain is somewhat difficult to get to, making it much less crowded than some of the other resorts.
Even though there are only eight lifts, there are absolutely no lift lines, making for an enjoyable, crowd-free day.
The ski season here is relatively short, typically running from mid-December until early April.
There are a multitude of places to enjoy a craft beer or sip on a glass of delicious BC wine in Rossland, but the area is not really a place for wild parties and skull-thrashing music.
However, If you want to dance the night away, look no further than Rafters (voted the number one ski bar in North America by Powder Magazine).
Here, you will be able to listen to live music as well as feast on delicious, Canadian-style, après ski food, like nachos and chicken wings, while enjoying some of the best craft beer and Caesars to be found anywhere.
The location
Stats
LIFTS
8
VERTICAL
1185-2075m
PISTES
17kmm
