Sun Peaks
For incredible family friendly fun and a cool European-style, ski-through village you can’t beat Sun Peaks.
This ski resort offers a variety of terrain for all ability levels, a multitude of accommodation choices for any budget, and even some unique shopping and dining opportunities.
Sun Peaks is located in the interior of British Columbia. To get here, take a flight into Calgary or Vancouver and then grab one of the short daily flights into Kamloops, where you can catch a free 45-minute shuttle into Sun Peaks.
Good for
The Resort
It may seem like a bit of a chore to get to this ski resort, but there is no doubt it will be worth it. The really brilliant thing about this village is that all of the streets are skiable! That’s right, it is a completely ski-through village.
Most of the many accommodations allow their guests to ski right up to the entrance too.
There are several unique and cool shops, eateries and cafes throughout this village, and the locals are super friendly.
For the best in luxury accommodation, try the Grand Hotel, where booking a room on the fifth floor gets you private access to the Summit Lounge for daily breakfast and après ski cocktails.
On the slopes
Sun Peaks was formerly known as Tod Mountain, named after the tallest of the three peaks that make up this resort. In 1993 it was aptly re-named, based on the 2000 or more hours of sun the place gets annually. Bring extra sunscreen, you’ll probably need it!
Sun Peaks is the second largest ski resort in Canada, with over 17km2 (4270 acres) of skiable terrain. There are 137 runs on three different mountains (Tod, Sundance and Morrisey).
The average annual snowfall here is more than 6m (237 inches), making a good snow cover that is quite reliable despite the ample sunshine.
There are 13 lifts and 6 on-mountain hotels to choose from.
Sun Peaks offers a variety of terrain of which only 10 percent can be considered beginner runs with intermediate slopes making up more than half of the piste area.
The ski season here is a little longer than many, typically running from mid-November until mid-April.
This is not the place to come for a rocking dance party and those who are looking for a place to party might want to pass on this family-friendly resort.
It is, however, suitable for a romantic getaway, or a family holiday. Sun Peaks offers many outdoor, heated terraces serving up craft beer and casual food, outdoor fire pits where you can cuddle up in a warm blanket and enjoy the night sky, several family-friendly eateries and a couple of adult-only pubs are scattered about for time away from the children – yours or other people’s!
If enjoying a brew with friends on a heated terrace sounds like your kind of heaven, look no further than Bottoms Bar and Grill. Morriseys is a great choice if you want to ski right up to the entrance, play a game of pool, and savour some delicious Irish-style pub food.
One activity that you will not want to miss is the Sunburst Express Twilight ride. After the ski resort closes and darkness is descending, you will climb on board the Sunburst Express chairlift which will transport you halfway up the mountain to the Sunburst Bar and Eatery for a delicious three course fondue meal, followed by the best part – you and your friends get the slopes all to yourselves as you and a guide ski back down the five miles of moonlit snow!
Other activities to try, if you need a break from the slopes, include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, guided ice fishing tours, cat traxx groomed rides, bungee trampolining, and horse-drawn sleigh rides.
There are excellent child-minding services and a lot of family- and child-oriented activities, both on and off the slopes.
The location
Stats
LIFTS
13
VERTICAL
2080-2961m
PISTES
17.3 Kmm
