SUNSHINE VILLAGE

Banff Sunshine Village is Canada’s highest ski resort, so it’s not surprising that it has plenty of extreme terrain for adrenaline junkies. But beginners and intermediates will also have a blast here since there are plenty of gentle slopes and fun groomers. Added to all of this is some pretty spectacular scenery that will leave you breathless – that is if the slopes haven’t already!

The funny thing about Sunshine Village is that there isn’t always that much sunshine, thanks to the predominance of snowy days. And while we’re being pedantic, there isn’t really a village here, either. So the name’s a bit odd, but we won’t hold that against them since this is a fantastic resort and well worth a visit.

The main resort base is actually at the top of the gondola that leaves from the parking lot. It is comprised of a cluster of lodges scattered amongst the base of a few lifts. In this ‘village’ you’ll find all the services you need, including daycare, cafes, cafeterias, restaurants, bars, the Sunshine Mountain Lodge (Banff area’s only ski-in ski-out accommodation), lockers and the main ski school meeting point. (Rentals and tickets are sold at the gondola base station in Creekside Lodge).

IWhen Scout visited Sunshine Village it was anything but sunny. Instead it was one of those fantastic ‘free refill’ powder days where it just kept on dumping and, even better, the fair weather skiers all went inside. This gave us lap after lap of fresh tracks on the Goat’s Eye express which is an advanced skiers’ paradise.

Banff Sunshine Village has some awesomely varied terrain, and with 3358 acres (1,358 hectares) of it, there’s enough to keep skiers of all standards happy for days.

Even first timers will enjoy themselves here – there’s a magic carpet area right near the base area where they can learn the basics. For beginners there’s a lot of lovely rolling terrain, particularly the runs that can be accessed by the Strawberry Express Quad. 55% of the terrain is marked intermediate, although this is hard to believe given that so many of the trails are marked black.

Advanced skiers will have the most fun on these two mountains: Lookout and Goat’s Eye. The latter has some fast groomers, decent steeps, moguls and gladed runs. It’s also the pick on a powder day. The double black runs off the Goat's Eye Express are nail-bitingly great for expert skiers.

If you’re an expert skier that loves a challenge, there are two areas called Delirium Dive and The Wild West that have unmarked but patrolled terrain and are marketed as Canada’s most extreme off-piste. Access is only granted if you have your own transceiver, shovel and probe, and are traveling with a suitably equipped partner. They’re often closed due to avalanche hazard.

Meanwhile, there’s a decent terrain park for those looking for jumps, rails, spills and thrills. It also has the region’s only half pipe (when conditions allow).

Sunshine Village is great for families, particularly due to the variety of terrain on offer. The heated chairlift is also a bonus, keeping the little ones nice and toasty between runs. There’s a good ski school, and facilities cater to kids who are skiing for the first time, through to seasoned experts. The daycare is located at the village and is suitable for children aged 19 months-6 years. The base area at Sunshine is limited in terms of facilities (compared to other ski resorts in the area) however, there is a ski rental shop, as well as a spot to grab lunch and a shop. Being only 20 minutes from Banff, it is a fantastic choice for families.

Sunshine Mountain Lodge is the resort’s only accommodation option and the region’s only ski-in ski-out accommodation. It is newly renovated and has some great facilities. Read more about it in our review. Downtown Banff offers a greater variety of accommodation options, many with a ski shuttle stop out the front making it easy to hit the slopes each morning.

Apart from skiing, there isn’t much else to do in Sunshine Village due to its location up on the slopes. There is tobogganing three days a week, Hot tub bingo, yoga, scavenger hunts and s'mores. 

If you need lots of extra activities it would be better staying in Banff where there is plenty to do off the slopes.

The gondola base of Banff Sunshine Village ski resort is located in Banff National Park, just 20 minutes’ easy drive from downtown Banff (which is about an hour and a half west of Calgary – see the Banff profile for how to get there). There is a big parking lot at the Gondola base but we’ve been told that it can fill up on busy days.

There are frequent shuttle buses from Banff in the mornings and afternoons, and if you have a tri-area ski lift ticket (which can be purchased via Scout) the bus is free. From the parking lot you’ll need to load onto the gondola; from there it takes another 10 minutes to get to the main village base area (factor this in if going for lessons). At the end of each day you can ski all the way back down to the parking lot. If you are staying at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, the lifties will help you load and unload your luggage onto the gondola.

Find a great map of the Canadian Rockies and location of each of the ski resorts here.

Sunshine Village opens for the season in mid November and operates right through till mid May. The annual snowfall is “up to” 9 meters/30feet – though the average is more like 7 meters. January and February are particularly cold and snowy. March sees plenty of powder dumps, with more frequent sunny periods, and April and May offer great spring skiing.