Travel to Kicking Horse

Located in southeastern British Columbia, near the Alberta border and west of Lake Louise, Kicking Horse is the newest resort in Canada, with some big ideas. An experienced sliders’ paradise, Kicking Horse has some major selling points, including lots of quality snow and dry powder, and some incredibly varied terrain.

The resort base of Kicking Horse sits at 1,311m above sea level and there are two lodges, one of which is located in the Golden Plaza and contains slope-side accommodation and other amenities, including ski rental, lessons, and a retail shop.

A big chunk of the 64 runs at Kicking Horse are aimed at adventurous intermediate and advanced sliders, yet there is also some great beginner terrain, most notably the 10-kilometre-long beginner/intermediate ‘It’s a Ten’. Five lift systems, with an hourly uplift capacity of 14,000 people, traverse the 1,260-metre vertical to supply the pistes.

Eagles Eye is Canadas highest mountain top restaurant at 2,310m and other après-ski is in the base day lodge; while the town of Golden provides greater facilities and a decent night scene.

Kicking Horse’s ski season extends from December to April, and children under seven years ski for free. The most convenient means of transportation is to fly to Calgary’s airport and take a shuttle via the city to Golden, from where taxis and shuttles run to the slopes.

Skiing in Kicking Horse

The snowboarding and skiing is awesome, with much of it consisting of above-alpine, quality snow in the black-diamond expert areas, and intermediate terrain all over the mountain.

Kicking Horse’s 64 slopes are divided into 20 per cent for beginners, 20 per cent for intermediates, 45 per cent for advanced sliders and 15 per cent for experts. The longest slope here, known as ‘It’s a Ten’, is a commendable 10kms. Five lifts provide slope access for up to 14,000 people per hour. Additionally, there are 14kms of cross-country trails.

The main lodge at Kicking Horse is the Golden Plaza, which also contains the bulk of the resort’s facilities such as ski/sports and rental shops. The lodge also offers accommodation and ski-in/ski-out accessibility, along with some townhouses. For a greater choice of lodgings, you’ll find plenty of bed-and-breakfasts, hotels, motels and chalets nearby.

The December to April ski season at Kicking Horse has its best snow in February/March, and travelling here is made easy by regular international flights to Calgary International Airport and the combination of shuttle buses running via Calgary city and Golden to the slopes.

Après-ski in Kicking Horse

Accommodation-wise, Kicking Horse has some townhouses and the lodge, all of which offer ski-in/ski-out accessibility. Additionally, there are several bed-and-breakfasts, chalets, hotels and motels nearby.

Other facilities and activities available at Kicking Horse ski resort include: telemark skiing, snowshoeing, ice-climbing (nearby) and flight-sightseeing. The area is also home to the worlds largest enclosed grizzly bear refuge. Golden town has the bulk of the après-ski facilities; while the Eagle’s Eye restaurant (located at 2,310m) and the base lodge provide slope-side sustenance.

For alternative sliding, Panorama Mountain ski resort, to the south of Kicking Horse, has wide-open groomed runs and excellent snowboard and cross-country trails; while Lake Louise is just over an hour’s drive to the east into Alberta. Lake Louise is Canada’s second largest ski area and has terrain for all in a beautiful and rugged setting. The resorts of Banff are a little farther along highway 1.

Transportation in Kicking Horse

Kicking Horse is 80kms west of Lake Louise and 265kms west of Calgary, in between Glacier and Yoho national parks and close to the Alberta border. Due to the remoteness of Kicking Horse ski resort, the most practical travel option is to fly to Calgary and take a shuttle bus.

If you are driving from Calgary, take Trans-Canada Highway 1 west, through Banff and Lake Louise, over the border, and continue on to Golden; this is a three- to four-hour journey. The 700-kilometre, one-day drive from Vancouver also goes via Trans-Canada Highway 1 all the way to Golden and Kicking Horse.

Calgary International Airport is the gateway to Kicking Horse ski resort, and is served by all major airlines, with regular flights from London. There is a daily shuttle service from the airport to the Greyhound depot in Calgary, from where you can catch a shuttle to Golden. Shuttles run from Golden hotels to the ski hill, as do taxis, for five times the cost.

Greyhound buses make a stop in Golden on the Vancouver-Calgary/Calgary-Vancouver route several times a day, and take between 10 and 13 hours from Vancouver and four hours from Calgary.

Kicking Horse Ski Partners & Resources

Blaeberry Mountain Lodge, Kicking Horse Country
Be one with nature.... relax after a thrilling ride on snowboard or skis and enjoy the unique atmosphere in one of our log cabins. German style breakfast and dining is available on request.

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