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Kicking Horse's summit reaches 2,505 metres, dropping 1,315 vertical metres to a base at 1,190 metres across 120 runs spread over roughly 1,411 hectares near Golden, British Columbia. Terrain splits 45 per cent advanced, 20 per cent each for beginner and intermediate, and 15 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 8.2 metres. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Six lifts, including two quad chairs and one double chair, serve the mountain alongside one gondola and two surface lifts.
Kicking Horse holds a genuinely distinctive place among Canadian resorts for its considerable vertical drop, among the largest in North America, and its consistently light, dry snow, long marketed by the resort as Champagne Powder. Its heavily advanced-and-expert-weighted terrain has built Kicking Horse's reputation as a serious big-mountain destination rather than a family-oriented resort.
The area began as Whitetooth Ski Area, a small, town-owned facility that opened in 1986 with the Pioneer Chair serving three runs on around 2,000 feet of vertical. Vancouver architect Oberto Oberti envisioned a considerably larger four-season resort in 1996, and the following year the local community voted 97 per cent in favour of selling the ski area to Oberti and the European development firm Ballast Nedam.
The resort opened in its current form as Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in December 2000. Resorts of the Canadian Rockies acquired the resort from its original developers in 2011, and Boyne Resorts has more recently taken ownership. Adult daily tickets run from 149 to 175 Canadian dollars.
Total Runs
120
Total Area
3487 ac
1411.1 ha
Kicking Horse runs six lifts: one double chair, two quad chairs and one gondola, serving 120 runs across roughly 1,411 hectares, alongside two surface lifts. This comparatively lean network reflects the resort's origins as the small, town-owned Whitetooth Ski Area, which opened in 1986 with a single Pioneer Chair.
The lift network expanded considerably following the community's 1997 vote to sell the ski area to Vancouver architect Oberto Oberti and European developer Ballast Nedam, who built out the infrastructure ahead of the resort's December 2000 opening.
The gondola provides considerable base-to-summit access across Kicking Horse's substantial vertical drop, while the quad and double chairs distribute skiers across the mountain's heavily advanced-and-expert-weighted terrain.
Since Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' 2011 acquisition and Boyne Resorts' more recent ownership, continued investment has supported this six-lift network as part of the Epic Pass system. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Kicking Horse's efficient lift network remains well matched to its considerable vertical and advanced terrain focus.
Total Lifts
6
Lift Types
4
The 2025-26 season at Kicking Horse ran from 5 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 8.2 metres. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather conditions near Golden.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent, dry powder conditions to Kicking Horse's heavily advanced-weighted terrain. As an Epic Pass resort, Kicking Horse draws dedicated big-mountain skiers alongside Epic Pass holders seeking the resort's considerable vertical drop.
Kicking Horse's substantial, reliable snowfall continues to draw committed powder-seeking skiers throughout the season, with the resort's comparatively remote location offering lighter crowds than the busier Alberta Rockies resorts. School holiday periods bring some family visitation to the resort's more moderate lower-mountain terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since opening in its current form in December 2000, Kicking Horse has continued building on nearly four decades of history since Whitetooth Ski Area's 1986 founding. The resort's considerable vertical drop and dry snow remain central to its enduring appeal among dedicated skiers.
Current Season
2025 - 2026
Opening Day
12/5/2025
Closing Day
4/5/2026
Days Open
122
Kicking Horse sits near Golden, British Columbia, with a base elevation of 1,190 metres and a summit at 2,505 metres across a 1,315-metre vertical drop over roughly 1,411 hectares. This considerable vertical places Kicking Horse among the more dramatically situated resorts in the Canadian Rockies.
The town of Golden, a small but growing mountain community, offers lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort, providing a considerably quieter alternative to the busier Banff and Whistler corridors.
The Trans-Canada Highway provides direct access to the resort from Golden. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment given the mountainous terrain surrounding the area.
Calgary International Airport, roughly a three-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Kicking Horse's comparatively remote British Columbia location drawing a genuinely dedicated visitor base seeking the resort's considerable vertical and consistent powder.
