Founded in 1966, Castle Mountain Ski Resort is often referred to as the best-kept secret of the Rockies.
Over 50 years later, the resort remains a great winter destination, praised for its ample snow and a quiet, authentic alpine atmosphere. According to the resort’s management, Castle Mountain Ski Resort is owned and run by adrenaline-driven skiers, where adventurers ski closer to heaven, down to earth.
Located in Canada’s Alberta Province, the ski resort occupies a magnificent, snowy area in the Sothern Rockies. The independently owned and operated snow resort boasts the most annual snowfall in Alberta, coupled with an expansive terrain with long fall line runs, bowls, and chutes. This resort's terrain has something for any ability and level.
The resort delights snow lovers with its superb hospitality, convenient fixed-grip lifts, and its legendary uncrowded slopes. It also has great steeps, glades, chutes, and cliff bands where the powder stays fresh for days.
This lesser-known winter destination is famous for its quiet aura and old-school vibe. If you enjoy chasing powder without the extra frills and crowds, then you’ll love Castle Mountain. And there are plenty of other things to do. For example, you can take a road through the resort and enjoy the breathtaking landscape and scenic views.
Ski and snowboard at Castle Mountain and interact with the friendly locals who grace that resort, especially during the weekends. Its great snow and distance from major cities mean that the resort is lightly trafficked and you’re guaranteed fresh powder tracks all day long. This also makes it a Holy Grail for passionate thrill-seekers from around the world who flock here annually for the winter thrill of a lifetime.
In this little-known gem of the Canadian Rockies, enjoy pleasurable cruisers that the whole family can delight in, the humbling steeps of the South Side Chutes, and wonderful tree skiing. There’s surely something for everyone at Castle Mountain Ski Resort.
What Castle Mountain Ski Resort has to offer section
Services
Mountain Features
Resort Features
CASTLE MOUNTAIN OPEN DATES AND TIMES
According to the official resort website, Castle Mountain Ski Field is estimated to be open
Between the dates of December 02 2022 and estimated to close on April 09, 2023 for the 2022 season.
Ski life Services at Castle Mountain open as early as 9:00 AM and last to close is at 4:00 PM
Skiers and snowboarders love the Castle Mountain Ski Resort for its dynamic terrain and long runs. Its expansive terrain sprawls over two mountains
While the resort’s terrain caters to all skiers and snowboarders, its real strength is its off-piste and backcountry areas. Among the steeps, glades and moguls, it also has significant cliff bands that have to be consciously navigated. However, these areas have great snow that stays fresh for longer.
Castle Mountain has 3,592 acres of skiable terrain. It features an 863-meter vertical, with 79 trails and 8 alpine bowls. The 3,592 skiable acres also include the 800-acre off-piste areas accessible via the Powder Stagecoach and Huckleberry Chair. The winter sports area is located between the elevations of 2,273 and 1,410 meters.
The resort’s official stats for the 94 kilometers of trails are:
This resort’s skiable terrain is also the second largest in Alberta, after Lake Louise Ski Resort. During the weekends, the resort may experience notable ski lines but crowds are generally not a problem. The lift lines are also fewer on weekdays and also due to Castle Mountain’s proximity to Banff Ski Resort.
The resort has plenty of ungroomed runs, deep fresh powder, natural half pipes, and miles of fall line for riding and skiing. A weekend trip to castle mountain can be a fun getaway experience especially if you’re on your way to Banff. In addition, it is also a pleasant adventure if you’re on a powder quest along Canada’s famous British Columbia Powder Highway.
Beginners and intermediates are well-taken care of on Castle Mountain as there are some spaces with jumps and a small terrain park with boxes.
The main attraction at Castle Mountain is the advanced terrain access on the Powder Stagecoach, located adjacent to the resort. The advanced terrain next to the Huckleberry chair features 800 acres of controlled side country. It is a controlled expanse with glades, a few chutes, and wide bowls. The terrain attracts advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders as well as confident intermediates.
The Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing offers single-day trips. If you’re in a group, you can book day trips from Tuesday to Saturday. This thrilling ride helps you access massive areas of untouched powder that you can shred down 3,350 to 4,980 meters of powder-blanketed vertical each season.
Castle Mountain features various kinds of lifts to help riders access the various slopes on the resort. In particular, the snow resort features long chairs that elevate out of the village to the area and fan out in different directions. While the lift system is not the newest, it diligently serves riders accessing the different slopes on the mountain.
The resort uses a labeling system to help riders (especially beginners) understand their respective lifts. For example, the Sundance chair is designated blue while the Tamarack chair is red. These colors correspond to the slopes that each lift services.
The entire resort is accessed via seven lifts and a cat ski. Six of those lifts include four fixed-grip triples and double chairlifts. The T-Rex T-bar lift only goes into operation when the Sundance chair is out of commission.
Beginners and children ride the Barney Handle tow lift located on gentle slopes close to the base area. Advanced and confident intermediates ride the cat ski for more thrilling adventures upslope.
The following named lifts exist at the resort:
To get your ski pass online, visit the Castle Mountain Ski Resort’s website and purchase your desired ticket type. However, you will still need to check in at the base camp to get your pass card which you’ll use to scan at the lifts.
There are various types of tickets at the resort which include the following:
Curious to know what the snow is like today at Castle Mountain Ski Resort?
The following is a live webcam feed of the slopes at Castle Mountain Ski Resort. We’ve curated the best views to show you the current snow conditions from around the resort.
The Castle Mountain Ski Resort is among the snowiest resorts in Alberta, with an impressive seasonal average snowfall of 9 meters. As the resort is not far from Fernie Ski Resort, it enjoys similar snow patterns, consistent with the Canadian Powder Highway snowfall. However, the prairie arctic air masses combined with the slightly higher elevation (by 139 meters) means the snow quality is better in Castle Mountain.
The snow quality varies greatly, especially with the level of sunshine. However, the northeast-facing slopes accessed via the Huckleberry chair offer great snow as are more protected from the elements.
The resort has frequent windy days, evidenced by the presence of wind farms nearby. Wind creates certain conditions loved by revelers. For example, some skiers and snowboarders love riding the wind buff (snow blown back into the gullies by the wind).
In the following live graphic, you can see the current estimated snow Depth for the Castle Mountain Ski Resort.
Knowing the projected weather conditions at and around the resort can help you plan your trip better. The following graphic shows an updated weather forecast for Castle Mountain Ski Resort.
The only other great thing about this resort’s snow is waking up in it. Castle Mountain Ski Resort has great on and off-mountain accommodation. You’ll also find great deluxe and budget-friendly options in the surrounding areas.
When you purchase your ticket and stay at the resort or its numerous partners, you get to enjoy discounted prices on lodging and dining. Revelers can also access Accommodator partner tickets that can shave reservation rates up to 20%.
Some great places to stay and eat include:
The only other great thing about this resort’s snow is waking up in it. Castle Mountain Ski Resort has great on and off-mountain accommodation. You’ll also find great deluxe and budget-friendly options in the surrounding areas.
When you purchase your ticket and stay at the resort or its numerous partners, you get to enjoy discounted prices on lodging and dining. Revelers can also access Accommodator partner tickets that can shave reservation rates up to 20%.
Some great places to stay and eat include:
The Castle Mountain Ski Resort is nestled in the Westcastle Valley in southern Alberta, near the US border. Calgary is about 270 kilometers away, while Lethbridge and Pincher Creek are approximately 140 and 50 kilometers away respectively.
The closest airport is the Calgary International Airport, which features several transfer options to the resort. Car hire services are especially abundant at the airport, which is the most convenient access method if you’re on a multi-resort holiday trip.
Castle Mountain Ski Resort is less than 2.5 hours from Calgary and Lethbridge airports, which are the closest major airports.
Calgary International airport offers non-stop flights to major Canadian and US cities daily. There are various transfer options from Calgary, including car rentals or shuttles. Car rentals are the most popular transfer option which allows you to explore the resorts and landscape along the Powder Highway. It takes about 2.5 hours to get to the resort on Highway 2.
Lethbridge is a regional airport that lies about 1.5 hours east of Castle Mountain. The airport serves Southern Alberta communities with daily flights from Edmonton, Calgary, and Fort McMurray.
Getting to the resort by road is a breeze, especially on the paved Highway 774. This road was paved in 2018, eliminating the previously graveled road surface. The road and access roads both north and east of the resort are seldom closed and are uneventful
Castle Mountain Resort is located about 45 kilometers southwest of Pincher Creek, in the Westcastle Valley in southern Alberta
The resort receives a high seasonal average of 9 meters, which is among the highest in Alberta.
The Castle Mountain Ski Resort features 3,592 acres of skiable terrain, which incorporates the 800-acre area of snow cat-accessible advanced slopes.
Yes, there’s ample parking at the resort. You’ll also find parking spaces in the quieter town of Pincher Creek.
Castle Mountain has numerous beginner slopes where novices can learn under friendly staff. It also has plenty of beginner runs with a ski school and gear rental shops.
Yes, if you’re driving up the alpine areas in Alberta, the local administration requires that all vehicles carry fitting snow chains.