Just outside Vancouver’s bustling downtown, families can enjoy three world-class ski resorts in the North Shore Mountains.  Here’s a breakdown of each resort’s amenities with family skiing in mind.

Cypress Mountain

Located just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, the city’s largest resort, Cypress Mountain, features more than 50 runs on 600-acres.  The mountain was the official venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Freestyle events, so there are plenty of challenging slopes for the advanced skiers.  In fact, 52% of the slopes are black diamonds!  The mountain boasts the area’s most vertical drop (2,010 feet), most terrain, most lifts and even claims the title of the best snow conditions.  Their vast network of cross-country skiing trails are the most popular trails in Canada.  Snowshoeing tours and a massive tubing park allow even the smallest of kids to enjoy the snow.   Cypress Mountain also offers a very thorough, full day Children’s Camp to help your kids excel at skiing/boarding no matter what level of skill.

Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain is located just a short 15 minutes from downtown.  The park boasts 26 runs, half of which are open at night.  56% of the runs at Grouse are intermediate, with a well balanced beginner and advanced slopes rounding out the rest of the mountain. Even non-skiing kids will love the scenic aerial tramway providing stunning views of the city and beyond. Numerous mountaintop restaurants such as The Observatory and the Rusty Rail Patio offer stunning views as they sit 3,700 feet above the city below.  Enjoying an outdoor ice skating rink while sipping hot chocolate will round out this fabulous ski day experience.

Mount Seymour

Mount Seymour is known as the most family-friendly of the three Vancouver resorts.  The terrain at Mount Seymour is very diverse, giving families with multiple ranges of skill the perfect opportunity to all enjoy the slopes.  Their Bear Cub Adventurers and Bear Cub Beginners programs are the perfect fit for beginning and intermediate children starting from the age of four.  Mama and Papa Bear programs also help out newbie moms and dads stay as up-to-speed as their little ones.  A tubing park (with lift) and tobogganing area for guests of all heights and ages offer fun for all.  If the little ones get cold, head inside to one of the many fireplace-laden lodges to take a break from the cold.

Ski season in Vancouver typically begins in December and runs through April.

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