Lake Louise
Slope Breakdown
Lake Louise at a glance
Lake Louise is a ski resort in Canada, part of the SkiBig3 ski area. It offers 145 km of slopes served by 10 lifts, with skiing between 1,646 m and 2,637 m (991 m vertical). That makes it the 3rd largest of the 10 ski resorts in Canada listed on Intski. The season usually runs from November to May. Lake Louise is an intermediate's mountain: roughly 50% of the slopes are red runs. Freestylers get 2 snow parks.
Top features of this resort
Snow forecast
About 10 cm of new snow at the top (2,637 m) in the next 3 days, 4 cm at the base.
New snow and temperature at the top station. Estimated by Intski from the MET Norway forecast, updated every few hours. Where it snows most this week
Email me when it snows
An alert when 15 cm or more is on the way at Lake Louise, and a heads-up before it opens.
Getting there & lift pass
Nearest airport
Calgary (YYC) — about 154 km from the resort, straight-line distance, allow more by road.
Lift pass
Adult day pass around 184.30 CAD (2025/26 season). SkiBig3 day pass, dynamic pricing, usually cheaper booked online in advance. Valid across a wider pass network, not only this resort.
Compare lift pass prices at all resortsPrice source, checked 2026-09-14
Lake Louise resort facts
About Lake Louise
Lake Louise Ski Resort sits inside Banff National Park in Alberta, western Canada, near the village of Lake Louise and 57 km west of the town of Banff.
Resort Highlights
Skiing inside a national park
Lake Louise Ski Resort sits inside Banff National Park in Alberta, western Canada, near the village of Lake Louise and 57 km west of the town of Banff. It is one of three major ski resorts within the park, alongside Banff Sunshine and Mt. Norquay, and the three are marketed together as SkiBig3. National park status shapes the place: the resort is separate from the village of Lake Louise itself, with the base area beside the Pipestone River, a tributary of the Bow, close to the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 1A and the Icefields Parkway.
Whitehorn, Lipalian and a ring of 3,000 m peaks
Most of the skiable terrain is on Whitehorn Mountain, on the southern slopes of the Slate Range, with additional runs to the east on the lower western slope of Lipalian Mountain. The whole area is ringed by summits of around 3,000 m: Mount Richardson, Ptarmigan Peak, Pika Peak and Redoubt Mountain. The lifts themselves run from 1,646 m to 2,637 m, giving 991 m of vertical, and the top station is high enough for altitude to help with snow retention through a season that runs from November to May, an unusually long one.
The terrain split is unusually balanced: of 145 km, 36 km is rated easy, 73 km intermediate and 36 km expert, so a quarter of the mountain is genuinely for experts, a quarter for beginners and half in between. The site also tags the resort for off-piste, which sits naturally alongside a piste map where a quarter of the kilometres are expert-graded, and rates it snow-sure. Ten lifts for 145 km is a very lean ratio, about 14.5 km per lift; expect long lifts covering big ground, and a mountain that is easier to navigate than the mileage suggests. Two terrain parks cater for freestyle.
Scenery and the summer gondola
The scenic-views rating is not a courtesy here. The resort’s full name, Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola, points to a lift that also runs outside the ski season, and the setting among 3,000 m peaks inside a national park is the reason people ride it.
Getting there
Calgary (YYC) is the nearest airport, roughly 154 km away as the crow flies, so this is a resort that involves a proper drive rather than a quick transfer. The season runs from November to May. Lift status and SkiBig3 pass details are on the resort’s official website.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Louise
The three major ski resorts inside Banff National Park marketed together: Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine and Mt. Norquay.
Mainly Whitehorn Mountain on the southern slopes of the Slate Range, plus the lower western slope of Lipalian Mountain. The area sits between Mount Richardson, Ptarmigan Peak, Pika Peak and Redoubt Mountain, all around 3,000 m.
The ski area is near the village of Lake Louise and 57 km west of Banff. The base is beside the Pipestone River, close to the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 1A and the Icefields Parkway.
36 km easy, 73 km intermediate and 36 km expert out of 145 km, plus two terrain parks.
Ten lifts serve 145 km of terrain, about 14.5 km per lift, which means long lifts covering a lot of ground rather than many short ones.
Lake Louise has 145 km of marked slopes: 36 km easy (blue), 73 km intermediate (red), 36 km expert (black), served by 10 ski lifts.
The skiing in Lake Louise ranges from 1,646 m at the base to 2,637 m at the top — a vertical drop of 991 m.
The ski season in Lake Louise typically runs from November to May. Exact opening dates vary by year and snow conditions.
Lake Louise works for beginners, though it is not a dedicated beginner resort: about 25% of the slopes (36 km) are easy blue runs.
Lake Louise has 36 km of expert (black) slopes — about 25% of the total. It is also known for its off-piste terrain. There are 2 snow parks for freestylers.
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