Edmonton, Alberta, is known for its cold winters, but that doesn’t deter locals from celebrating and making the most of the chilly season. This northern city embraces winter, and there are plenty of things to experience and do in the snow, including skiing in Edmonton. The North Saskatchewan River valley is the largest urban parkland in North America and home to four city ski areas.
Whether you want to take lessons, practice your turns before heading out to the Rocky Mountain resorts or get some air in a terrain park, Edmonton’s ski scene has something for everyone. Here is our guide to skiing in Edmonton, with a bonus pick located an hour outside the city.
5 places to go snowboarding and skiing in Edmonton
1. Rabbit Hill Snow Resort
Location: 25212 Township Road 510, Edmonton, AB (just outside the city)
Overview: Rabbit Hill is a family-friendly resort with many activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing. With over 40 acres of terrain, it is the largest ski area in the Edmonton area. It features runs for all abilities, multiple terrain parks and a tube park. In addition, they offer ski and snowboard lessons, holiday camps and an adaptive snow school.
Why we like it:
Terrain: Rabbit Hill caters to all levels of skiers and has slightly longer runs than the other city ski hills, so you’ll get in a few more cruisy turns before getting in line for the lift. It also has good variety for its size, with narrower runs through the trees and classic Bay Street, the wide open groomer down the middle. Rabbit Hill also offers terrain park features for all freestyle abilities.
Tubing: Rabbit Hill offers winter and SUMMER tubing. The park is right along the North Saskatchewan River this year, and you can’t beat the views.
Events: The resort hosts events throughout the season, including ski races, ski club events and family activities.
Facilities: Rabbit Hill provides equipment rentals, ski and snowboard lessons, and a cozy lodge for lunch breaks and après ski.
2. Snow Valley Ski Club
Location: 119 St & 60 Ave, Edmonton, AB
Overview: Snow Valley is technically the largest ski hill within Edmonton’s city limits and is a snow sports hub for residents and visitors alike. It offers a variety of terrain, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs. They also offer night skiing and a beginner and advanced terrain park. Snow Valley offers outdoor recreational activities year-round, with a summer aerial park, campground and rental facility.
What we like about it:
Community vibes: People who ski at Snow Valley love Snow Valley. The hill has become a landmark recreational centre in the city and welcomes visitors and residents with ongoing events, snow sports programs and fun on the slopes.
Terrain: Snow Valley boasts 10 runs and a varied terrain park. While most runs feed into the same area, two chair lifts are running to help keep lineups at bay. It’s also right in the city, which makes skiing in Edmonton more accessible to people living in the area.
Facilities: It has a well-maintained lodge, equipment rentals and sometimes food trucks! The lodge doubles as a rental facility and often hosts special events like weddings and conferences.
Unique Experience: Snow Valley is known for its night skiing, and you can catch the action every time you cruise down the Whitemud Freeway after dark. In addition, Snow Valley operates a high ropes aerial park and city campground in the summer.
3. Edmonton Ski Club
Location: 9613 96 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB
Overview: The Edmonton Ski Club is a historic landmark in the heart of the city. Skiers have hit the slopes at this little but loved hill since 1911! It is known for its historical ski jump (long dismantled) and for being a regular training ground for medal-winning Olympians like Jennifer Heil. The ski area features black, blue, green and bunny hill runs, a terrain park and a popular weekly after-school program for kids. In addition, the ESC is the only ski area in town accessible by the LRT.
What we like about it:
Great for families: The Edmonton Ski Club has a smaller footprint, making it a great option for quick visits, beginners, and families and kids.
Accessible: The ESC has affordable ticket and lesson pricing, ongoing specials to help beginners get on the hill and is accessible via public transportation with a brand new LRT station right next door.
A piece of history: This historic hill has a sense of tradition and has been a landmark in Edmonton for over 100 years. People have appreciated the easygoing, friendly, and casual atmosphere for over a century.
Facilities: For now, it has a temporary trailer-style clubhouse for snacks, drinks, and a warm place to rest. However, the site has been approved for the construction of a new River Valley Outdoor Activity Centre, which will serve skiers in the winter, cyclists in the summer and a community hub.
4. Sunridge Ski Area
Location: 10970 17 St NW, Edmonton, AB
Overview: Sunridge Ski Area is across the North Saskatchewan River from Edmonton in Strathcona County. This local favourite offers varied terrain, including a big air terrain park and two smaller parks with rail features. Five lifts, including two chair lifts serving the main runs and carpet lifts on the bunny hill, keep lineups down. Sunridge has a hopping scene, with live music, craft beer, outdoor firepit, theme days, and other special events all season.
What we like about it:
Terrain: Sunridge offers a mix of beginner and intermediate runs, and the runs are spread out along the river valley, offering a little more variety than Snow Valley and the Edmonton Ski Club. It also has a wide learners hill, slightly separated from the other runs. It also offers one of the biggest big air terrain parks in the city, and you can watch skiers and riders flip their tricks while riding the chair lift!
Night Skiing: Like other city hills, Sunridge is another great spot for night skiing in Edmonton and offers special pricing on Monday nights. They also have a tube park and offer night tubing!
Lessons and programs: Sunridge is known for being the place to take ski and snowboard lessons in Edmonton. While the other hills offer high-quality lessons, the instructor training received at Sunridge is noticeable as lesson takers often increase skill and confidence. They offer lessons for all ages and abilities, including multi-day lesson camps and freestyle terrain park lessons.
Facilities: Ski rentals, a warm lodge, a reputable ski school and ongoing live and community events make Sunridge Ski Area a favourite in the city.
5. Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club
Location: 61411 – Range Road 241A, Tawatinaw, Alberta
Overview: Tawatinaw Valley is just over an hour north of Edmonton, but it is worth the trip. This laid-back ski hill offers casual skiing with fewer crowds than the popular city hills. It also offers more than double the runs than the city ski areas, with several cruising through the forest or offering open views of beautiful farmland. It also has a newer lodge, excellent terrain park, tube park and an impressive network of cross-country ski trails!
What we like about it:
Terrain: Tawatinaw Valley offers more variety than the other hills on this list. The ski area boasts 24 runs, and each area is a little different, which makes small-hill skiing more interesting. It also offers cross-country ski trails if that’s your jam. The area also has a significant terrain park with multiple rail features and big air jumps. However, there are no chair lifts here, so skiers and riders must be comfortable riding T-bar lifts.
Quiet and scenic: Tawatinaw Valley is located in the middle of farmland, offering scenic views of fields and forests. The other Edmonton-area hills give views of freeways, houses, buildings or refineries.
Facilities: Tawatinaw Ski Area provides ski rentals, a newer lodge, a concession and a great small-town community vibe.
Do you have a favourite little ski area in Canada?
Or do you have a favourite place to go skiing in Edmonton from our list? We’d love to hear about it! Share your stories to info@northernexplorers.ca.
