Kicking Horse
City:
Golden
Region:
Rockies
Updated:
October 31, 2024
70
PeakRankings Score
To give each resort a Mountain Score, we assess 10 equally weighted categories that paint an overall picture of the typical mountain experience.
[Year] Rankings
Overall Rank
#
26
Rank In
Canada
#
7
Rank In
British Columbia
#
4
Category Scores
Snow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort gets top accumulation and snow that forms in a way that feels light and powdery all the time.
9
The resort sees very good accumulation and gets powder that takes awhile to track or feels notably light.
8
The resort sees very good snow accumulation each season that tends to stay powdery for several days in a row.
7
The resort sees very good, powdery snow accumulation each season, but powder doesn't always last long at certain places in the resort.
6
The resort sees good accumulation that forms a solid base each season and sometimes sees powder but sometimes suffers from variable cover.
5
The resort sees decent accumulation each season but sometimes suffers from variable cover and rarely sees powder.
4
The resort sees okay accumulation each season. Non-snowmaking trails regularly suffer from thin or variable cover.
3
The resort sees mediocre accumulation each season. Thin cover is a given on all non-snowmaking trails.
2
The resort receives poor accumulation each season and must heavily rely on snowmaking to stay open.
1
The resort would have little to no snow if it weren't for snowmaking. If you're not on a trail, you probably don't see any accumulation.
0
The resort doesn’t get any snow.
9
Lifts
Criteria Breakdown
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10
High-speed lifts exist across every mountain area. Helper lifts are high-speed as well.
9
Most lifts are high-speed, with only a few areas serviced by helper fixed-grip lifts.
8
All but a few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts may be fixed grip.
7
Most areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts are fixed grip.
6
Many areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but some are only serviced by fixed-grip lifts.
5
About half of areas are accessible by high-speed lifts.
4
A few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but most areas only see fixed-grip lift service.
3
All lifts are fixed grip but some are at least modern.
2
Lifts are extremely old or low-capacity. Some places are only serviced by surface lifts.
1
Surface lifts only.
0
No lifts.
3
Resiliency
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain can quickly recover from the worst conditions and deliver the exact same experience as on a good day.
9
The mountain can quickly recover from almost any poor conditions thanks to excellent poor snow and weather mitigation.
8
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in nearly every mountain area and across all terrain categories. A few parts of the resort may occasionally see significant impacts.
7
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in most mountain areas, but some parts of the mountain are highly affected by inclement weather or poor conditions.
6
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in many mountain areas, but other parts are highly susceptible to inclement weather or poor conditions.
5
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but struggles to mitigate poor conditions in many mountain areas.
4
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close a few major parts of the mountain. Under severe circumstances, the mountain may be forced to completely suspend operations.
3
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close multiple major mountain areas. Occasionally, the mountain may be forced to suspend operations completely.
2
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses most of its skiable terrain, with restoration regularly taking several days or weeks. A few small runs may stay open.
1
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses its entire skiable footprint and may take weeks to recover.
0
Any inclement weather issues are season-ending.
8
Crowd Flow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain's infrastructure is perfectly set up for crowd flow and capacity and does the best possible job to mitigate crowding.
9
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with excellent capacity.
8
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with good capacity. One or two areas could use a capacity upgrade.
7
The mountain's lift infrastructure is usually direct and well-placed with good capacity. A few areas could use a capacity upgrade or better placed lifts. Trails themselves rarely become chokepoints.
6
The mountain's lift and trail network is usually direct with good capacity. Some areas suffer from indirect lift placements or poorly thought out junctions.
5
The mountain’s lift and trail network comprises a comparable mix of direct, well-placed routes and indirect or capacity-constrained ones.
4
The mountain's lift and trail network is set up in a way that causes major crowding or indirect routing for many popular routes. Some areas are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
3
The mountain's lift and trail network causes serious crowding or indirect routing for most areas, but a few places are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
2
The mountain's lift and trail network is not equipped to handle crowds on a normal day and sees backups of more than half an hour.
1
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are seriously flawed. Poor lift placement and uphill capacity can cause backups of more than an hour.
0
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are so bad that you shouldn't expect to get on the mountain on a typical day.
6
Size
Criteria Breakdown
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10
7000+ skiable acres
9
3500-7000 skiable acres
8
2500-3500 skiable acres
7
1800-2500 skiable acres
6
1200-1800 skiable acres
5
800-1200 skiable acres
4
500-800 skiable acres
3
250-500 skiable acres
2
100-250 skiable acres
1
1-100 skiable acres
0
0 skiable acres
6
Facilities
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges at every major and minor junction area.
9
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges throughout most mountain areas.
8
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. A few minor mid- or high-elevation areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
7
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. Some major mountain areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
6
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across multiple areas, but some places lack easy access to the closest facilities.
5
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area but suffers from limited, low-capacity, or impractically placed on-mountain facilities.
4
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area. Any on-mountain facilities are limited, low-capacity, and impractically placed.
3
The mountain consists of at least one high-capacity base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
2
The mountain consists of a moderately-sized base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
1
The mountain consists of a singular base lodge that's either impractically small or hard to reach.
0
The mountain doesn't consist of any on-site lodge facilities.
4
Terrain Diversity
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain has an abundance of terrain in all categories for all ability levels.
9
The mountain offers multiple options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
8
The mountain offers at least some options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
7
The mountain offers terrain in most categories for a range of ability levels, but may fall short in one or two areas.
6
The mountain offers terrain in many categories but either falls short or lacks terrain in a few others.
5
The mountain offers terrain of varying lengths, gradients, and widths but lacks terrain in multiple categories.
4
The mountain offers similar terrain of moderately different lengths, gradients, and widths.
3
The mountain offers similar terrain of slightly different lengths, gradients, or widths.
2
The mountain consists of runs that are similar to one another but vary slightly by difficulty.
1
The mountain only consists of runs that provide nearly identical terrain experiences.
0
The mountain has no terrain.
7
Navigation
Criteria Breakdown
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10
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from any place.
9
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from most places. A small fraction of trails don't have direct access to all other mountain areas.
8
It's easy to get to and from most mountain areas. A few minor areas aren't directly accessible from all other parts of the resort or may be hard to find.
7
It's reasonably simple to get between most major mountain areas. A few areas require catwalks or traverses to get to or from or are hard to find. Some areas require multiple direct lift rides to travel between.
6
It's reasonably simple to get between many major mountain areas, but some areas require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
5
Some mountain areas are easy to navigate while others require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
4
Some mountain areas are easy to get between, but navigating many major areas can be confusing. Some major trails may suffer from poor signage or require catwalks.
3
It can take multiple lifts or be notably confusing to get between major resort areas. Many resort areas suffer from indirect trail routes, poor signage, or multiple catwalks.
2
It takes a substantial amount of effort and multiple indirect lifts to get between resort areas with little enjoyable terrain in between. Expect to occasionally get lost.
1
Expect to regularly get lost at this resort due to poor signage and lift placement. Getting between mountain areas requires notable effort and extremely unenjoyable terrain.
0
It's impossible to get around this resort. You will likely get lost or spend your whole day trying to get from one place to another.
7
Challenge
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort boasts truly extreme terrain across several prominent areas. Any double blacks should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
9
Select resort areas boast some of the most challenging runs in the world. The most challenging terrain should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
8
The mountain boasts extremely demanding terrain with sustained pitches, cliffs, drop-ins, and/or tight turns.
7
The mountain offers a range of very steep, ungroomed terrain with features like cliffs, drop-ins, or tight turns.
6
The mountain offers a range of steep, difficult terrain, with expert features like cliffs in some places.
5
The mountain offers some fairly steep groomed and ungroomed runs.
4
The mountain offers some steep runs but very little ungroomed terrain.
3
The mountain primarily offers groomed terrain with moderate pitches.
2
The mountain offers mostly gently-sloped terrain.
1
None of the mountain's terrain is more difficult than a typical bunny hill.
0
The mountain is completely flat.
10
Mountain Aesthetic
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort offers one-of-a-kind views, terrain, isolation, and vibes. You probably won't find a resort that feels like this again in your lifetime.
9
The resort offers unique terrain, views, and isolation that you'll rarely find anywhere else.
8
The resort clearly distinguishes itself with class-leading views, terrain, and isolation.
7
The resort feels unique, with high-quality views, terrain, and isolation across the footprint.
6
The resort doesn't boast the same unique terrain as some competing resorts but offers excellent views and isolation in many areas.
5
The resort offers some cool terrain and great views and isolation in some areas. Some areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
4
The resort offers decently cool terrain, nice views, or pockets of isolation in places. Major areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
3
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up around more than half the resort or offers only moderately interesting terrain, views and isolation.
2
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up in most areas or offers only mildly interesting terrain, views or isolation.
1
The resort barely feels like a mountain, with intense commercialization and very little in the way of views, terrain, or isolation.
0
The resort is completely flat or indoors.
10
Good To Know
Aprés-ski:
Extensive
On-site Lodging:
Yes
Nearest City:
Calgary (3 hrs), Kelowna (4 hrs)
Pass Affiliation:
Epic Pass
Epic [Backend]
Ikon [Backend]
Mountain Collective [Backend]
Other [Backend]
Recommended Ability:
From
Beginner
To
Advanced
Beginner [Backend]
Intermediate [Backend]
Advanced [Backend]
Expert [Backend]
Extreme [Backend]
Pros
- Snow quality and preservation
- Incredible expert terrain
- World-class mountain aesthetic
- Long vertical drop
- Value
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Cons
- Poorly-designed lift network
- Lackluster beginner and intermediate terrain
- Modestly-sized lift-serviced footprint
- Incredibly long laps required to ski or ride key terrain
- Much more difficult to reach than other destinations
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Mountain Stats
1525
acres
Skiable Footprint
3486
acres
Total Footprint
76
%
Lift-Serviced Terrain
8218
ft
Top Elevation
4318
ft
Vertical Drop
6
Lifts
125
Trails
20
%
Beginner
20
%
Intermediate
60
%
Advanced/Expert
Comprehensive Review
Looking for one of the most remote ski vacations you can find in North America? Enter Kicking Horse, a majestic off-the-beaten path ski resort hidden amidst the mountains of Canada’s famed Powder Highway. Kicking Horse is more than three hours from the nearest international airport, but it stands out with some of the most iconic in-bounds ski terrain anywhere in the world.
So is Kicking Horse worth the effort of getting there? Let’s take a look.
Snow Quality
The Canadian Powder Highway is known for powder, and Kicking Horse easily delivers. While it doesn’t receive the highest accumulation totals in North America, low visitation and consistently cold temperatures allow Kicking Horse to preserve fresh snow for days or even weeks. Bad conditions in upper-mountain areas are quite rare, although lower elevations can become icy after a few days with no new snow.
Cold Spells
The biggest risk to a Kicking Horse trip is arguably a cold spell. A few times a year, the resort sees incredible temperature drops, with frigid temperatures as low as -40°F (-40°C). In the coldest conditions, the resort can shut down the gondola, effectively cutting off access to the mountain entirely.
Expert Terrain
Kicking Horse is an expert’s paradise. Some of the most intense in-bounds terrain in North America can be found in-bounds, with chutes, cliffs, and couloirs that are directly lift accessible. Kicking Horse boasts five tenuous ridges, and the most extraordinary runs exist off these cirques. Those who are not familiar with the ski resort should not mess around with Kicking Horse’s double-black terrain—runs can quickly cliff out or require mandatory straightlining with little to no notice.
Single-Black Advanced Terrain
Kicking Horse’s single-blacks are quite tough for the rating, with pitches that are much more similar to expert slopes at competing mountains. While “advanced”-level runs don’t require mandatory straightlining or cliff drops, they maintain other obstacles typical to expert-level runs. Those who aren’t tenured experts should probably start with a blue run before moving onto any of Kicking Horse’s advanced terrain.
Size and Terrain Layout
At just over 1,500 skiable acres, Kicking Horse isn’t the biggest destination in the Canadian Rockies. That being said, the resort boasts a commendable 3,500-foot lift-served vertical drop (the drop increases to over 4,300’ when hike-to terrain is considered) and manages to offer some flavor of everything across its footprint.
Kicking Horse is chiefly known for its bowls, but it has some incredible tree terrain as well. Upper-mountain areas have wider glades, while mid- and lower-mountain zones comprise thick—but still fully skiable—trees. Lower-mountain areas are chiefly made up of tree-defined trails. For non-hikers, Kicking Horse’s woods are the best place to find hidden powder stashes.
TRAIL MAP
Mountain Aesthetic
Kicking Horse’s backdrop looks like it’s straight out of a movie. Some of the most beautiful peaks in Canada are visible from every part of the resort. And this includes those within Kicking Horse itself—the peaks that comprise the ski area are truly breathtaking. Some may find the vista from the top of Kicking Horse to be the most beautiful they’ll ever see at a ski resort.
Lifts
Kicking Horse visitors will be seeing the resort’s stunning summit vista frequently thanks to one of the strangest lift set ups of any resort we’ve been to. The overwhelming majority of lift-serviced terrain is serviced by a singular gondola, the Golden Eagle Express, which spans from the bottom to the top of the resort. None of the upper-mountain terrain directly served by the gondola is accessible from any other lift. This means that in the bulk of cases, taking a run at Kicking Horse means venturing down the resort’s entire vertical drop. There are a few lifts that only serve part of the mountain, including the Stairway to Heaven chair which serves some very solid upper-mountain terrain, but all of them are slow, fixed grip chairs that mandate approximately 10-minute lift rides.
Run Length
Kicking Horse’s dependence on the lengthy gondola has profound implications for the resort’s overall experience. Runs are incredibly long, which will considerably wear down guests, even experts, as the day goes on. While there are some groomers, a substantial portion of terrain remains ungroomed—often continuously from top-to-bottom. As far as ski resorts go, it’s hard to find a more intense leg day than at Kicking Horse. It’s not out of the ordinary for guests to take only a handful of laps and then call it a day.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR KICKING HORSE
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Crowd Flow
Kicking Horse’s lack of upper-mountain lift redundancies makes the gondola a huge chokepoint. Despite the resort’s extremely remote location, gondola lift lines swell to considerable lengths during peak times, with nearly everyone at the resort spending most of their day lapping this workhorse lift. If it’s a busy day, the mid-mountain Stairway to Heaven chair is the place to escape the lines and still hit interesting terrain; a little more than half of its lift-serviced terrain is directly lappable.
Gondola Benefits
Despite its drawbacks, Kicking Horse’s gondola setup does have some tangible benefits. The cabins are excellent shields from the cold, especially on days with extremely frigid temperatures. On top of that, the resort’s runs are so long that it isn’t a huge inconvenience to take off your equipment every time you get on.
Hike-To Terrain
Approximately a quarter of Kicking Horse’s terrain is not directly lift-serviced, requiring hikes of varying lengths to reach. This hike-to terrain is an absolutely integral part of the Kicking Horse experience, with all high-alpine terrain off three of Kicking Horse’s five peaks—Terminator 1, Terminator 2, and Ozone—requiring bootpacking to reach.
These hikes service extremely tenuous expert terrain and a handful of single-black bowls. Terminator 2 is by far the longest hike away—taking about 45 minutes to reach from the gondola—but untouched powder there takes weeks to get tracked out. The Ozone-accessed Rudi’s Bowl, which hardly gets tracked due to a concealed entrance, probably offers the best combination of snow quality and hike time at the resort.
Beginner and Intermediate Terrain
Despite incredible terrain for experienced guests, beginner and intermediate visitors will quickly grow tired of Kicking Horse—and not just because of the tenuously long runs.
The only section of the upper mountain that features direct access to green and blue runs is the Crystal Bowl. There are technically three lower-level runs down this area—one green and two blues—but they’re all part of the same bowl and feel similar, making for an especially repetitive experience for guests of lower abilities. The Bowl Over is home to an intermediate runout, but getting there involves a journey down at least one black trail. That being said, some of these blacks are short and can be a good place for advanced-intermediates to test the waters on their abilities.
Greens and blues become more widespread in the lower mountain, but the painfully slow lifts that directly service them are not desirable to ride.
Ease of Navigation
Given Kicking Horse’s layout, it’s not too terrible to get around. On-piste signage is clear, and essentially all trails funnel back to the same base. But once you leave the defined trails, signage all but completely disappears. It’s tough to figure out the locations of the chutes off the ridges without consulting a local first.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR KICKING HORSE
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below areunisex.
On-Mountain Facilities
Kicking Horse’s on-mountain facilities aren’t anything too special, but they are pretty decent compared to some nearby competitors that significantly lack in this regard.
The Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, just off the top of the gondola, offers indoor seating with astounding views. However, its small size means seating is hard to come by during peak times. The only other mid-mountain facility is the Heaven’s Door Yurt Café—this small hut at the bottom of the Stairway to Heaven lift offers outdoor seating and provides a stopping point for guests not looking to journey all the way to the bottom to catch a breather.
Getting There
Kicking Horse is incredibly remote, and getting there is a commitment, especially for those coming from the United States. With no traffic, the nearest international airport is three hours away in Calgary; however, direct flights from outside of Canada are both somewhat limited and pricey. The somewhat smaller city of Kelowna is also four hours away, but international flights are even more limited.
All of the highways into Kicking Horse involve sections that are quite mountainous and narrow, and roads are subject to frequent winter closures. Those not looking to drive can book a private shuttle from the Calgary airport, but these chartered rides are incredibly expensive. If ease of access is a top priority, Kicking Horse is not the best choice.
Lodging
Kicking Horse offers a number of ski-in/ski-out accommodations, ranging from upscale hotels to luxury condos. Most of these options boast amenities such as pools or hot tubs. For those looking for economical quarters, the nearby town of Golden—approximately a 15-minute drive away—boasts bargain-basement but very cheap inns and motels. If you’re not staying on site, free parking is readily available, and even the overflow lots are reasonably convenient. If you want to bring an RV or camper van, Kicking Horse allows overnight access in some of these lots. There’s also a shuttle between Golden and the resort, and tickets are $5 CAD per way.
Aprés-ski
Kicking Horse features a small village, but the aprés experience is limited compared to other destinations. The resort base hosts a bar with social happy hour vibes, and live music is a regular occurrence on weekends. The nearby town of Golden also features a few sit-down bars and restaurants, but those looking for true late-night outings won’t find them here.
Nov 6, 2023 Written By Sam Weintraub
Verdict
So Kicking Horse makes very little sense for beginners and intermediates, those who want to moderate the length of their on-mountain laps, and guests looking for the biggest lift-serviced footprint. But the resort exemplifies the best natural traits of the Canadian Rockies, including world-class expert terrain, mind-blowing backdrops, and excellent snow preservation in key areas.
Pricing
Kicking Horse’s lift ticket rates are quite reasonable for the quality of slopes it provides, with 1-day adult rates topping out at just $159 CAD ($119 USD), which is substantially lower than most U.S. competitors. For tenured skiers and riders who can get behind the Kicking Horse program of fewer but more substantial laps, the resort is more than worth it.
Best Winter Wonderland Getaway
The resort is a true winter wonderland, with stunning scenery and fantastic skiing conditions. The après-ski activities were a blast, and the staff went out of their way to ensure everything ran smoothly. I especially enjoyed the variety of trails and the relaxing atmosphere after a day on the slopes.
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