Mount Norquay

Situated in Alberta’s Banff National Park, Mount Norquay is one of the oldest ski areas in Canada. The resort is smaller and less unique terrain-wise than most other Canadian Rockies destinations, but it does have some valuable strengths and shouldn’t be ruled out by everyone.

Despite being a part of SkiBig3, Norquay is decidedly small. At just 190 skiable acres, the resort is much more comparable in size to local hills than destination resorts. The resort only takes up part of its eponymous mountain, and the extraordinarily technical upper-mountain footprint is out of bounds.

But Norquay’s position makes sense, given it is essentially Banff’s town hill. The resort feels the least touristy out of the three Banff resorts, and most guests are frequenters from the local vicinity. Norquay also isn’t short on the absolutely phenomenal mountain views enjoyed by other Canadian Rockies resorts, and some of the most distinctive peaks in Banff are directly visible from the resort proper.

Norquay sees very good snow throughout the winter, with high-quality conditions during the core season. However, the snow isn’t quite as consistent as the other, higher-elevation SkiBig3 resorts. The resort boasts strong grooming and early-season snowmaking operations, but ungroomed and glade runs can sustain thin cover or icy conditions, especially near the bottom. In addition, Norquay doesn’t see the same exceptionally long seasons as Sunshine and Lake Louise; the resort can get rain in April or May, while the other two still get snow.

But Norquay does have one significant advantage over its SkiBig3 companions: a sheltered footprint. Given its northern location, the resort sees a handful of significant cold spells throughout the season. But since Norquay sits at a lower elevation than the other Banff mountains, it doesn’t typically get quite as cold. The resort is also way less exposed than Sunshine and Lake Louise, and its tree-covered footprint keeps it very well sheltered from the elements.

Norquay isn’t the largest or toughest mountain in the world, but it has enough variety to satisfy guests of various abilities. Runs of similar difficulty tend to be congregated in the same area, leading to general insulation for differently-leveled visitors.

The overwhelming majority of green trails live off the Cascade zone and lower half of the neighboring Spirit zone; the bottom section of Cascade features a sequestered bunny hill served by a magic carpet. The Cascade zone also hosts a very small terrain park, with features that are mostly small in nature.

Intermediate terrain at Norquay is somewhat limited. The Mystic zone services most of Norquay’s blue runs, but many are on the steeper side and may be a bit tenuous for inexperienced visitors. That being said, a few of the blacks off Mystic are groomed, and the easiest blacks aren’t too much harder than the steepest blues. A number of Norquay’s blue (and green) trails sit next to glade terrain that’s appropriately pitched for intermediate guests.

Those who have reached advanced proficiency will find Norquay a neat little mountain. The North American chair—and, to a lesser extent, the Mystic lift as well—serve intense mogul runs, making the resort a solid option for a leg day. The North American lift is not for the faint of heart—the exit is one of the most difficult we’ve tried from a ski lift, requiring a narrow traverse to quickly get out of the way.

But those searching for true extremes will want to look elsewhere. The hardest runs at Norquay are quite steep, but none are truly extreme or especially long. Experienced guests looking to get a true cardio burn will likely need a few laps to do so.

Norquay’s lift setup might look pretty antiquated on paper, but it’s actually quite a bit better than it appears at a first glance. You might not expect any tricks from a six-decade-old fixed-grip double, but Norquay’s North American lift is actually a one-of-a-kind pulse chair—this lift has its chairs in close-together bunches, running at the speed of a normal fixed-grip lift when chairs are at the terminals but speeding up to a pace close to a normal detachable chair at all other times. This makes for a surprisingly brisk ride up Norquay’s chief advanced-oriented area. In addition, the Mystic chair, which is hidden at the north end of the resort, is a true detachable chair. Norquay’s other two lifts—the Cascade and Spirit quads—are slow, but both are relatively short, and most of their terrain can technically be accessed from the faster lifts.

A very small portion of Norquay’s advanced terrain requires hiking to reach. The runs off these hikes aren’t anything overly special, but they hold snow longer than the directly lift-serviced runs.

As a much smaller alternative to Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, Norquay rarely sees any notable crowds. Even on weekends and holidays, lift lines are practically nonexistent. The North American lift’s pulse setup results in an extraordinarily low carrying capacity, but the limited visitation paired with the chair’s expert-oriented nature means this is rarely a problem.

But despite its compact dimensions, Norquay isn’t exactly the easiest mountain to get around. The resort could use an upgrade to its on-mountain directions—signage from the base to the Spirit and Mystic chairs is essentially nonexistent, and the primary trail to reach these lifts is relatively flat. In addition, even though the Mystic pod isn’t that far from the base, guests will have to ride the Spirit chair first to return from that area.

But when back at the base, guests will find themselves a pretty nice chalet. Norquay’s Cascade Lodge is a great place to stop in for a break, offering good, reasonably priced food and lots of room. Guests may notice a summit lodge at the top of the North American lift, but it’s only open on peak weekends and holidays.

Norquay is the only ski resort in Banff to offer night skiing. The footprint is small, only comprising a handful of beginner trails and the terrain park. But for night owls looking to satisfy a ski itch, it’s better than nothing.

Getting There

Norquay is a 15-minute drive from the Banff city center, which itself is a 1.5 hour drive from the Calgary International Airport with no traffic. The resort runs free shuttle bus services to and from town, and there are several bus options available to town from the airport. Both Banff proper and Norquay are within Banff National Park, and it’s worth noting that those driving must purchase a park pass to drive to the resort. The last few miles of the road up to Norquay are windy and narrow, and conditions can vary throughout the winter.

Lodging

Norquay does not offer any on-site accommodations, but an extensive array of lodging options exist nearby in Banff. Options in Banff can be found for any budget, ranging from economical shared-room hostels to the ultra-luxury Fairmont hotels. For those looking for a bit better value from their accommodations, the town of Canmore sits 25 minutes from Norquay and 20 minutes from Banff proper.

Aprés-ski

Norquay is a small mountain with no real base village, and aprés at the resort itself is limited. However, there is a modest happy hour scene at the base lodge.

Options become much more substantial in the town of Banff itself, with several bars, restaurants, and activities to keep guests entertained. The venues are close to one another, making it easy to bar hop.

Verdict

Norquay makes absolutely no sense to visit as a destination trip, especially given the presence of much larger Sunshine Village and Lake Louise nearby. But for those staying in Banff with a few hours to kill, it’s not a terrible option. Norquay is an old school, no-frills hill, and few other areas offer the same combination of empty slopes and majestic surroundings.