Marmot Basin
696 hectares, 91 runs in Jasper National Park. High elevation, uncrowded terrain, Indy Pass access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
25 Nov 2026
Closes
2 May 2027
Days open
158
Annual snow
4.5m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Marmot Basin's summit reaches 2,612 metres, dropping 914 vertical metres to a base at 1,698 metres across 91 runs spread over roughly 696 hectares within Jasper National Park, Alberta. Terrain splits 30 per cent each for beginner and intermediate, 20 per cent each for advanced and expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 4.5 metres. The resort carries Indy and Mountain Collective affiliation. Seven lifts, including four quad chairs, one double chair and one triple chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Marmot Basin holds a genuinely distinctive place among Canadian Rockies resorts as Jasper National Park's sole ski area, sitting among the highest base elevations of any resort in Canada. This considerable elevation, combined with comparatively light crowds relative to the busier Banff-area resorts, has built Marmot's reputation as an uncrowded, high-alpine alternative within the Rockies.
Joe Weiss first guided cross-country skiers into Marmot Basin via Whistlers Creek in the 1920s, and the first trail was blazed from the Athabasca Valley the following decade. The British Army used the basin for alpine training manoeuvres in 1942, before operator Toby Rayner built the first tow rope in 1961 out of spare parts salvaged from an old British Army truck.
Marmot Basin Ski-Lifts Ltd officially launched operations in Jasper National Park in 1964. The ski area remains owned and operated today by Rocky Mountain Skiing Incorporated, on land leased from the federal government of Canada. Adult daily tickets run at a flat 149 Canadian dollars.
914m
Vertical
91
Runs
1,720 acres
Skiable
4.5m
Annual snow
Indy / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
91 runs across 1,720 acres skiable
Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park is a compact, well-balanced mountain with 91 runs across about 696 hectares. It drops 914 metres from the 2,612-metre summit to a base at 1,698 metres, and the grading is unusually even: 30% beginner, 30% intermediate, 20% advanced and 20% expert. With about 4.5 metres of snowfall a year it is not the deepest of the Rockies resorts, but the layout is easy to read and the steeper terrain is a larger share than most skiers expect. Families can ski together here without anyone getting bored or out of their depth.
The Knob Chair reaches the highest terrain, with Charlie's Bowl, Party Slope and several steep chutes. The Paradise Chair covers black runs that are best on powder days, while Eagle Ridge opens the Chalet Slope trees and leads across to Eagle East, a small pocket of double black runs with rocky features and tight trees. Caribou Ridge adds bumps and natural hits for freeriders. Beginners have their own gentle slopes below. Marmot suits families, progressing intermediates and advanced skiers wanting steep, uncrowded lines, and its mix is hard to match among Alberta's mid-size mountains.
Terrain split
91
runs
91 runs across 4 grades
Beginner27 runs · 30%
Intermediate27 runs · 30%
Advanced18 runs · 20%
Expert18 runs · 20%
Time it right
When to visit Marmot Basin
The 2025-26 season at Marmot Basin ran from 21 November 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 4.5 metres at the resort's considerable elevation. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather in Jasper National Park.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Marmot's evenly balanced terrain. As an Indy and Mountain Collective resort, Marmot draws pass-holding visitors alongside travellers seeking Jasper National Park's comparatively uncrowded alpine scenery relative to the busier Banff corridor.
Marmot's considerable elevation and family-friendly terrain mix continue to support strong visitation throughout the season from across Alberta and beyond. School holiday periods bring family visitation given the resort's evenly split terrain across all ability levels.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Marmot Basin continues to build on more than six decades of history since its 1964 founding as Marmot Basin Ski-Lifts Ltd, itself following decades of informal skiing dating to Joe Weiss's 1920s guided tours. The resort's high elevation and Jasper National Park setting remain central to its enduring appeal.
Season 2026 - 2027
25 Nov 2026
Opens
2 May 2027
Closes
158
Days open
4.5 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Marmot Basin
Daily snow reports at Marmot Basin go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
22 cm
Snowiest day
10 Dec 2025
88 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
362 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Marmot Basin, and where to stay
Marmot Basin sits within Jasper National Park, Alberta, with a base elevation of 1,698 metres and a summit at 2,612 metres across a 914-metre vertical drop over roughly 696 hectares. This considerable base elevation places Marmot among the highest-base ski areas in Canada.
The town of Jasper, a genuine national park community, offers extensive lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort, providing a considerably quieter alternative to the busier Banff townsite further south.
Alberta Highway 93A and the Icefields Parkway provide direct access to the resort from Jasper. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, and the resort's location within a remote national park means travellers should carry appropriate equipment.
Edmonton International Airport, roughly a four-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Jasper's considerable distance from major population centres drawing a genuinely dedicated visitor base seeking a quieter Rockies experience.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Marmot Basin, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Sierra Nevada Halloween Storm: Dodge Ridge Forecast to Lead With 19 Inches
Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.
31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Arapahoe Basin Opens First for North America’s 2026/27 Ski Season
Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
28 Oct 2026
Marmot Basin Lift System
Marmot Basin runs seven lifts: one double chair, four quad chairs and one triple chair, serving 91 runs across roughly 696 hectares within Jasper National Park, alongside one surface lift. This network traces back to the resort's first tow rope, built in 1961 from spare parts salvaged from an old British Army truck.
That improvised early lift gave way to considerably more substantial infrastructure following Marmot Basin Ski-Lifts Ltd's official 1964 launch, with quad and triple chairs installed across subsequent decades of operation by Rocky Mountain Skiing Incorporated.
The four quad chairs now distribute skiers evenly across Marmot's balanced terrain mix, split evenly between beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert sections, while the double chair and triple chair provide additional capacity across the mountain's varied elevation.
Under ongoing operation by Rocky Mountain Skiing Incorporated on land leased from the federal government, continued investment has supported this seven-lift network. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Marmot's well-balanced lift network remains suited to its identity as Jasper National Park's sole, high-elevation ski destination.
7lifts across 4 types
4
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
1
Double Chair
1
Surface Lift
Marmot Basin lift system
Marmot Basin is served by 7 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Marmot Basin intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.