
Grouse Mountain
86 hectares, 33 runs in North Vancouver. Celebrating 100 years in 2026, closest resort to downtown Vancouver.
Grouse Mountain's summit reaches 1,250 metres, dropping 369 vertical metres to a base at 881 metres across 33 runs spread over roughly 86 hectares in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Terrain splits 48 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent advanced, 12 per cent beginner and 10 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 9.2 metres. Seven lifts, including one aerial tram, four quad chairs, one triple chair and one gondola, serve the mountain.
Grouse Mountain marks its 100th anniversary as a ski resort in 2026, having operated continuously since its inaugural season in 1926, and remains one of Vancouver's most visited natural attractions across all seasons. Its considerable proximity to downtown Vancouver has built Grouse's reputation as the city's most accessible mountain, drawing both dedicated skiers and casual day visitors.
The mountain was named in October 1894 by the first recorded hikers to reach its summit, who hunted a Blue Grouse along the way and honoured the bird in naming the peak. The Cromie family, then owners of the Vancouver Sun newspaper, purchased Grouse Mountain for 75,000 Canadian dollars in 1945, before Andrew Saxton Sr and a group of investors bought the mountain from the Cromies in 1964.
The McLaughlin family gained a controlling interest in 1974 and purchased the remaining shares in 1989 to achieve full private ownership. Grouse Mountain now operates as a Northland Properties company, remaining locally family owned. A new Grouse Gravity Coaster opened in spring 2026 as part of the resort's centennial celebrations. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 109 Canadian dollars.
Grouse Mountain spreads 33 runs across 213 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 48%, with 4 beginner runs to find your feet and 13 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season at Grouse Mountain ran from 22 November 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 9.2 metres. This season also marked Grouse's 100th anniversary as a ski resort, having first opened for skiing in 1926.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Grouse's intermediate-weighted terrain. Given its considerable proximity to Vancouver, Grouse draws a genuinely broad visitor base, from dedicated local skiers to casual visitors combining skiing with the mountain's other attractions.
Grouse's night-skiing programme continues to draw strong weekday evening visitation from Vancouver throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's considerable proximity to the city and year-round attractions.
The resort's centennial celebrations, marketed as Grouse100, ran throughout the 2025-26 season alongside standard operations, including the spring 2026 opening of the new Grouse Gravity Coaster. Grouse Mountain continues to build on a full century of history since its 1926 founding under Northland Properties' family ownership. The resort's Vancouver proximity and centennial milestone remain central to its identity this season.
Grouse Mountain sits in North Vancouver, British Columbia, on the North Shore mountains, with a base elevation of 881 metres and a summit at 1,250 metres across a 369-metre vertical drop over roughly 86 hectares. This setting places Grouse within Metro Vancouver, closer to downtown than any other resort in the region.
North Vancouver and the broader Metro Vancouver region offer extensive lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort, given Grouse's position essentially within the city's boundaries.
Nancy Greene Way provides direct access to the resort's base, from where the Skyride aerial tram carries visitors up the mountain. Winter driving conditions on the approach road can include snow and ice at higher elevations.
Vancouver International Airport, roughly a 45-minute drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Grouse's considerable proximity to downtown Vancouver making it a genuinely convenient option for international visitors and local skiers alike.
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Grouse Mountain runs seven lifts: one aerial tram, four quad chairs, one triple chair and one gondola, serving 33 runs across roughly 86 hectares. This network has developed across a full century of continuous operation since the resort's inaugural 1926 ski season.
The aerial tram, known as the Skyride, provides the primary means of ascent from the base to the ski area, a distinctive feature among Vancouver-area resorts given the mountain's considerable year-round tourist traffic beyond skiing alone.
The four quad chairs and triple chair distribute skiers across Grouse's intermediate-weighted terrain, supporting both dedicated skiers and the considerable casual visitor traffic drawn to the mountain's city views.
Under Northland Properties' ongoing family ownership, continued investment has supported this seven-lift network, including the new Grouse Gravity Coaster that opened in spring 2026 as part of the resort's centennial celebrations. Specific further planned lift projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Grouse's compact lift network remains well suited to its dual identity as both a ski resort and Vancouver's most visited natural attraction.
More Grouse Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.