
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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Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
The 2025 - 2026 season at Grouse Mountain closed on Apr 5, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Day passes start from CA$69, with peak rates up to CA$109.
Full day skiing at Grouse Mountain including Skyride access and all mountaintop activities. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain offers 33 ski runs with spectacular city and ocean views. Includes access to ice skating and other mountain attractions.
Buy passDiscounted skiing for seniors 65+ at Grouse Mountain. Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Vancouver, the Pacific Ocean, and North Shore Mountains. Grouse Mountain features 'The Cut' - named one of the world's top 100 runs by CNN Travel.
Buy passYouth skiing at Grouse Mountain for ages 13-18. Perfect for teen skiers wanting to experience Vancouver's most accessible ski resort. Grouse Mountain offers excellent night skiing and terrain parks with city lights as your backdrop.
Buy passChildren's skiing at Grouse Mountain for ages 6-12. Kids enjoy beginner-friendly slopes and ski school programs. Grouse Mountain provides a magical winter experience with easy access via the famous Skyride tramway.
Buy passUnlimited skiing at Grouse Mountain for 2 seasons (rest of current + all of next season). Y2Play Pass includes 2 free days at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, complimentary friend tickets, food discounts, and over $500 in added value. Vancouver's best ski pass deal.
Buy passMore Grouse Mountain intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.