Kicking Horse
1,411 hectares, 120 runs near Golden. Substantial vertical drop, dry powder, advanced terrain, Epic Pass.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
11 Dec 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
121
Annual snow
8.2m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Kicking Horse's summit reaches 2,505 metres, dropping 1,315 vertical metres to a base at 1,190 metres across 120 runs spread over roughly 1,411 hectares near Golden, British Columbia. Terrain splits 45 per cent advanced, 20 per cent each for beginner and intermediate, and 15 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 8.2 metres. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Six lifts, including two quad chairs and one double chair, serve the mountain alongside one gondola and two surface lifts.
Kicking Horse holds a genuinely distinctive place among Canadian resorts for its considerable vertical drop, among the largest in North America, and its consistently light, dry snow, long marketed by the resort as Champagne Powder. Its heavily advanced-and-expert-weighted terrain has built Kicking Horse's reputation as a serious big-mountain destination rather than a family-oriented resort.
The area began as Whitetooth Ski Area, a small, town-owned facility that opened in 1986 with the Pioneer Chair serving three runs on around 2,000 feet of vertical. Vancouver architect Oberto Oberti envisioned a considerably larger four-season resort in 1996, and the following year the local community voted 97 per cent in favour of selling the ski area to Oberti and the European development firm Ballast Nedam.
The resort opened in its current form as Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in December 2000. Resorts of the Canadian Rockies acquired the resort from its original developers in 2011, and Boyne Resorts has more recently taken ownership. Adult daily tickets run from 149 to 175 Canadian dollars.
1315m
Vertical
120
Runs
3,487 acres
Skiable
8.2m
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
120 runs across 3,487 acres skiable
Kicking Horse is a steep, serious mountain beside Golden, with 120 runs across roughly 1,411 hectares and a 1,315-metre vertical between 1,190 and 2,505 metres. The grading tells the story: 45% advanced and 15% expert, against 20% intermediate and 20% beginner. Four large bowls, Super Bowl, Bowl Over, Crystal Bowl and Feuz Bowl, merge about two-thirds of the way down, and the resort counts roughly 75 inbound chutes. Light, dry snow, close to 8.2 metres in a season, keeps the steeper terrain rewarding, and the bowls collect powder well after storms.
CPR Ridge offers advanced to expert chutes on one side and glades on the other, while Terminator Ridge sits beside Bowl Over and gives access to Super Bowl. Stairway to Heaven, a fixed chair, climbs from Crystal Bowl towards White Wall, Feuz Bowl and Redemption Ridge. Kicking Horse suits strong, fit skiers and powder chasers, and advanced intermediates stepping up with a guide will get plenty from it. Beginners have a smaller share of easy ground, so families wanting broad variety, or less sustained steeps, may prefer a gentler mountain.
Terrain split
120
runs
120 runs across 4 grades
Beginner24 runs · 20%
Intermediate24 runs · 20%
Advanced54 runs · 45%
Expert18 runs · 15%
Time it right
When to visit Kicking Horse
The 2025-26 season at Kicking Horse ran from 5 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 8.2 metres. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather conditions near Golden.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent, dry powder conditions to Kicking Horse's heavily advanced-weighted terrain. As an Epic Pass resort, Kicking Horse draws dedicated big-mountain skiers alongside Epic Pass holders seeking the resort's considerable vertical drop.
Kicking Horse's substantial, reliable snowfall continues to draw committed powder-seeking skiers throughout the season, with the resort's comparatively remote location offering lighter crowds than the busier Alberta Rockies resorts. School holiday periods bring some family visitation to the resort's more moderate lower-mountain terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since opening in its current form in December 2000, Kicking Horse has continued building on nearly four decades of history since Whitetooth Ski Area's 1986 founding. The resort's considerable vertical drop and dry snow remain central to its enduring appeal among dedicated skiers.
Season 2026 - 2027
11 Dec 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
121
Days open
8.2 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Kicking Horse
Daily snow reports at Kicking Horse go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
37 cm
Snowiest day
19 Dec 2025
47 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
307 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Kicking Horse, and where to stay
Kicking Horse sits near Golden, British Columbia, with a base elevation of 1,190 metres and a summit at 2,505 metres across a 1,315-metre vertical drop over roughly 1,411 hectares. This considerable vertical places Kicking Horse among the more dramatically situated resorts in the Canadian Rockies.
The town of Golden, a small but growing mountain community, offers lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort, providing a considerably quieter alternative to the busier Banff and Whistler corridors.
The Trans-Canada Highway provides direct access to the resort from Golden. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment given the mountainous terrain surrounding the area.
Calgary International Airport, roughly a three-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Kicking Horse's comparatively remote British Columbia location drawing a genuinely dedicated visitor base seeking the resort's considerable vertical and consistent powder.
Where to stay
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Hotels and lodges near Kicking Horse, powered by Stay22.
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1 Nov 2026
Kicking Horse Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 13 Nov 2026
2505m
summit
+2cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast-6°C / 2°C · SW 8km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
2cm
48 hours
2cm
7 days
26cm
Base depth
29cm
Season total
47cm
Typical winter 307cm
Total lifts6
Live open status isn’t available right now.
11 Dec 2026 - 11 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 13 hours· Updated Nov 12, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
2,242 mUpdated Nov 12, 2026 at 6:32 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
5.3cm
Days 8–14
6.9cm
Sat, Nov 14
Overcast
Temp2° / -6°°C
Snow0.0cm(7%)
Wind8 km/h SW
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Kicking Horse snow report
Kicking Horse snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this British Columbia resort on the Epic.
Snow measurements
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1190m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 1315m higher at 2505m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Kicking Horse's 1190m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
We pull Kicking Horse's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 6 lifts, including 2 quad chairlifts and a gondola.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.