Kimberley
720 hectares, 80 runs near Kimberley. Abundant sunshine, long cruising runs, family-friendly, Epic Pass.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
12 Dec 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
120
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Kimberley's summit reaches 1,982 metres, dropping 752 vertical metres to a base at 1,230 metres across 80 runs spread over roughly 720 hectares near Kimberley, British Columbia. Terrain splits 42 per cent intermediate, 38 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and no dedicated expert terrain, with average annual snowfall of roughly 3.9 metres. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Five lifts, including one double chair, one quad chair and one triple chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift and one t-bar.
Kimberley holds a genuinely notable place among Canadian ski towns for its considerable sunshine, long marketed as among the sunniest ski destinations in British Columbia, and for a community rescue that saved the resort from closure in the late 1980s. Its long, cruising intermediate-and-advanced terrain has built Kimberley's reputation as a genuinely family-friendly Rockies destination.
The Kimberley Ski Resort Society, then a community-owned operation, was forced into bankruptcy in the late 1980s when interest rates climbed to 25 per cent. The City of Kimberley purchased the mortgage from the bank and took ownership of the hill, a move that saved more than 100 local jobs and kept the resort operating through a genuinely difficult period.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, founded in 1981 and today the largest private ski resort owner in North America, acquired Kimberley in the early 1990s alongside the adjacent Trickle Creek Golf Course and campground, and has operated it since. RCR's portfolio also includes Fernie, Kicking Horse and Nakiska. Adult daily tickets run from 139 to 159 Canadian dollars.
752m
Vertical
80
Runs
1,779 acres
Skiable
4m
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
80 runs across 1,779 acres skiable
Kimberley spreads 80 runs across roughly 720 hectares in the Purcell Mountains, with a 752-metre vertical between 1,230 and 1,982 metres. There is no expert-rated terrain, but the mix is strong through the middle, at 42% intermediate, 38% advanced and 20% beginner. That makes it a mountain of long cruisers and steeper tree runs rather than extreme lines. Snowfall is modest at about 3.9 metres a year, yet the sunny, settled weather that the East Kootenay is known for makes for comfortable skiing most days.
The mountain is organised into four faces: Northstar, Tamarack, Vimy Ridge and Black Forest. Northstar is mostly groomed greens and blues with small glade pockets, while Tamarack Ridge is an advanced, mostly black zone of open runs and more glades. Black Forest takes its name from the black diamond runs that skiers have cut and shaped on the back side of the mountain. Kimberley suits families, relaxed intermediates and advanced skiers who like glades and consistent pitch. Skiers wanting steep chutes or serious off-piste will find limited challenge, so expert riders should temper expectations before booking.
Terrain split
80
runs
80 runs across 4 grades
Beginner16 runs · 20%
Intermediate34 runs · 42%
Advanced30 runs · 38%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Kimberley
The 2025-26 season at Kimberley ran from 13 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 3.9 metres. The resort's considerable sunshine, among the most abundant of any BC ski destination, distinguishes its seasonal character from the wetter coastal resorts.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Kimberley's long, cruising terrain. As an Epic Pass resort through Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' partnership with Vail Resorts, Kimberley draws pass-holding visitors alongside families seeking a genuinely relaxed Rockies destination.
Kimberley's night-skiing programme and authentic mountain-town atmosphere continue to draw strong visitation throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's approachable terrain mix and considerable sunshine.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' acquisition in the early 1990s, Kimberley has continued building on its community-rescued history following the Kimberley Ski Resort Society's late 1980s bankruptcy. The resort's sunny reputation and family-friendly terrain remain central to its enduring appeal.
Season 2026 - 2027
12 Dec 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
120
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Kimberley, and where to stay
Kimberley sits near Kimberley, British Columbia, in the Purcell Mountains, with a base elevation of 1,230 metres and a summit at 1,982 metres across a 752-metre vertical drop over roughly 720 hectares. This setting places the resort in the East Kootenay region, close to the Alberta border.
The town of Kimberley itself, known for its Bavarian-themed downtown and considerable sunshine, offers extensive lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort.
British Columbia Highway 95A provides direct access to the resort from Kimberley. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled road is regularly maintained given the resort's status as a significant regional destination.
Calgary International Airport, roughly a three-and-a-half-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Kimberley's considerable distance from major population centres drawing a genuinely dedicated regional visitor base.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Kimberley, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Valle Nevado Extends Season to November 8 After 108 cm in 48 Hours
Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.
9 Oct 2026
Alps Snow Forecast: Cold Front Brings Thursday Snow to the High Alps
The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.
8 Oct 2026
California Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Mammoth Leads, Tahoe Follows
Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.
7 Oct 2026
Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: A-Basin and Keystone Race to Be First
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
5 Oct 2026
Dolomiti Superski 2026-27: Four New Gondolas, New Reservoirs and an €89 Peak Day Pass
Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
4 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Brian Head First, Eagle Point Out
Brian Head is targeting 6 November, though last year it aimed for 7 November and did not open until the 25th. Park City, Alta and Solitude are pencilled in for 20 November, Snowbird and Snowbasin for 27 November, and Deer Valley for 5 December. Eagle Point will stay closed after the Cottonwood Fire. A super El Niño is forecast, but the big snow is not expected until January.
4 Oct 2026
Hintertux Glacier Opens for 2026-27 With 12 Kilometres of Piste
Hintertux became Austria's second glacier to open for 2026-27 on Friday 2 October, after the Pitztal Glacier. Twelve kilometres of piste are running around the Olperer and Gefrorene Wand, served by one gondola and two drag lifts, with the Betterpark also open. Lifts officially run 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, but skiing stops at 2 pm for now.
4 Oct 2026
Vail Resorts Counts the Cost of a Thin Winter as Pass Sales Slide Further
A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.
3 Oct 2026
Kimberley Lift System
Kimberley runs five lifts: one double chair, one quad chair and one triple chair, serving 80 runs across roughly 720 hectares, alongside one surface lift and one t-bar. This network has developed considerably since the resort's community-owned origins under the Kimberley Ski Resort Society.
Following the City of Kimberley's rescue of the resort from bankruptcy in the late 1980s, and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' subsequent acquisition in the early 1990s, substantial investment supported the lift infrastructure that serves the mountain today.
The quad and triple chairs now distribute skiers efficiently across Kimberley's long, cruising intermediate-and-advanced terrain, a layout well suited to the resort's family-friendly reputation.
Under ongoing Resorts of the Canadian Rockies ownership, continued investment has supported this five-lift network as part of the Epic Pass system through RCR's partnership with Vail Resorts. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Kimberley's efficient lift network remains well matched to its considerable, family-oriented terrain.
5lifts across 5 types
1
Quad Chair
1
Triple Chair
1
Double Chair
1
T-Bar
1
Surface Lift
Kimberley lift system
Kimberley is served by 5 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 Kimberley intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.