Manning Park
57 hectares, 34 runs within E.C. Manning Provincial Park. Affordable family skiing, kids 6 and under free.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
11 Dec 2026
Closes
4 Apr 2027
Days open
114
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.
Manning Park's summit reaches 1,789 metres, dropping 432 vertical metres to a base at 1,357 metres across 34 runs spread over roughly 57 hectares within E.C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent each for advanced and beginner, and no dedicated expert terrain, with average annual snowfall of roughly 8.2 metres. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Three lifts, including one quad chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift and one t-bar.
Manning Park holds a genuinely distinctive place among British Columbia ski areas as one of three provincial government-developed resorts opened in the early 1960s under Premier W.A.C. Bennett, alongside Cypress Bowl and Mount Seymour. Its considerable affordability and family-friendly, uncrowded terrain have built Manning Park's reputation as a genuine value destination within a two-hour drive of Vancouver.
E.C. Manning Provincial Park was established in 1941 through the work of Chief Forester E.C. Manning and Minister of Lands Arthur Wellesley Gray. The completion of the Hope-Princeton Highway in 1949 made the park accessible by motor vehicle for the first time, and the original lodge, a single building known as Pinewoods, gave way to chalets built in 1950 and standard cottages added through the 1960s.
The provincial government put its three ski areas, including Manning Park's Gibson Pass ski area, up for sale by 1986. Kevin Demers acquired Manning Park Resort in April 2013, with the resort's operating permit covering all commercial buildings, the ski hill, nordic trails and equipment. Adult daily tickets run from 35 Canadian dollars on weekdays to 45 on weekends.
432m
Vertical
34
Runs
141 acres
Skiable
8.2m
Annual snow
Indy
Pass
The Terrain
34 runs across 141 acres skiable
Manning Park, home to the Gibson Pass ski area, is a small provincial park hill and is best approached that way, with about 57 hectares, 34 runs and a 432-metre vertical between 1,357 and 1,789 metres. The grading is simple at 40% intermediate, 30% beginner and 30% advanced, with no expert terrain. It sits high enough to hold reliable snow, around 8.2 metres in a season, but it is a short day for strong skiers. Its appeal is the relaxed, uncrowded feel, the low cost and the setting inside a large provincial park, about two hours from Vancouver.
A new quad chair installed for the 2019-20 season replaced the old Orange Chair and now serves most of the runs, while a t-bar and surface lift cover the learning areas. There is a terrain park, and a tubing lane keeps non-skiers entertained between ski sessions. Manning suits beginners, families and Vancouver day-trippers on a budget, plus intermediates who simply want to build mileage. Advanced skiers will find some pitch but little variety, so treat it as a quiet local day rather than a destination.
Terrain split
34
runs
34 runs across 4 grades
Beginner10 runs · 30%
Intermediate14 runs · 40%
Advanced10 runs · 30%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Manning Park
The 2025-26 season at Manning Park ran from 13 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 8.2 metres. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather within the provincial park.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Manning Park's beginner-and-intermediate-weighted terrain. As an Indy Pass resort, Manning Park draws considerable value-focused visitation, with free lift access for children aged six and under adding to its family appeal.
Manning Park's considerable affordability continues to draw budget-conscious families and day visitors from the Lower Mainland throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's approachable terrain and pricing structure.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Kevin Demers' 2013 acquisition, Manning Park has continued building on more than six decades of history since the provincial government first developed the ski area in the early 1960s. The resort's affordability and provincial park setting remain central to its enduring family appeal.
Season 2026 - 2027
11 Dec 2026
Opens
4 Apr 2027
Closes
114
Days open
8.2 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Manning Park
Daily snow reports at Manning Park go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
57 cm
Snowiest day
30 Mar 2026
0 cm
This winter · 2026-27
so far
478 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Manning Park, and where to stay
Manning Park sits within E.C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, with a base elevation of 1,357 metres and a summit at 1,789 metres across a 432-metre vertical drop over roughly 57 hectares. This setting places the resort within a large provincial park roughly two hours from Vancouver.
The resort's own lodge and cottages, developed from the original Pinewoods building through the 1950s and 1960s, provide accommodation directly within the park, with no separate town nearby.
Highway 3, the Hope-Princeton Highway, provides direct access to the resort, a route completed in 1949 that first made the park accessible by vehicle. Winter driving conditions on this mountain highway can include snow and ice, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment.
Vancouver International Airport, roughly a two-and-a-half-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Manning Park's considerable distance from the airport balanced by its status as a genuinely affordable day-trip and weekend option from the Lower Mainland.
Where to stay
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Manning Park Lift System
Manning Park runs three lifts: one quad chair, one t-bar and one surface lift, serving 34 runs across roughly 57 hectares within E.C. Manning Provincial Park. This modest network reflects the resort's origins as one of three provincial government-developed ski areas opened in the early 1960s.
The lift infrastructure has remained comparatively compact since those origins, with the quad chair providing the resort's primary lift-served access across its beginner-and-intermediate-weighted terrain.
The t-bar and surface lift serve the mountain's gentler learning areas, supporting Manning Park's reputation as a genuinely approachable, family-oriented ski area within the provincial park.
Since Kevin Demers acquired the resort in April 2013, continued investment has supported this three-lift network according to the operator's own priorities within the provincial park framework. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Manning Park's compact lift network remains well suited to its identity as an affordable, family-friendly provincial park resort.
3lifts across 3 types
1
Quad Chair
1
T-Bar
1
Surface Lift
Manning Park lift system
Manning Park is served by 3 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 Manning Park intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.