Mount Cain
40 hectares, 21 runs on Vancouver Island's North Island. Volunteer-run, non-profit, substantial snowfall.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
5 Apr 2026
Days open
120
Annual snow
9m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Mount Cain's summit reaches 1,610 metres, dropping 420 vertical metres to a base at 1,190 metres across 21 runs spread over roughly 40 hectares on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and 5 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 9.0 metres. Two t-bars serve the mountain, with no chairlifts or gondolas.
Mount Cain holds a genuinely distinctive place among Canadian ski areas as a volunteer-run, non-profit resort on Vancouver Island's North Island, built almost entirely through community effort rather than commercial development. Its considerable, reliable snowfall combined with a deliberately unpolished, grassroots character has built Mount Cain's reputation as an authentic alternative to the commercially operated resorts elsewhere in the province.
Forester Julius Kapitany led the search for a suitable ski hill site on Vancouver Island's North Island, and a ski club had formed by the 1970s, installing a loaner rope tow in the West Bowl. The Mount Cain Alpine Park Society was formally incorporated on 31 August 1977, with local forestry and other industries donating time, equipment and expertise to build the area's earliest infrastructure.
An access road opened in 1978, followed by a lodge in 1979, and by the late 1980s two t-bars were operating with most of the present-day runs open. The hill remains run mostly by volunteers today, many of whom work in the North Vancouver Island forest industry, as a non-profit society. Adult daily tickets run from 56 to 65 Canadian dollars.
420m
Vertical
21
Runs
99 acres
Skiable
9m
Annual snow
The Terrain
21 runs across 99 acres skiable
Mount Cain spreads 21 runs across 99 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 4 beginner runs to find your feet and 7 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
21
runs
21 runs across 4 grades
Beginner4 runs · 20%
Intermediate9 runs · 45%
Advanced6 runs · 30%
Expert1 run · 5%
Time it right
When to visit Mount Cain
The 2025-26 season at Mount Cain ran from 6 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 9.0 metres. Season dates can shift depending on volunteer availability and weather conditions on Vancouver Island's North Island.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent, substantial snowfall to Mount Cain's terrain. As a volunteer-run resort without major multi-resort pass affiliation, Mount Cain draws a genuinely dedicated visitor base from across Vancouver Island seeking an authentic, uncommercialised ski experience.
Mount Cain's considerable, reliable snowfall continues to draw committed skiers throughout the season, many of whom contribute to the volunteer effort that keeps the non-profit hill running. School holiday periods bring some family visitation, though the resort's remote location and grassroots operation suit dedicated skiers best.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Mount Cain continues to build on nearly five decades of history since the Mount Cain Alpine Park Society's 1977 incorporation. The resort's volunteer-run, non-profit character remains central to its identity each season on Vancouver Island's North Island.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
120
Days open
9 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Mount Cain, and where to stay
Mount Cain sits on Vancouver Island's North Island, British Columbia, with a base elevation of 1,190 metres and a summit at 1,610 metres across a 420-metre vertical drop over roughly 40 hectares. This remote setting places the resort well away from Vancouver Island's more populated southern communities.
The resort's own basic lodge, built in 1979, provides limited on-site facilities, with the nearest towns, including Port McNeill and Woss, offering additional lodging and services at a considerable distance.
A dedicated access road, opened in 1978, provides the only route to the resort. Winter driving conditions on this remote forestry-adjacent road can include significant snow and ice, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment and check conditions before departing given the area's genuine remoteness.
Comox Valley Airport, a considerable drive away, provides the nearest regional air access on Vancouver Island, with Mount Cain's remote North Island location drawing a genuinely dedicated visitor base rather than convenient day-trip traffic.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Mount Cain, powered by Stay22.
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