The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Mont-Sainte-Anne's summit reaches 800 metres, dropping 625 vertical metres to a base at 175 metres across 71 runs spread over roughly 221 hectares near Quebec City, Quebec. Terrain splits 46 per cent intermediate, 21 per cent beginner, 20 per cent advanced and 13 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 3.5 metres. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Nine lifts, including four quad chairs and one gondola, serve the mountain alongside two surface lifts and two t-bars.
Mont-Sainte-Anne holds a genuinely significant place in Eastern Canadian skiing history, having installed Eastern Canada's first gondola at its 1966 opening, and is set to host alpine skiing and snowboard events at the 2027 Canada Winter Games, marking the Games' return to Quebec City for the first time in 60 years. Its considerable proximity to Quebec City and extensive night-skiing programme have built the resort's reputation as the city's primary mountain destination.
Local volunteers cut the first runs on the mountain in 1943, and the resort officially opened in January 1966 with ten trails and four lifts, including that pioneering gondola. The area was simultaneously established as a provincial park, with the ski operation run by the public Société des établissements de plein air du Québec until the Quebec government privatised it in 1994, transferring operations to Club Resorts under a 99-year lease.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies acquired Mont-Sainte-Anne in 1999, with businessman Murray Edwards taking control of RCR and its broader portfolio in 2001. The Quebec government committed 50 million Canadian dollars toward a 100 million dollar modernisation plan for the resort's infrastructure, announced in December 2024. Adult daily tickets run from 135 to 145 Canadian dollars.
625m
Vertical
71
Runs
547 acres
Skiable
4m
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
71 runs across 547 acres skiable
Mont Sainte Anne spreads 71 runs across 547 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 46%, with 15 beginner runs to find your feet and 23 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
71
runs
71 runs across 4 grades
Beginner15 runs · 21%
Intermediate33 runs · 46%
Advanced14 runs · 20%
Expert9 runs · 13%
Time it right
When to visit Mont Sainte Anne
The 2025-26 season at Mont-Sainte-Anne ran from 5 December 2025 to 20 April 2026, a roughly twenty-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 3.5 metres. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather near Quebec City.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Mont-Sainte-Anne's intermediate-weighted terrain. As an Epic Pass resort through Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' partnership with Vail Resorts, Mont-Sainte-Anne draws considerable visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside Quebec City residents.
Mont-Sainte-Anne's extensive night-skiing programme continues to draw strong weekday evening visitation from the Quebec City area throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's approachable, intermediate-weighted terrain.
The resort's infrastructure has been the subject of a Quebec government modernisation plan announced in December 2024, worth noting for anyone tracking the resort's investment trajectory. Since Resorts of the Canadian Rockies' 1999 acquisition, Mont-Sainte-Anne has continued building on more than eight decades of history since local volunteers cut the first runs in 1943. The resort's Olympic and Canada Winter Games heritage, including its confirmed role at the 2027 Games, remains central to its identity.
Season 2025 - 2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
20 Apr 2026
Closes
136
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Mont Sainte Anne, and where to stay
Mont-Sainte-Anne sits near Quebec City, Quebec, with a base elevation of 175 metres and a summit at 800 metres across a 625-metre vertical drop over roughly 221 hectares. This setting places the resort within a short drive of Quebec City, one of the more accessible major resorts relative to a significant Canadian city.
Beaupré and the broader Quebec City region offer extensive lodging, dining and services within a manageable drive of the resort, given its considerable proximity to the provincial capital.
Route 138 and Route 360 provide direct access to the resort from Quebec City. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled roads are regularly maintained given the resort's status as a major regional destination.
Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, roughly a 40-minute drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Mont-Sainte-Anne's considerable proximity to Quebec City supporting substantial day-trip and weekend visitation.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Mont Sainte Anne, powered by Stay22.
Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Mont Sainte Anne's ski season?
Mont Sainte Anne's 2025 - 2026 season typically runs from December 5 through April 20. That window is roughly 136 calendar days, though daily operations depend on snow cover, weather, and lift maintenance.
Resorts in Quebec, Canada often announce firm dates closer to winter; check the live snow report before you travel if you are planning around opening weekend or spring closure.
How much skiable terrain does Mont Sainte Anne have?
Mont Sainte Anne lists about 547 acres skiable of marked terrain spread across 71 named runs (221 hectares alongside 547 acres skiable). That footprint is what most riders experience on a lift-served day. Side-country or hike-to terrain may sit outside these published numbers.
Use the trail map to see how the mountain is laid out and where the longest fall-line runs connect back to base.
What is the terrain like at Mont Sainte Anne?
Trail grading at Mont Sainte Anne breaks down roughly as 21% beginner, 46% intermediate, 20% advanced, 13% expert. The mix is balanced enough for mixed-ability groups, so learners can stay on marked green/blue (Green/Blue) terrain while stronger skiers peel off to steeper pitches.
Percentages describe the resort's published piste mix, not vertical metres. A mountain with modest "expert" stats can still feel demanding if the steep terrain is long or exposed. Read the trail map alongside these numbers when planning your route.
How many lifts does Mont Sainte Anne have?
Mont Sainte Anne operates 9 lifts across 4 lift types. The fleet includes 4 quad chairs, 2 t-bars, 2 surface lifts, and 1 gondola.
Lift mix affects how quickly you can lap your favourite zones. Gondolas and trams move big crowds to mid-mountain, while shorter chairs and surface lifts often serve learning areas or local pods. Check the live snow report on ski days for real-time open/closed status.
What is the elevation and vertical drop at Mont Sainte Anne?
Base elevation at Mont Sainte Anne is about 175 m (574 ft), with the summit around 800 m (2,625 ft), giving roughly 625 m (2,051 ft) of vertical from base to top.
Higher start heights usually mean colder, drier snow holding longer into spring, but also thinner air and faster weather changes. Pack layers if you are riding from village level to summit lifts in one day.
How much snow does Mont Sainte Anne get each season?
Mont Sainte Anne averages about 350 cm (138 inches) of natural snowfall per season. That is a long-term climate figure. Any single winter can run well above or below it depending on storm track and temperature.
For trip planning, pair this baseline with the live snow report and webcams: fresh cycles show up in overnight totals and summit cameras long before season averages tell you much about today's surface.
Does Mont Sainte Anne accept the Epic?
Mont Sainte Anne is affiliated with the Epic. Pass holders should confirm current season benefits, blackout dates, and reservation rules on the pass issuer's site. Policies change year to year and can differ between international and domestic products.
If you are not on Epic, day tickets and multi-day bundles are still available; see the lift tickets page for published rates and purchase links.
Where can I buy Mont Sainte Anne lift tickets and how much do they cost?
Published single-day adult pricing on SnowStash currently spans CA$43 to CA$145, depending on date band and whether you are buying peak or regular windows. Tickets can be bought online through the resort's official checkout (linked from our lift tickets page) or at on-mountain ticket windows, subject to availability.
Buying ahead of peak holidays and weekends generally saves money and guarantees access on sold-out days. Before you commit, scan the snow report and webcams so you are paying for conditions that match your expectations.
How can I check snow and mountain conditions at Mont Sainte Anne before I go?
SnowStash pulls together 6 live mountain webcams, a downloadable piste map, and the daily snow report for Mont Sainte Anne so you can plan from home. Webcams refresh on a short interval and are the fastest way to judge visibility, wind exposure, and whether storm snow is still falling.
The snow report adds structured totals, base depth where available, and lift/trail status when the resort publishes it. Use both together: cameras show what it looks like right now, and the report summarises numbers your group can compare day to day.
Does Mont Sainte Anne have a trail map?
Yes. The downloadable PDF/image map is better for offline planning, marking meeting points, and understanding the full mountain layout at a glance.
Both versions are on the trail map page for Mont Sainte Anne. If you are navigating with kids or meeting friends across separate lifts, screenshot or print the static map and keep the live map open on your phone for operational updates.
Where is Mont Sainte Anne located?
Mont Sainte Anne sits in Quebec, Canada. That regional context matters for travel planning: airport transfers, snow tyres, and typical storm patterns all follow geography as much as resort marketing.
Browse nearby accommodation from the resort page if you are comparing village-base vs valley-base stays; where you sleep changes your first lift of the day more than most trail stats do.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
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.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
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.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
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.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
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.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
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.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
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.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
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%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
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.
26 Aug 2026