Banff Sunshine Named Best Overall Ski Destination in North America by OnTheSnow

Michael Fulton18 Apr 2026

TL;DR

Banff Sunshine in Alberta has taken out OnTheSnow's Best Overall Ski Destination award for North America, voted on by the platform's users. The award was presented at the Mountain Travel Symposium in Whistle, British Columbia.

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Banff Sunshine has been named the Best Overall Ski Destination in North America by OnTheSnow's annual Visitors' Choice Awards

The award was presented at the Mountain Travel Symposium in Whistler, British Columbia, with Banff Sunshine selected from hundreds of North American resorts based on user ratings and reviews submitted through OnTheSnow's website and app.

OnTheSnow's audience collectively posts thousands of firsthand resort reports each season, rating destinations across categories including terrain variety, après-ski, and family offerings. Banff Sunshine came out on top in the overall category, which reflects a combination of those factors rather than any single metric.

The award from OnTheSnow for Best Overall Resort 2026.

What Banff Sunshine offers

Located in Banff National Park, Banff Sunshine covers more than 3,300 acres across three mountains, with over 130 marked trails and more than 1,067 metres of vertical. The resort is part of the SkiBig3 collective alongside Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mt. Norquay, and between the three, the area covers a wide range of ability levels - from accessible beginner terrain and wide groomed runs through to above-treeline bowls, expert chutes, and off-piste skiing.

SkiBig3 President Pete Woods pointed to the natural snow record, high-alpine terrain, and the national park setting as key factors behind repeat visitation, describing the offering as "winter, done right."

The trail map at Banff Sunshine ski resort in Alberta.

Other category winners

Six other resorts were recognised across OnTheSnow's Visitors' Choice Award categories. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort took out Best All-Mountain Terrain, Telluride won Best Après-Ski, and Wolf Creek was named Best Small Ski Area. Winter Park picked up Most Family-Friendly, Purgatory was recognised as Best Ski Area for Beginners, and Copper Mountain won Best Terrain Park.

About the author

Michael Fulton

Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

50+ resorts visited15 years skiing

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