Cypress Mountain Ski Hill

Cypress Mountain is Metro Vancouver’s largest ski hill and it features fantastic downhill slopes, cross-country skiing, Snowshoe Trails and a tubing park.

The resort is located in Cypress Provincial Park which also has hiking trails and backcountry camping opportunities. Cypress opened for the 2023/24 season on December 7th. It closed on April 14th.

This article contains the following information:

Cypress Ski Resort in West Vancouver

Home to some of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Cypress Mountain is the most advanced of Vancouver’s local ski hills. It has the most vertical drop, terrain and lifts.

Located in West Vancouver, Cypress Mountain boasts 53 runs, six chairs, 600 acres (240 hectares) of terrain and 610 metres in vertical elevation.

This is more than either of its two neighbouring competitor ski hills, which are Mount Seymour and Grouse Mountain. However, some argue that Seymour is the best ski hill for beginners and young families while Grouse offers the most year-round activities, is the most accessible due to its Skyride and the most panoramic in views.

All three of the North Shore’s ski hills are “best places” to ski for their own reasons. However, with “the most vertical drop, most terrain and most lifts,” Cypress is the local hill that Vancouverites tend to ski at after they outgrow Seymour and Grouse. It’s also where more serious skiers go when they don’t want to drive all the way to Whistler.

Cypress has some of the region’s best cross-country ski terrain too, along with some of the most extensive artificial snow-making equipment in BC. The resort also has a new Sky Quad lift system as of the 2022/2023 season. It’s a smooth and efficient improvement built with the latest lift technology.

Click Lower Mainland Ski Hills for general information about all the region’s various ski resorts (including a comparison of the different mountains). Or continue reading for information specifically about Cypress.

Cypress Mountain

2023/2024 Cypress Mountain Ski Season

The ski season at Cypress typically runs from late November/early December until sometime in April.

The 2023/2024 season started on December 7th, 2023. The previous season ended on April 16th.

Recent Ski Conditions

On April 14th, 2024, there had been 586 centimetres of snow reported for the season. There was 30 centimetres of new snow in the previous week. 270 centimetres of snow was at the base.

Cypress Ski Hill Activities

Not only does Cypress offer some of the best downhill skiing on the North Shore, but it also offers some of the best cross-country trails.

The downhill skiing takes place on two mountains that face each other, which is why the resort is also called Cypress Bowl. The mountains that make up the downhill skiing area are Mount Strachan and Black Mountain. There is also Hollyburn Mountain where the cross-country, snowshoeing and tubing take place.

People on Cypress Chair

Cypress 2024 Ticket Prices

Below are ticket costs at Cypress from the beginning of the 2023/2024 season for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and downhill skiing. Parking at the resort is free, although at peak times there is sometimes a charge for the lots closest to the lodge and the ski hill base.

(Note: 2023/2024 rates were subject to change. See the Cypress Mountain website for the latest details.)

2023/2024 Cross-Country Ski Rates

In 2023/2024, cross-country rates at Cypress when purchased online were the following:

Adults (ages 19-64): up to $34 for a full day
Seniors (ages 65+): up to $23 for a full day
Youth (ages 13-18): up to $23 for a full day
Children (ages 6-12): up to $17 for a full day
Skooters (ages 0-5): $5 any time

When open for the season, full-day cross-country skiing ran from 9:00 am until closing and evening/night rates applied after 3:00 pm most days.

Cypress Mountain is home to 19 km of cross-country ski terrain (of which 7.5 km of trails are lit up at night).

Snowshoeing on the North Shore — Snowshoeing at Cypress Mountain

2024 Snowshoeing Rates

Costs for the snowshoe trails from the 2023/2024 season are listed below.

Adults (ages 19-64): $21
Seniors (ages 65+): $16
Youth (ages 13-18): $16
Children (ages 6-12): $14
Skooters (ages 5 & under): $6

Snowshoe trails are usually open from 9:00 am until around 4:00 pm. Snowshoe rentals cost an extra $10 to $20 per person.

For more details, see our article about Snowshoeing at Cypress. Or, to learn about snowshoeing opportunities elsewhere, click Snowshoeing at Mt. Seymour.

2024 Tubing Rates

For the 2023/2024 season a tube park ticket cost $35 for everyone over the age of 5. It was valid for about two hours.

To access the tubing park most years, participants have to be 105 centimetres (or 42 inches) in height or at least 6 years of age. For children ages 0-5 there is a different sliding area that was about $15 per little kid last season.

Tubing at Cypress is a blast! There is a lift, so you don’t need to haul your tube up the hill. Tubes are also included in the ticket price. You can fly down the hills on your own or in groups while hanging onto your friends.

Note: Tubing has to be reserved in advance, online and for set times, or at least that has been the case in recent years.

/2024 Downhill Ski Ticket Rates

The cost of a day pass for downhill skiing usually depends on your age, when you ski, when and how you buy your ticket. It also depends on whether you have a Sky Card (formerly called a Gold Medal Card) which gives you an additional discount.

Below are ticket prices from the 2023/2024 season. (Note: Ticket prices were subject to change. Check the official Cypress Mountain website for the most up-to-date details.)

Regular Full-Day Downhill Rates

As of mid-December in 2023, full-day rates for downhill skiing were the following:

Adults (ages 19-64): $113
Seniors (ages 65+): $78
Youth (ages 13-18): $78
Children (ages 6-12): $53
Children ages 5 and under: $8

Regular Half-Day Downhill Rates

Half-day rates from mid-December for downhill skiing were the following:

Adults (ages 19-64): $74
Seniors (ages 65+): $54
Youth (ages 13-18): $54
Children (ages 6-12): $34
Children ages 5 and under: $6

Night Skiing Downhill Rates

Night rates for downhill skiing at Cypress from mid-December were the following:

Adults (ages 19-64): $57
Seniors (ages 65+): $43
Youth (ages 13-18): $43
Children (ages 6-12): $30
Children ages 5 and under: $6

Downhill Discounts

The above rates were the online prices as of mid-December. They were already discounted. Additional discounts can often include the following:

Sky Card Discounts – Buy a Sky Card (previously known as a Gold Medal Card) for about $10 to $40 more than the cost of a regular full-priced adult one-day ticket and you get all additional days at about 20% off.

Cypress Ski Run

Cypress Mountain Special Events

Special events sometimes take place up at Cypress Mountain. On New Year’s Eve, for example, there are usually fireworks (although not in 2023). There are also fireworks on the Family Day Long Weekend in February most years, plus a variety of special family-friendly activities then too.

Cypress hosts other special events from time to time as well. Brewski Fest, for example, takes place towards the end of the ski season. It doesn’t happen every year, but when it does it means free beer samples for pass holders ages 19+. On occasion the mountain also offers free outdoor barbecues!

Check out the ski hill’s Events Calendar to see if anything interesting is coming up soon!

Eagle Coaster

Since 2021, Cypress has a new attraction that people can do in the summer. The Eagle Coaster is a ride that’s kind of like an alpine slide, toboggan and roller coaster, all rolled into one.

The Eagle Coaster is a cart that one person (or one adult and one small child) can ride down the mountain on along a track. It doesn’t go up and down like a roller coaster, but its track’s design is similar to what roller coasters are like (except that it stays close to the ground the entire way).

To learn more about the attraction, see our article about the Eagle Coaster.

Other Facts about Cypress

One of the great things about Cypress Mountain is its number of runs and the range of ski terrain offered. It’s not a mountain with limited choice for beginners, and it’s not a ski hill with little to offer advanced skiers. Cypress has it all.

Of the 53 ski runs at Cypress, close to 15% (or seven runs) are marked as Green for beginners. Another 35% are Blue for intermediate skiers and slightly more than 35% are Black Diamonds for advanced skiers. Four runs (or eight percent) are Double Black Diamond runs and so for alpine skiing experts.

The longest downhill skiing route at Cypress from top to bottom – from T33 into Collins – is a distance of over four kilometres or 2.5 miles.

Other interesting bits of trivia about Cypress are the fact that it’s the highest of Metro Vancouver’s local mountains, features the largest amount of skiable terrain and has a lift capacity of 9,000 skiers per hour. The resort also offers the most runs of any of the North Shore’s three ski hills and has Canada’s biggest night skiing operations west of Ontario.

Sunset Silhouettes at Cypress — Night Skiing Sunset from the Top of Cypress

Cypress Mountain Ski Tips

The following advice will help enhance your Cypress Mountain and general skiing experience.

TIP #1: If you plan to ski for more than a couple of days, then consider buying a Downhill Sky Card. It costs about more than a regular single adult day ticket, but then covers you for the first day’s skiing plus 20% off every subsequent day. Nordic Sky Cards are also available.

TIP #2: Check out the daily deals offered by the mountain at Cypress Mountain’s Coupons.

TIP #3: Want a fun cycling ride in the summer and have a bike rack on your car? An amazing bike ride is from the parking lot of the mountain back down along the road to the bottom of the hill in West Vancouver. One person needs to drive the car back down. Just be careful though – it’s a very winding road. Only extremely serious cyclists ride in both directions.

TIP #4: Make sure to have good winter tires or chains – if you don’t, and the roads aren’t clear, then Grouse Mountain is the most accessible ski hill.

TIP #5: Day ski tickets are least expensive when you buy them in advance online. Generally the further in advance you buy them, the cheaper they get.

TIP #6: Cypress Mountain used to offer free skiing day passes to people on their birthdays. It may or may not still do this. In case this is offered, just make sure to take photo ID, ask for the free pass before paying for a regular one, and hope for sunny weather on your actual birthday.

Lower Mainland View from Cypress — View From the Road Up to Cypress

Views from Cypress Mountain

As do the other ski hills in the area, Cypress Mountain has some of the best views of Vancouver from the North Shore.

Looking for one of the best places to take a photo of Vancouver? Just drive three-quarters of the way up the hill to the main lookout at the side of the road and take your shots. The view from there is arguably one of the finest in all of the Lower Mainland.

The views from the top of the ski hill are even more amazing. Try to be there just before dusk on a clear day to catch one of the most beautiful sunset views anywhere.

Season Stats from the Past

Below is information about what the ski conditions and seasons have looked like at Cypress in past recent years.

The 2023/2024 season started on December 7th. The final day of the season was April 14th. The ski hill reported a total of 586 cm of snowfall over the season. 270 cm remained at the base on the last day.
The first day of skiing for the 2022/2023 season was November 12th and the last day was April 16th. By that date the hill had had 840 cm of total snowfall for the season including 535 cm still remaining at the base.
The 2021/2022 season began on November 19th and ended on April 10th. On the final day of skiing that year the mountain’s website reported 804 cm of total snow for the season.
2020/2021 season started on November 13th. The last day of the 2020/2021 season was April 11th. As of that date, the resort had had 1,123 cm of total snow for the season. It also still had 272 cm remaining at the base and 543 cm at the mid-mountain level.
Cypress Mountain opened on November 30th, in 2019. In 2020, Cypress started up on November 13th (which was earlier than usual). As of the end of the season (which was March 15th), total snowfall for the 2019/2020 season had been about 690 cm. Around 385 cm remained at the base.
First day of the 2018/2019 season was December 3rd and the last day was April 14th. As of the hill’s last day of the season that year, the resort had 729 cm of snow for the year and a base of 290 cm. For comparison, total snowfall was 1,168 cm for the 2017/2018 season.

Other Information

Click Cypress Mountain for the ski hill’s website or check out our article about Cypress Provincial Park. Another article of interest might also be Cypress Mountain Ski Pass Specials.

To learn about great places to get used ski equipment, see our article about Vancouver Ski Swaps.

For information about the Lower Mainland’s other ski resorts, check out any of the following: