The Cut at Night at Grouse Mountain

Night skiing at North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain can be an amazing experience, especially on clear nights when you can see the city lights in the distance.

In the evenings on the hill most years there is also fine dining in the Observatory Restaurant, lit up snowshoe trails in the Light Walk, crazy carpet sliding opportunities and excellent snowboarding terrain.

 

Evening Activities at Grouse

Grouse Mountain opened for the 2022/2023 ski season on November 18th. Night skiing began then too. Opening dates for the 2023/2024 ski season are still to be confirmed.

See below for information about night skiing and other evening activities at Grouse Mountain in winter. For general information about the resort, however, click Grouse Mountain Year-Round. And for general daytime winter activity information (including snow conditions) click Grouse Mountain in Winter.

 

Girl Night Skiing at Grouse
Night Skiing at Grouse Mountain

 

Night Skiing at Grouse Mountain

Night skiing at Grouse Mountain typically runs from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm or 10:00 pm daily. Starting time for the 2022/2023 season, however, was 3:00 pm. Starting and closing times for the 2023/2024 season are to be confirmed.

Weather and snow conditions permitting, about half the mountain’s runs are usually open and lit up at night, including “The Cut,” “Peak,” “Heaven’s Sake” and other popular runs.

Most of Grouse Mountain’s chair lifts also operate at night including the Olympic Express, Screaming Eagle and Greenway quad chairs.

 

Night Skiing Rates for 2022/2023 Season

For folks without season passes, an evening of night skiing at Grouse costs around $65 for adults, $55 for seniors and youth (ages 13-18), $31 for children, and free for kids ages 4 and under.

You don’t save a lot by skiing in the evening instead of for all day. For most people and their legs though, up to six hours of skiing is usually more than enough.

Below were the regular night skiing rates for the 2022/2023 season. Rates for the 2023/2024 season are pending and are likely to be comparable.

 

Grouse Night Skiing Rates

  • Adults (ages 19 to 64) – $65
  • Seniors (ages 65+) – $55
  • Youth (ages 12 to 18) – $55
  • Children (ages 5 to 12) – $31

 

Vancouver Night View from Grouse
Vancouver Night View from The Cut

 

What’s Special about Grouse at Night?

There are many reasons to visit Grouse Mountain in the evening in winter. Night ski passes are slightly cheaper than full-day ski passes and there are hardly ever any lineups at night. The evening views of Vancouver are also spectacular and the whole mountain becomes magical with the snow, dark sky and the lights.

Despite the fact that night skiing is so beautiful, very few Vancouver folks go night skiing, which makes the experience for those who do that much better. No crowds and no lineups – or only very rarely – just lots of great skiing!

In addition to the fine dining, skiing and snowboarding opportunities at night, in winter there are also movies in the Theatre in the Sky, crazy carpet fun in the Sliding Zone and skating on the outdoor ice rink.

During the winter holidays from late November until early January there are also special Peak of Christmas activities, and for much of the winter thereafter sleigh rides continue as do the night time Light Walk illuminations.

 

Grouse Mountain Skating Rink at Night
Ice Skating at Grouse at Night

 

Grouse Mountain Light Walk

Grouse Mountain’s Light Walk features a trail through the trees and around a frozen pond that takes about 15 minutes to stroll or snowshoe from start to finish. The illuminations at night are spectacular and the attraction is free with general admission to the mountain.

The Light Walk is part of Grouse Mountain’s Peak of Christmas attraction which usually ends around the first week of January. Most years the Light Walk stays up though for a number of weeks after.

 

Grouse Light Walk Silhouettes
Light Walk at Grouse Mountain

 

Skating, Snowshoeing and Sliding

In addition to skiing, snowboarding and Christmas activities, guests can also enjoy skating, sliding opportunities and Snowshoeing Trails at Grouse Mountain at night.

The skating rink is open all day everyday (except for when it gets too warm occasionally in the late spring). Some (but not all) snowshoe trails are also usually open and lit up at night until around 9:00 pm. The sliding zone is also lots of fun and open from morning until late in the evening (subject to suitable snow conditions).

 

Grouse at Night Video

To see what the resort is like at night, check out the following video. It’s just a short 30-second clip that shows people snowshoeing, skating and snowboarding to the chalet.

The video doesn’t show people night skiing or any of the night skiing runs. It just shows what the area outside the lodge looks like at night. As you’ll see, the place is pretty after dark.

 

 

Grouse Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your night skiing experience at Grouse Mountain.

TIP #1: If you just want to see movies in the theatre, play in the snow, check out the Light Walk and/or have fun in the Sliding Zone, plus you want to enjoy dinner and the fabulous view, there is something important you need to know. Admission to the mountain, the ride up in the Skyride aerial tram and most of the activities other than skiing, snowboarding and Sliding Zone are free with advanced reservations at the Observatory Restaurant.

TIP #2: Go night skiing when there is clear visibility as it’s the evening views of Vancouver and the city lights that make Grouse Mountain at night one of Vancouver’s best places to be!

TIP #3: “The Cut” is a run that’s nice and wide, open and not too steep, which makes it popular for beginners. At Grouse Mountain though, unfortunately, there isn’t much really in between the “Ski Wee” (i.e. bunny hill) and “The Cut,” which means “The Cut” is a favourite for older beginner skiers, including ones not yet good enough to ski there.

TIP #4: If you have very young children, night skiing is perfect as the hill is rarely crowded. Stay close to your little ones, however, just in case some crazy older beginner races by too dangerously close! Also, don’t forget to wear your helmet! Trust us – adult beginner snowboarders don’t always have a lot of control!

 

Night Skiing at Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain at Night

 

Why You Should Go Night Skiing

TIP #1: Ski hills in the Lower Mainland can be crowded, especially on sunny days, weekends and during the Christmas holidays. That’s why night skiing can be so fantastic. For some reason, few people take advantage of the opportunity which means minimal lineups and wide open spaces to ski for those who do. Go night skiing! You’ll love it!

TIP #2: If the snow is still good and it’s a sunny day, night skiing in the late spring can be out of this world. With the sun going down late in the evening, it’s like daytime skiing but without the crowds. The snow can get kind of slushy, however, which is more of an issue for skiers than boarders. Still, you can’t beat the weather and sunny skies with spring skiing!

 

Other Information

For more information on the resort, click Grouse Mountain.

For information about other local skiing destinations, including Mt. Seymour and Cypress, see Lower Mainland Ski Hills.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: