Lower Mainland Ski Hills

What are the snow conditions like on the Vancouver ski hills of Grouse Mountain, Cypress, Mt. Seymour, Sasquatch Mountain and Whistler Blackcomb?

And how do the five ski hills compare overall? Which ski resort is the most expensive and which gets the most snow? Which Vancouver mountain has the most runs, lifts and terrain? And which resorts are locally-owned? Continue reading and you’ll find out.

Sasquatch Mountain closed for the season on April 1st. Blackcomb closed on April 14th, as did Cypress and Mount Seymour. Grouse Mountain closed on April 21st. Whistler remains open.

This article contains information about the following topics:

(Note: Exact details may vary. Information given is accurate to the best of our ability and understanding as of the latest updates.)

Comparing Lower Mainland Ski Hills and Ski Conditions

The Lower Mainland is home to five major ski hills. Within Metro Vancouver there is Grouse Mountain, Cypress and Mt. Seymour. All three are on Vancouver’s North Shore. Less than a two-hour drive up the Sea to Sky Highway is Whistler Blackcomb. A couple of hours in the other direction, in the Fraser Valley, there is Sasquatch Mountain.

All five ski hills are great for different reasons. A couple of the resorts are larger, others are more affordable, some have more challenging terrain, most but not all offer night skiing, and some are better for beginners and young families.

Most Lower Mainland ski resorts offer extra activities ranging from tubing to sledding, snowshoeing, skating and even movies. Also, depending on where you live, some are closer and more accessible than others. Between the five, there is something for everyone.

Grouse Mountain Above Vancouver — Grouse Mountain

2024 Ski Conditions

The first day of the 2023/2024 season for Whistler Blackcomb was November 23rd. Blackcomb closed on April 14th but Whistler remains open.

Meanwhile, Cypress opened for the season on December 7th and closed on April 14th. Mt. Seymour opened on December 13th and closed on April 14th as well. Sasquatch Mountain only opened on January 12th. It closed on April 1st. Grouse Mountain opened on December 8th and closed for the season on April 21st.

The latest reported conditions from each resort as of April 15th are listed below. As of that date, only Whistler was open.

North Shore Mountains

Grouse Mountain – as of April 15th, there was 20 cm of new snowfall over the previous seven days. 640 cm of snow had fallen over the course of the season. 150 cm remained at the base and there was still 251 cm at the peak. (Note: This skill hill is closed for the season.)
Mt. Seymour – on April 14th, which was the resort’s closing day, there was 140 cm of snow at its base and 327 cm at the summit. There had been 660 cm of snowfall this season. (Note: This ski hill is closed for the season.)
Cypress Mountain – as of April 14th, so the ski hill’s final day of the season, there was 30 cm of new snow reported in the previous seven days. There had been a total of 586 cm for the season with 270 cm remaining at the base. (Note: This ski hill is closed for the season.)

Other Lower Mainland Ski Hills

Whistler Blackcomb – there was 12 cm of new snowfall in the previous two days. 222 cm remained at the base and 984 cm of snow had fallen so far for the season. About 117 trails were open.
Sasquatch Mountain – as of April 1st, there was 25 cm of snowfall in the previous two days. 217 cm remained at the base. (Note: This ski hill’s season ended on April 1st.)

How Vancouver’s Ski Hills Compare

Below is a snapshot of how the five Lower Mainland ski hills compare in a number of categories.

Ticket Prices in 2023/2024

Below are the current prices for the 2023/2024 season as of November 2023.

As you’ll see, Mount Seymour is usually the most affordable with Sasquatch and Grouse close behind. However, most prices are based on demand so these relations may change depending on the day. This is in comparison to 2021 where Sasquatch was by far the most affordable, especially on weekdays early in the week. As would be expected, Whistler is by far the most expensive of them all.

Sasquatch Mountain – $69 to $99
Mt. Seymour – $39 to $89
Grouse Mountain – $75 to $189
Cypress Mountain – $70 to $85
Whistler Blackcomb – $139 to $299

Numbers of Ski runs and Lifts

Below is a snapshot of the number of runs and lifts at each of the ski hills serving Metro Vancouver.

Whistler Blackcomb – 276 runs and 27 chairs and gondolas with over 1,600 metres of vertical drop and close to 8,200 acres of terrain.
Cypress Mountain – 53 runs and six chairs with 600 acres of terrain and 610 metres in vertical drop.
Grouse Mountain – 33 runs and four chairs with a vertical drop of 365 metres and 212 acres of terrain.
Mt. Seymour – 40 runs and three chairs with 330 metres of vertical drop and 200 acres of terrain.
Sasquatch Mountain – 36 runs and three chairs with 335 metres in vertical drop and around 200 acres of terrain (which we think might be less than it was a few years ago).

Who Owns the Mountains?

As of two years or so ago, three out of the Lower Mainland’s five ski hills are locally-owned and managed. The two largest ones, however, are both owned by multinational corporations.

Located in a provincial park, Mount Seymour has been owned and operated by the Wood family since the mid-1980s. Sasquatch Mountain is another locally-owned ski resort. It’s run by Berezan Hospitality which is a family-owned business based in Langley.

Grouse Mountain used to be a family-owned business until a few years ago. It was purchased by GM Resorts Limited which is a partnership between a group of Canadian investors and a Chinese investment company. In 2020, however, Vancouver-based Northland Properties Corporation bought the resort, so it is once again locally owned. Controlled by the Gaglardi family, the company also owns the Sandman Hotel Group, Sutton Place Hotels, Moxie’s restaurants, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and the Dallas Stars NHL team.

Cypress Mountain is located in a provincial park but the resort itself is owned by Boyne Resorts which is a major American ski resort company based in Michigan.

Vail Resorts is an American company based in Colorado. It owns Whistler Blackcomb.

(Note: The above information is subject to change and may be different at the current time.)

Cypress Mountain Ski Hill — Cypress Mountain

Past and Typical Ski Conditions

Ski conditions on the different mountains tend to be fairly similar. Whistler and Sasquatch tend to get slightly drier and better quality snow. Mt. Seymour and Sasquatch Mountain, meanwhile, don’t rely on artificial snow-making equipment like the others do, which can be good or bad depending on the season. In years with especially cold weather and lots of precipitation, it usually means they have nicer (i.e. more natural) snow.

Of the three North Shore mountains, in some years Cypress gets the most snow and in other years it’s Mt. Seymour. Almost every year though Grouse Mountain is the first of the three to open. It’s also usually the last to close.

Of the five ski hills, Whistler Blackcomb has the longest season, with Blackcomb staying open most years well into May. Late-in-the-season snow conditions are rarely ideal, but the warm temperatures and spring sunshine make up for it!

Whistler Blackcomb usually gets an extra metre or more of snow each year than Cypress, Grouse or Seymour. In 2017/2018, however, Sasquatch got the most for the season at just over 13 metres total!