Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta Canada

Lake Louise Ski Resort is like People Magazine’s most beautiful in the perennial poll. This stunning ski area is bold and beautiful with 4,680-acres, a 3,250’ vertical with miles of backside bowl terrain including the latest West Bowl, and the best Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery anywhere. Families will love how incredibly scenic Lake Louise Ski Resort is, and there is plenty of terrain for everyone – from Front Side groomers to the big Back Bowls that remind us of Vail, Colorado.

Four mountain faces keep everyone entertained from racers wanting to charge Lake Louise’s World Cup downhill course, to freeskiers seeking the bountiful backside with expert ungroomed steeps, chutes and snowfields of Whitehorm and Powder bowls to name just a few. Lake Louise’s terrain parks are beefy too – located on the Front side with great viewing from the Grizzly Gondola, The Kokanee Beer Kabin, and the Lodge of The Ten Peaks.

The gracious Grizzly gondola flanks the front side, along with The Glacier Express Quad and Top of the World six pack lift, then to the true Whitehorn Summit via a new quad up 1345’ vertical poma to  serious steeps off 8,765’ peak. Once you drop over the backside, The Back Bowls and West Bowl offer mostly advanced and expert terrain with one easy groomed route, be sure to visit the original on mountain lodge, Temple Lodge, for fine fare and authentic alpine ambiance. From Lake Louise Back Bowls, continue to more remote terrain, glades and groomers, on Larch served by another quad, or take the Ptarmigan lift returning to the Front side. Lake Louise is a big, multi-faced mountain so make plans on where and when to meet your family.

The Lodge of the Ten Peaks is a grand post and beam lodge at the base in which to boot up, built of native timbers heli-harvest from the resort’s own Ptarmigan glades. Daycare and Skier Services are next door. So start and end your day at Ten Peaks, parents can head to the Powder Keg while the kids hit the tubing hill in sight from the après ski bar. For a super scenic ski in ski out lunch, go to the Whitehorn Lodge, dine on Bison Burgers or Swiss cheese fondue with extraordinary views before heading back out to ski more of Lake Louise’s front side cruisers and back bowls.

Lake Louise has a policy, “If you can see it, you can ski it”, according to owner Charlie Locke who bought back his resort in 2008 from RCR, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies that owns Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Fernie, Nakiska, Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham.

For lodging during your Lake Louise Banff ski trip, you can stay at the ski resort’s namesake, The Chateau Lake Louise, built in 1890 by Cornelius Van Horne of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The fantastic and now famous castle Fairmont hotel is perched on the shore of the gorgeous frozen Lake Louise surrounded by Victoria Glacier. The Château interior is gorgeous and grand with over 400 rooms plus grand lounges and restaurants with stunning views of the sparkling Lake. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a 10-minute shuttle to Lake Louise Ski Resort, and the hotel offers sledding, ice skating amid carved ice sculptures on the Lake and sleigh rides. As Van Horne said at the turn of the century, “Since we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists.”

The Post Hotel in Lake Louise Village is another gracious ski chalet for lodging during your Lake Louise ski trip. The Post is just as posh at the Chateau, but a bit more private and exclusive without tours tromping through the lobby. The Post Hotel dining, the spa, the suites with fireplaces, and the ice skating rink are all just lovely and from here you are just 2-miles to Lake Louise’s ski slopes.

Take the kids dog sledding  near Lake Louise, enjoy the rush of being pulled by 10 eager sled dogs along a snow covered forest trail, snuggled in your down sleeping bag equipped sled. Before and after the sled ride, meet and pet the hard working, happy dogs. Ski nearby Banff Sunshine Village during your ski holiday. A ski trip to Banff Lake Louise with your family will create a Lake Louise Ski Area mountain of memories.

Lake Louise Ski Resort Stats:
Vertical : 3,250′, Summit Elevation 8,650′
Skiable Area: 4,680 acres
140 marked trails plus back bowls, longest run 5 miles
10 Lifts: 1 Gondola , 6 Chairs, 3 Magic Carpets
Excellent Learn to Ski and Snowboard School for kids and adults
Long ski season from early November to May
Extensive snowmaking and grooming