The 8 Best Ski Resorts Near Ottawa

Ottawa, Ontario, would not repeatedly come up in ski vacation spot conversations. Maybe that is as a result of Ottawa is not surrounded by the form of towering, jagged peaks that make locations like Salt Lake Metropolis or Jackson well-known. Ski media—and skiers, for that matter—are likely to gravitate towards a slender choice of internationally identified resorts.And but, exterior the excitement of the Rockies, Ottawa has a thriving ski scene with quite a few areas that prioritize affordability and accessibility. These ski areas are largely humble in comparison with their Western counterparts, however they supply every thing you could possibly presumably have to get pleasure from a day on the slopes along with your family and friends.  These are eight of one of the best ski areas close to Ottawa.

1. Mont Ste Marie

Mont Ste-Marie stands out with its elevation. Whereas the ski space, which tops out at 1,250 ft, would not flip heads in a extra mountainous area, it reaches a excessive elevation in comparison with different Ottawa locations.  The ski space’s two-mountain structure gives choices for various sorts of skiers. Cheval Blanc is dense with more difficult runs, whereas Vanier options intermediate trails and several other terrain parks. Reasonably priced elevate tickets price CAD 79 for adults.At Mont Ste-Marie, locals can be a part of the Ski-Amis, a gaggle of yellow-clad volunteers who assist information visitors across the mountain. For his or her troubles, they obtain meals and beverage reductions.

2. Camp Fortune 

Camp Fortune is simply a 25-minute drive exterior of city, making it the closest ski space to Ottawa. It is also one in every of North America’s oldest snowboarding locations, with a historical past that dates again to 1920.  At this time, the ski space boasts the Ottawa space’s longest ski season, 12 night time snowboarding runs (24 in the course of the day), and two cozy base lodges. Camp Fortune welcomes guests in the course of the summer time with an aerial park and zip-lines. In 2024, Camp Fortune boosted its stature by becoming a member of the Indy Go, a multi-pass program that gives two days of snowboarding at quite a few unbiased ski areas.

3. Sommet Edelweiss 

Sommet Edelweiss’ elevate infrastructure revolves round three foremost chairs: the Meister 4000, the Edelbahn Categorical, and the Streif. The Mesiter is greatest for rookies, and the aptly named Streif providers a community of superior trails. The Edelbahn Categorical falls someplace within the center.Jumps and rails are a part of the deal, too. Two terrain parks slices by the middle of the ski space and gives a proving floor for would-be freestylers. If some members of your crew favor to remain off skis, Sommet Edelweiss’ has a tubing park with six slides.Season passes to Edelweiss embody various entry to a different “Sommet,” increasing the worth proposition for ski area-hopping skiers. For example, the limitless Sommet Edelweiss move consists of seven nights every week at Sommet Saint-Sauveur beginning at 4 p.m. This Sommet Saint-Sauveur entry expands to incorporate days on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays beginning in January.

4. Calabogie Peaks Resort

Calabogie Peaks proudly gives Ontario’s largest vertical drop, with 780 ft of skiable terrain. Unsurprisingly, the mountain is tall, too, inching simply above Mont Ste-Marie in elevation. Eighty acres of skiable terrain and practically 100% snowmaking protection spherical out the attraction of Calabogie Peaks.For elevate entry, Calabogie Peaks depends on two quad chairs, the Lakeview and the Photo voltaic, that whisk skiers upwards. If netting as a lot as vertical as attainable in at some point is your recreation, it is powerful to go flawed with this Ottawa-area ski vacation spot. Like Camp Fortune, the mountain can be a member of the Indy Go.

5. Mont Cascades 

Mont Cascades is the entire package deal with six lifts, two lodges (the North Lodge and the World Cup Lodge), and a slew of runs and terrain parks. The ski space is a fast jaunt exterior Ottawa—it is only a 20-minute drive—making day journeys easy and simple. When the snow melts, Mont-Cascades has a waterpark with slides and swimming pools that provide an opportunity to flee the summer time warmth.At Mont Cascades, the mountain is cut up into two areas. One, serviced by the Quad East and Chaise Triple chairs, caters to intermediate and professional skiers and homes the ski space’s solely double black diamond run. Fittingly, this is called the World Cup aspect of the mountain. The opposite space—the North Facet—boasts extra variability, with a beginner-specific studying zone and terrain park options.

6. Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort

Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, is not proper exterior Ottawa. Nonetheless, the favored Japanese ski space stays day-trippable from Canada’s capital metropolis. Mont-Tremblant’s giant base village, which mirrors its European counterparts, has rows of colourful buildings that line walkable streets, creating the phantasm that guests have stepped by a portal and appeared someplace within the Alps.Slopeside, Mont-Tremblant, is a Quebecois heavyweight with over 750 acres of skiable terrain. A fleet of 14 chairlifts crisscross the mountain. Mont-Tremblant is probably the most established of the ski areas on this record, falling firmly on the “resort” finish of the ski area-ski resort spectrum with après and lodging choices aplenty. The one downside is that Ottawa skiers might want to spend extra time within the automotive to ski it.

7. Mount Pakenham Ski Resort

Mount Pakenham payments itself as Ottawa’s “favourite household snow middle.” That declare is substantiated by the ski space’s simply navigated footprint, which homes quite a few beginner-oriented runs. All these runs ship skiers to 1 central level, decreasing the possibilities of children—or anybody, for that matter—getting misplaced on the best way again to the bottom lodge. Reasonably priced elevate tickets that solely present entry to the Newbie Middle can be found to these making their first, tentative turns.Mount Pakenham is not only for rookies, although. A couple of superior runs and glades will fulfill dad and mom sneaking in just a few laps throughout their children’ classes. These hoping to hit some jumps and rails will discover thrills within the mountain’s terrain park.

8. Centre Vorlage

Situated within the riverside city of Wakefield, Centre Vorlage is one other ski space close to Ottawa that caters to households and first-timers with mild, rolling slopes. Extra superior skiers will nonetheless discover some terrain to strive, although, just like the double black diamond We Knee Roast (that is not a spelling error) and Horizon Perdu runs.  These trying to increase their cardio health can hit one in every of Vorlage’s touring trails. The T-Bar is brief and fast, very best for getting your coronary heart fee up quick. The Grand Climb crawls upwards at a slower tempo, facilitating longer exercises.  If mountain biking is your low season exercise of selection, Vorlage is price a glance, too. The ski space turns into a motorbike park in the course of the summer time. At Vorlage, flow-style, pure downhill, and enduro trails have been on supply in 2024, however the ski space plans to develop its path lineup over time.

Associated: The ten Most Reasonably priced Ski Resorts in america

Be the primary to learn breaking ski information with POWDER. Subscribe to our publication and keep related with the newest happenings on this planet of snowboarding. From ski resort information to profiles of the world’s greatest skiers, we’re dedicated to maintaining you knowledgeable.

Source link