Banff Lake Louise

Banff Lake Louise Mountain Resort has terrain to challenge every type of skier and snowboarder. Powder bowls and tree-runs abound, but there is still a green run down from every lift. Lake Louise has more terrain than you can ski in a week and many hike-able bowls as well for adventurous types (and those needing more powder). At the Insider, we have a definite bias towards skiing and snowboarding Lake Louise as, despite the fact that it is slightly further from Banff townsite than Sunshine, the extra 30 minute drive is beautiful and worth it. The crowds are less, the scenery utterly spectacular, and to ski/board here is to know true bliss.

To get to Lake Louise, head west on highway 1 from Banff. Here is a map to help you find it:

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BANFF LAKE LOUISE FACTS

Acres of Terrain: 4,200

Mountains/Faces: 4

Season Length: Mid-November to mid/late May

Lifts: 9, including quads and one six-person lift

Vertical: 3,250ft

Runs: 139 named runs, many more off-piste/back bowls (and a green run down from every chair)

For an impassioned look at why Lake Louise Mountain Resort is a favourite for many, here is a submission from a friend of the Insider.

"Why I Love Louise"

Louise and I have been carrying on for many years now. We don't see much of each other from late May to early November, but as soon as the weather starts to get cold and the snow starts falling, I find myself irresistibly drawn to her. I wonder "What is happening with Louise right now? Is she wrapped in the perfect blanket of white snow that I prayed she would get?" I find myself checking in with her every day to get the snow report, the forecast, and shuffling my weekends so that I can spend as much time as possible with her. Is it possible to love a ski resort as much as I love Lake Louise in Banff? I think so. She never disappoints me: consistently good snow, abundant terrain, and she's located just that little bit further down the Trans Canada so that the majority of the crowds stay at Sunshine. Every ski season we enjoy bliss whenever we come together and, at the end of the season, we bid each other an exhausted farewell and look forward to opening day next winter when we'll see each other again. Because it is the perfect ski hill, I love skiing Lake Louise Mountain Resort in Banff National Park.

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