Photo: Destination BC/Andrew Strain
Hitting the slopes with your kids this winter? All three of Vancouver’s ski hills have family-friendly features that will make your day at the resort a blast. We’ve got the details on kid-friendly ski runs, lessons, and ticket prices at Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour so you can plan a family ski day.
Until further notice, in line with the public health order issued on November 20, non-essential travel into and out of BC is not recommended. BC residents, let’s do our part by continuing to stay local and support local, with your immediate household or bubble, in accordance with the latest guidelines.
Safety First: AdventureSmart recommends bringing a backpack with essential safety and first aid gear on every outdoor adventure. Check the forecast and pack extra clothing for the weather. Leave a trip plan so someone knows where you are going and when you will be back.
Cypress Mountain
West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain is a great family-friendly ski destination. Their learning area and magic carpet are next to the lodge, making it easy to go inside for snack or washroom breaks. The Easy Rider chair is low to the ground and slow-moving, making it the ideal first chairlift experience for little legs or fearful kids. From the top of Easy Rider, kids can ski down Runway, Cypress’ bunny hill.
They also have lots of green and blue runs, perfect for beginners who are transitioning to intermediate. Cyprss also has designated green zones for slow skiing and snowboarding, which is great for kids who are learning or like to stop often.
Cypress also has lots of options for kids’ ski and snowboard lessons. Sign them up for Raven Riders kids camp. These four- and 12-day lesson camps help them build their skills week after week. Or take private lessons as a family, perfect for staying within your bubble.
Children and youth tickets are much cheaper than adult tickets, but you can save big on lift tickets for kids five and under – they are only $8!
Riding the chairlift with an instructor during a ski lesson at Cypress Mountain. Photo: Cypress Mountain
Grouse Mountain
Skiing at North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain is a great option for families who don’t have snow tires since you park at the bottom and take the gondola up to the snow. It’s also a great family destination since Grouse’s learning area is located on a gently sloping plateau a short distance from the lodge. The whole area is a slow zone with a magic carpet and the easy Ski Wee bunny hill.
Once your little rippers are more comfortable on their skis or snowboards, they can graduate to the blue runs clustered in the middle of the resort. The beginner-friendly Paradise Terrain Park has lots of small features, making it a great spot for your kids to hit their very first bumps, jumps, and rails.
The kids’ lesson programs at Grouse come with extras like snacks, lunch add-ons, and discounts on adult lessons for mom and dad. There are also lots of 4-day lesson packages for after school, weekends, or spring break. The dedicated ski school building in the learning area makes snack and bathroom breaks easy.
Kids under five ski for free and kids under 12 ski for less than half of the adult ticket price.
Ski lessons at Grouse Mountain. Photo: Grouse Mountain
Mount Seymour
Family-owned Mount Seymour is a great place to take your kids for a day of skiing. There’s a flat learning area with a mini magic carpet right next to the parking lot for first-timers. The Goldie Learning Area has a cluster of easy green trails for learning, served by the Goldie Magic Carpet, perfect for little ones who aren’t ready for the chairlift yet. There’s a tiny terrain park in this area too if they want to learn to ride jumps and bumps.
Mount Seymour also has a cluster of family-friendly blue runs under the Lodge Chair. After your kids get comfortable on their skis, they can lap these runs, then take hot chocolate breaks at the nearby lodge. There are also lots of green and blue runs further up the mountain – all three of Mount Seymour’s chairlifts have green and blue runs so kids can safely explore the whole mountain.
If you want to enroll your littles in snow school, Mount Seymour has lots of options for both multi-day camps and single day lessons. There’s also a parent participation option for kids under seven with discounts for mom and dad.
Kids under 12 ski and ride at a discount and kids under five are just $5. Mount Seymour also offers a deeply discounted Goldie-only pass for adults that gives you access to the learning area served by the Goldie Magic Carpet. It’s a great option for parents who want to ski with their kids in the beginner area.
Kids ski lessons at Mount Seymour. Photo: Mount Seymour
