Sunshine Mountain Lodge

Perfect location for ski in and out experience in Sunshine Village. We stayed almost a week here and left for Banff one day and saw one terrible traffic jam on the direction from Banff to Sunshine Village. It takes about 30 minutes (when there’s no traffic) from Banff town center to Sunshine Village parking lots, and another 15 minutes gondola to the top where you can start to ski. Great value for the location that saves at least 45 minutes (excluding walking from parking lots to the gondola in snow with snow gears). Rooms are reasonably priced within consideration of the unique location. We stayed in one of the suites and the view was awesome. They have 3 suites on the 5th floor, 4 one the 4th, and 1 on the third floor. Each room has a ski locker in the west wing building which is connected to the main building. They have 2 nice restaurants in the main building on the 2nd floor with buffet options at least every night we stayed. Restaurant prices were also reasonable especially compared to restaurant prices in the US nowadays. One reminder on the luggage, it took us 3 hours to get all of our bags when we checked out. We have 5 bags and they arrived in 2 rounds. Take that into consideration when you have a tight schedule. All staff were very nice and helpful.

The experience is great overall, maybe the bed sheets could have a bit better quality. I'd like to point out 1 of the girl in front desk has horrible attitude. On dec 9, I lost my gloves at front desk staircase. And the girl at front desk(who is standing close to storage room), is very not helpful (and rude in Canadians standards). Not everyone grabs aussie accent and she should have some basic patience. On the other hand, boys at luggage service are awesome!

Although Sunshine Mountain Lodge may be a great stay in winter (due to accessibility to skiing), it's a OK place for summer stay. We stayed there for 2 nights couple of weeks ago. Few things to note: 1. You have to park your car at the base station and then take a gondola (only runs till 6 PM and is a 20 min ride) or their shuttle van (10 mins ride) to the actual hotel. This means, OOPS, I forgot my stuff in the car, will be truly OOPS...because you will need to go back to base station and get it, which means minimum 30 minutes before you can get back to your room. 2. Views are mediocre in Summer i.e. you just see the mountain that has ski slopes in winters. 3. Rooms are very small and do need some upgrades such as charging station, electrical outlet near the night stands. 4. Coffe shops in the hotel opens at 8. The base station food place closes at 4. 5. Considering this is mainly Winter resort, pricing for Summer was bit expensive. Good things: 1. Staff was very helpful....mostly international students/workers who are on work permit for a year or two. Overall OK stay in Summer!

Amazing location, plenty of services included in the room price (gondolas, hot pool, sauna, guided hiking). We particularly appreciated the kindness and attentiveness of the staff. The morning hike with James was fantastic. Only point that needs severe improvement is the food: the quality bar is very low and not up to the standards of a 4 star hotel in 2025 (for example they serve deep fried Mars as dessert…).

Absolutely a 5 star experience. I have lodged here twice now, once in the winter and once in the summer. Both times we were blown away by the service, environment, and ease of access to outdoor adventures. The staff are attentive and incredibly welcoming. They have daily activities for guests and there is also plenty to do around the grounds in both seasons. I highly recommend that if you are going to be around sunshine for a hike/skiing, you need to spend at least one night here, you will absolutely enjoy it. After reading negative reviews: they all mention the gondola and waiting for shuttles outside of gondola hours. The expectations and hours for these services are clearly marked online and all over the venue. Ignore these reviews. It is super easy to avoid this issue if you plan ahead to leave/arrive during gondola hours.

My wife and I, and two of our best friends enjoyed our stay at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge this past weekend. The weather was perfect, but even more important, the staff made our visit truly memorable from the first encounter at the check in desk at the bottom of the gondola, the quick and efficient luggage transfer to/from the hotel, and everyone at the hotel and other shops, etc.. The staff were so helpful with ensuring that our dietary needs were met (Chi and Mary) in all the restaurants. We were grateful that gluten free food was available. The area is incredibly beautiful - awe inspiring - and the hiking trails are well maintained and clearly marked. In particular, the hike starting at the top of the Mt. Standish chair lift that goes round three alpine lakes was stunning. We also enjoyed a short early morning hike with James Ordway that provided a great introduction to the area, its history, the ecology and plants and animals special to the area, all delivered in a very interesting and engaging way by James, who cheerfully answered every question we could think of! :) A great trip all around.

CONVENIENT CHECK-IN Our positive experience at Sunshine Mountain Lodge began right at the base of the mountain. Getting our tickets was great, thanks to Anna and Ellis at the counter who provided excellent service at our check in as well as Xander at our departure. We really appreciated the convenient 15-minute parking area just outside the front lodge lobby, which made unloading our things so much easier after the gondola ride up! Checking in at the lodge went smoothly. The team was immediately welcoming, and they immediately offered assistance with our items. It was a huge help having our luggage carried up ahead of us, to lighten up our load. GONDOLA EXPERIENCE The journey to the lodge is absolutely stunning! The views on the gondola are spectacular, and it really made the arrival feel special. We were particularly impressed with the lift operators: Max was great, friendly, and made sure our belongings as well as we were well looked after. Emma was equally kind and friendly, ensuring we had enjoyed our visit at the end of our stay. THE LOFT SUITE The loft suite is an excellent choice for a larger group. The split-level layout is very functional, offering a bathroom on each floor, which is essential for a larger group. Sleeping arrangements include a queen bed and a Murphy bed on the lower level, with an additional queen bed upstairs. The amenities are great, including a gas fireplace, a mini-fridge, and complimentary refreshments such as coffee, hot chocolate, and water bottles. The large windows in the suite offer spectacular lookouts over the chairlifts and ski runs. SERVICE & FACILITIES The service continued to be excellent once we neared the top of the mountain. We enjoyed the facilities, including the cozy, communal family room. It was the perfect spot to unwind after being out all day, with its widescreen TV, a lovely fireplace, and plenty of comfortable seating that made us feel right at home. This level of care extended everywhere. For example, Javiera and Oscar each provided amazing and helpful room service. They were very kind and ensured that our rooms were well looked after and attended to quickly. Honestly, the entire staff from housekeeping to the dining area and were so genuinely friendly! That personal touch and attention to detail really made our stay stand out. SUMMARY Sunshine Mountain Lodge is an awesome location for anyone seeking a truly memorable mountain retreat. The combination of stunning mountain views and the attentive, excellent service starting from the front lobby makes this place truly unforgettable! The gondola added charm with the beautiful and spectacular scenery! We traveled as a group and our overall stay was exceptional! A big thank you to your staff!! Annie W. Master Reviewer Local Guide / Google Maps

My second time here. Again, really enjoyed the stay. Wonderful friendly staff, the large majority of who are international individuals working in Canada for a short period, and are young and motivated. |Location is fantastic, and having skied from there, found that really enjoyed the time in the summer. The walks are fantastic and you are totally immersed in nature. |My favourite hike was down to the lakes and seeing the spring flowers. Magnificent.

I did two days at this mountain. I think the one word that describes this is expansive. You have wide open space so it's great for the novice (professional snow plowers) and the intermediate who need the space for the S-curves. One criticism I have that might make you wish you did upper body work out is the "flat areas" and if you're a snowboarder- have fun wiggling through. Sunshine has a range of chair lifts, some with butt heaters, some with enclosures for wind protections. Some with built in conveyor belt. Just a lot of everything. The intermediate runs are not too bad- some rolling hills and some bowl shape options. The black diamond moguls are achievable and there are sections to enjoy some fat powder skis. What's cool is that you do ride into BC for a brief moment on the chair lift. Best place to hit for beginners and intermediate. Best bang for buck out of the three mountains. I did two days here.

This place is known for ski season, but I stayed here in the summertime and I loved it! There's so many things to do in sunshine village. If I visit again in the summer, I would spend 2-3 days just here up in sunshine village. If you take the first ski lift up, it will take you to these gorgeous and amazing trails on the other side of the mountain. This place is like a hidden gem! Also would love to go snowboarding here one of these days. The only downside is that the only way to get to your hotel room is via the gondola, which takes between 15-19 mins. Sometimes, the shuttle is available, but will take you atleast 12 mins to get to and from the base of the mountain to the hotel. If you don't have too many plans in Banff and rather hang out at the resort most of the time, then this is the place to be. I enjoyed it and didn't mind the travel time between base and the resort.

Yet another edit. I definitely would not ski at this hill if there was anything else within a four hour commute that had as much square kilometres and as much height, so unfortunately, I'm stuck with Sunshine, but there are so many things they could improve, including all the things I've mentioned previously, but today's argument is a café inside the sunshine Mountain Lodge called Alpine Grill. Whatever you do plan ahead and never ever ever go there! I've stayed at the hotel on the hill about 12 times and each time I go there I have terrible experiences because the staff are so completely incompetent. There is a male Australian who is helpful, but other than that everybody else are a complete waste of time and Indignant when they are asked to do their job. This is the fourth time that I've gone in there looking for service and got so frustrated after being ignored even though I'm standing right beside the till that after 15 minutes of being ignored, I just leave in frustration. Honestly I would never ever give them another chance but when I'm staying at the hotel it's literally the only place in the building that is open for breakfast and I don't bring a change of shoes so I don't feel like throwing on my ski boots and walking all the way to the cafeteria next-door at 8 AM to look for breakfast........ yesterday's disaster was I showed up around 8 AM. I thought that was more than enough time to grab a $15 breakfast wrap (crappy scrambled eggs and cold home fries inside a burned burrito) which should take them less than two minutes to heat it in the microwave and hand it to me and then I pay and go back upstairs to my room, considering the lifts open at nine. when I showed up there was four people (2 couples) sitting at two empty tables. That concerned me, that even though there was three staff behind the counter, nobody had any food or coffee in front of them, but I took a chance, and stood by the till and politely waited to be recognized, while one Australian girl made coffees for the other two staff behind the counter. The coffee maker is very complicated, and it takes forever. After standing there for 15 minutes and being ignored, I politely cleared my throat to say good morning, and she just said hi...... Not even "I'll be right with you" or anything. then one by one, all four people who were customers -paying customers!- came up to politely ask if she was going to get going on making their coffee because they were all in a rush. She was obnoxious and upset that they were double checking if she was actually doing her job. In the meantime, she served the two coffees to the Sunshine staff in uniforms who said thank you honey, see you in a couple of hours and left without paying. Meanwhile, she still hadn't started on anybody who was a paying customer. By then I'd wasted a half an hour, so I just gave up and went back to my room and skied on an empty stomach. why doesn't management just clean house and fire all this incompetence and start with new quality staff or at least give them all a massive attitude adjustment! I'm sure they're all on visas From Australia, so if it is explained to them that they will be thrown out of the country if the company they work for fires them then maybe they'll actually start doing their jobs!

Had a blast here. Skied on a Friday and Saturday. Friday was definitely quieter which is good when you are an occasional nal skier like me who rents equipment. The rental process isn't too bad and took about 30mins. They have a good variety of hills. I stick to the green and blue so I can only comment on them. They are nice and long runs and the views are some of the best in the world! there wasn't much fresh snow when we went so the runs were slightly icy, but they did a decent job of grooming so it wasn't too bad. The food at this place is typical ski resort food. Burgers fries, and pizza, all overpriced and just meh. But you aren't here for food are ya? The staff are good and the place is fairly well run. They have a shuttle to take you in if you are gearing up at your car and have parked far away so look out for that.

This was our first ski cation during the 2023 holidays. The lodge was cozy, rustic and very inviting. Loved the staff. Very attentive and professional.​. The ski school was great. Each evening, there are events you can engage with family and new friends. The tobogganing was fun. Excellent hot tub with panoramic beautiful views of the mountains and ski runs. We experienced many firsts and brought the 2024 New Year in with a three courses dinner and a glass of bubbly. Each night, the lodge provides a sweet chocolate gift before bedtime.

We came here in August for a day of hiking. We bought a package of the gondola, chair lift, and a two-hour interpretive tour. Everyone was friendly and helpful and our guide, Sara, was amazing. We spent the entire day on the mountain, learning about the wildlife and enjoying beautiful alpine meadows full of wildflowers. We had a delicious lunch, and then did yet another hike before heading back down. This is a hidden gem, especially for those who want to experience mountaintop nature without an entire day's climb.

It's a beautiful mountain but the terrain is a bit weird. Not one of our favorites of the BigSki3. I've rode this resort several times in the past 10 years and I generally prefer Lake Louise over this resort. The chair lifts are not intuitive and it's very easy to get lost. The mountain is medium size, we hit most of the chairs in one day, there's a lot of ungroomed moguls that I generally stay away from. The restaurants are decent, bathrooms are reasonably clean. Overall it's a nice place but Lake Louise is just a prettier mountain and boosts better terrain.

We were on a short trip to Banff in mid-May, and my husband's co-worker recommended skiing, if it was available. He found this place, and it was such a great experience. It was our first time skiing, and the staff was super helpful and friendly in getting us signed up for some lessons and rental gear. Our instructor, Jennifer, was wonderful. She was so kind, patient, and made learning the basics fun. Plus, we were lucky to be the only two students that day. They even had a bacon eating contest and live DJ that day, which we thought was pretty cool and entertaining. We did not experience any issue and all the areas we visited looked clean and well-maintained. We would definitely return for more skiing and to try out snowboarding.

When I first got to Banff I didn't think I was going to make it to Sunshine Village. I had the other two resorts bookmarked and planned to visit them instead, with a ski class scheduled at Lake Louise for my first time on skis. But, due to a bit of a change up in my plans (a power outage at Lake Lousie) I ended up at Sunshine Village for my first time instead and let me tell you, if I could do the beginner run at Sunshine Village, I'm pretty sure I can do anything. I feel completely confident in my ability to master the beginning hills at our Michigan ski areas, for sure. They'll be a breeze compared to this. I seriously felt like superwoman. But it's not hard when your surroundings are SO stunning. It took about 15 minutes on a gondola just to get to the ski area. And the view is INCREDIBLE. Jaw-droppingly beautiful. I couldn't stop staring out the window. We lucked out and had a sunny, blue-skied day, and it was perfect. You're in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and everything is picture perfect. Snow covered trees, fluffy powder, There are SO many slopes there, with a variety of difficulty levels. Some looked so challenging they made my heart stop just looking at them! As I said, the beginner run was fairly challenging for a newb like me, but it was incredibly fun. The Magic Carpet beginner area is small but helpful as I got used to figuring out how to maneuver, turn, and stop. Amenities here are also nice. There's a fun little shop with cute ski and winter gear, plenty of restaurants and cafes, even some lodging. Parking can be tough but shuttles are easy to catch from downtown Banff, so take advantage of that if you can. FYI most lockers are cash only, so if you want to store your stuff, bring some change!

Worst place to stay during summer time. It's my first night here, after a long trip got to the hotel around 10 and they said there will be 25min wait for the shuttle to come get us. The most inconvenient stay EVER. Not to mention is far out from the village and where it's happening.

So glad that we got away from the crowds and paid the hefty price to go up the gondola and chairlift to Sunshine Meadow. Although there are many beautiful lakes, rivers, and trails around Banff, I was blown away by the beauty up at the top. After getting off the chairlift, we were surrounded by peaks in all directions. Just a few minutes from the chairlift was the viewing platform where we looked down onto what could be a painting. It was stunning. We enthusiastically hiked down to the lakes and took tons of photos along the way. I would say it's a moderate hike because the way back can be tiring. But it is so worth it!

Awesome place. We booked our stay to be at Sunshine mountain lodge and to get there we had to park at Sunshine Village and take the Gondola up... What a great perk to staying in this place, taking a Gondola through the mountains. Plenty of space in the car park, friendly staff and a 20 minute Gondola ride to the top... Can't beat it! Once you're up there then you have access to plenty of chair lifts... If you don't like this place then there is something seriously wrong with you.

Awesome place to ski with good facilities, and decent food options to warm up before the second half of your day. Down in the village the ski rental shops were saying the snow wasn't going to be that great when we went, but they must have really really good snow normally if they thought the snow was just meh when we were up there. If you're from the east coast, you will love the powder here. I have only skied this kind of powder at Alta in SLC and Heavenly in Lake Tahoe in the 90s during and after a whiteout. There are several really great runs at the top. While some of the middle Mountain is lacking coverage, way at the top you can hardly tell which run is which because it's all totally skiable. From greens (which are pretty flat) to black diamonds (steeper but not slick at all due to the powder), there is really something for everyone here. Well, everyone except snowboarders. With bowls and terraces or traverses, and loads of powder, you will need a friend with poles to tow you in a lot of the bottom areas towards the chairs. This mountain has tons of space to spread out across so you don't have to feel cramped. Fresh tracks abound!

Can't wait to visit again! This place is beautiful. The staff was super nice and helpful. I signed up for board lessons as I haven't been in years. I was lucky that there were so few people on the day we wen't and I lucked up and got a private lesson! My instructor was everything! Helpful and patient. Def ask for Philip he's a gem! Loved the grounds. you need to take a gondola up to the area where the lift platform is. The ride can be about 15 mins for the first stop and 25 mins for the last stop. Then you are on the move. They had a pretty good food selection in the cafe as well( spendy but hey it's the mountain). Get a sunshine card! There are perks! We'll def be coming back!

Awesome day and perfect weather for boarding trip. We like to go right when the hill opens and park right in the parking lot. Sunshine is awesome as the have the newest gondolas, even ones that are heated! The ski hill allows you to board out all way out to the parking lot. There is the standard overpriced burgers and fries, chicken fingers and cold sandwiches to choose from. The ski hill allows you to bring your own food should you chose and they have lockers available for $2. Great views and best spent with friends to make memories that last you a lifetime.

As someone who lives in Quebec where our "mountains" pale in comparison to the Rockies I was so excited to come out to Banff for some skiing. On my first day I hit up Sunshine. It's about 25 minutes from Banff and if you buy your pass with the Big 3 you get access to a shuttle from downtown Banff. If you're not from the area this is the best option to get out to the mountain. Once you get out to Sunshine you have to grab a gondola up to access the ski area and that can take a good 20 minutes so if you have a lesson planned make sure you factor this gondola ride into your timeline when you're planning out your day. On the Sunday that I skied Sunshine the line up wasn't too bad at all and I caught a gondola up quickly. This is considered one of the easier resorts in the area and features a good amount of green and blue runs. The black diamonds are also very doable though some can have lots of moguls. The views at Sunshine are unforgettable. On the day I was here there wasn't a cloud in the sky so I could really take in the Rockies in all their glory. My favourite chair by far was the Great Divide Express. This one will actually take you in to BC for a bit so you can say that you skied two provinces in one day! This lift will also take you to the best views in the entire resort. I could have just spent the day there looking out over the mountains. When lunchtime rolls around there are plenty of options at your disposal. You can either go to one of the proper sit down restaurants on site or grab a quick bite in the cafeteria. I was pressed for time so I hit the cafeteria for a bowl of pho which turned out to be surprisingly good and filling for an afternoon of skiing. As someone who is used to skiing in Quebec skiing here was a real treat. The skiing is more challenging (which is a good thing) and the views are second to none. This place is awesome.

A few years back I made my way out west and got a chance to snowboard real mountains for the very first time. It was a totally life-changing experience from the icy east-coast conditions I've grown accustomed to over the years. The heavy scratching of the board as you try to carve downhill on the granular machine created and groomed conditions. Coming to the Big3 for the first time I had the chance to try Lake Louise and wow, what an experience. It was like floating down a hill on a cloud, but despite that it was even more exhausting somehow because you had to work twice as hard to maintain control without any friction at all. Fast forward to this past month when I returned to the Big3 and this time got the chance to tangle with Sunshine Village. WOW. Picture a giant snow filled rocky mountain snowboarding bowl, you'd have Sunshine. Massive connected runs twist and turn all over the beautiful scenery always somehow returning you to the little man made village which sits atop the summit area accessible only via a 20-minute gondola from base camp (parking and main lodge). Conditions were still early season (end of November, early December) but were already vastly better than anything on the East Coast. Fresh powder in the double digits was falling every day/night, so there was never a bad run. The difficulties varied, with a larger proportion being in my comfort zone the Blue Squares. I like these because they're not impossible runs, but still can be difficult and typically are longer than some of their Black Diamond counterparts (steep and fast). The Village they've created with bars, restaurants, lodges and accommodations is also excellent, we really enjoyed taking a breather in the middle of everything and having some variety in what we ate and drank. Big fan of Sunshine, definitely one of my fave ski spots I've ever been to, looking forward to returning again someday!

We had an amazing time skiing today, it was a get a way trip to celebrate my fiancées birthday day. This isn't the first time we've been here but by far the best time. We had whiteout conditions at the start but finished off with amazing blue skies that led to spectacular views. The gondolas were nice and clean, the quad lifts were moving great today and the whiteout conditions led to amazing powder today. Just can't get enough skiing but sadly we had to call it a day. Needless to say we'll be back again!

Today I was skiing with my son (7 yes old) on Strawberry. A private coach (a male at 50-60yrs old) was teaching a lady to do S turn on a narrow area. They really should have found another wide area to practice this. My son just took two days of school (but he did much better job than that lady) and felt very nervous when passing them. I could feel his nervousness and tried to follow him closely, then the lady hit me and both of us fall down. While the coach pushed me on the ground for three minutes and yelled to me I should watch his client. I was really shocked and my son was scared too. We thought Canada was a country giving human right more respect but obviously it is NOT. You guys need to do such practice in a wider area but not expect everybody to avoid you. I understand that his showing attitude was for more tips but it was a hurt to child who was watching everything. He didn't want to ski any more after this and kept asking me why the coach yelled to us. Sunshine is a nice place and we really enjoyed the last few days here. My son's coaches are also very professional and polite. But this gentlemen should understand not only your client needs your care, but every visitor should be treated equally.

I picked a great day to come. It wasn't that busy for a weekend and the sun was shining. This is a good ski hill for all levels and there is a lot of mountain to explore. They don't make snow and it was really good conditions for early season. I had bought a ski pass online and had to register it when I got to the hill. They were having some difficulties with their printer and I ended up waiting for 10-15 minutes for their IT to remedy the situation. For the inconvenience, I was offered a $10 gift card to use how I pleased at Sunshine Village. I thought that was more than kind. I didn't go in to try any food, but they have a few options, a food court and a pub type restaurant at the main village. They also have one halfway between at another chair to Goats Eye. It's a good setup. I really enjoy skiing here.

One of our favourite ski resorts, we get to sunshine 10-15 days/yr. The mountain's proximity within the Canadian Rockies makes having snow throughout the winter almost a certainty. There is nothing worse than travelling a (pre-planned) distance to a ski hill only to get there and find no snow or terrible conditions. This generally doesn't happen st Sunshine and the ski season stretches from Mid Nov - May long. I personally prefer Goats Eye as it's usually less busy than the Upper Mountain and there's usually interesting terrain to explore on my snowboard. Goats Eye also has some nice wide open cruisers that my wife and kids enjoy. The only downside to Sunshine is that parking can be an issue, especially if you're arriving late morning, early afternoon. It would be ideal if they could figure out a way to get more parking at mountains base. Otherwise love everything else about this hill!!

It was our first time in Banff and we are so glad we stayed on Sunshine mountain at he Sunsine Mountain Lodge. Even though they are primarily a ski resort, it was such a perfect stay during the summer. You are still able to take the gondola up to the lodge (our favorite part!) and they have daily guided hikes that are in trails right there on the mountain. There are several restaurants that are still open in the summer as well as the pub and hotel store. They had nightly smores and the hot tub was open until 10 PM. All of the employees were very friendly and helped us with the many questions we had. There was a shuttle that went to downtown Banff a few times a day - we didn't use it but it was nice knowing it was there if we needed it! We think this may have been one of our favorite hotel stays and can't wait to visit again in the future.

This is perfect place for skiing for everyone. Huge choice of slopes, groomed and not groomed. There are also some areas for off track skiing like Delirium zone and Wild West. Lots of rides between trees, lots of places for jumps. There is this long chair lift called Great Dvidie on which you cross the border of Beautiful British Columbia and then finally get back to Sunny Alberta lifting you up to an amazing level of 2700 meters :) During break, there is nice choice of lodges to stay and have something nice to eat. Even getting there half an hour late you can try to find some surprise parking spot near the gondola base station so later at the end of day you can ski down right to your car :)

Pros: Excellent chairlift system gives you easy access to all areas. Skis much bigger than its acreage suggests. Beautiful views second only to Lake Louise ski resort. Best ski town (Banff). Cons: several flat areas make it difficult for snowboarders and even skiers. Some chairs / runs are too short. I give this place 4.5 stars. To me its equal to Lake Louise ski resort, just different. We went skiing here 2 days, on 3/26/19 and 3/29/19. Great snow coverage, and excellent grooming. Sunshine Village skis much bigger than its 3,350 acres suggest. The terrain is very accessible as the lift system here is extensive. The terrain varies considerably from one area to another, making the resort excellent for getting a variety of different types of runs (wide open bowls, long cruisers, short black runs, hilly blue runs, etc.). Its so varied and spread out you can discover great under-the-radar chairs that most people don't go on and just lap them all day long. Some of the chairs seemed too short (Wawa, Strawberry), so you don't get as many super long runs that seem like they go on forever. One thing beginner / low intermediates will like is that there are ample runs that are not too difficult. My favorite chair was Goats Eye Express (Raptor run down to Scapegoat run). Also everything off of Great Divide Express was amazing and well groomed. As with Lake Louise, signage for the runs was minimal, and too small to see while skiing by it fast...this appears to be a Canadian ski resort problem as USA resorts have huge, easily readable signs everywhere so you don't accidentally take the wrong run. Stay in Banff and either take the free shuttle here or drive it yourself, as its only a 10 minute drive away. The town of Banff is the best ski town I've ever been to. Tons of bars of all kinds, shops, and restaurants. Beautiful views, friendly staff, nice people everywhere, varied and extensive terrain, I loved this resort and want to come back.

This place is just a lot of terrain and I cannot complain. This is part of the "Big3" and I also snowboarded Lake Louise. I would say this place is a lot of fun but the issue as I've done extensive research and experience is that it has a lot of flat areas compared to Lake Louise. Also, with the different peaks I noticed many signs are posted that there are no "Green/Easy Runs" I have no issue with this but I think it's informative if you're still a rider who is learning. But flats still suck for snowboarders even if you're advanced or not in my opinion. I would say some of the fun runs would be the Great Divide chair lift but make sure you already went to the restroom before you venture here. Wow. It is freakishly wide as I am used to riding in the United States. Super, super wide you can make your own runs but I would say when you make your way down the Great Divide again it can be kinda flat. You better make sure your booty got some speed when you're heading back down to the chair. I would come back though but it's one of the coldest I've experienced weather wise and even with my Smith i/oS goggles the weather can freeze over your googles. It occurred to several other friends as well. Riding without googles will definitely freeze your eyelashes but I needed to see. The restrooms are clean but they tend to run out of soap when you're at the top of the village. No seat covers must be an American thing. Also, we didn't know before you head west you need to stop at the gate to get a daily parking pass for the actual Banff National Park or just buy it altogether for whatever amount of stay you plan. It comes out to roughly to $13 USD per day depending on exchange. Should be around there. They take credit card so that was super helpful. Banff Sunshine is closer than Lake Louise by about 20 mins if you're staying in say Harvie Heights or Canmore. I talked to some of the locals here and they said that of the three, Banff gets the best snow.

Really good spot to ski and snowboard, but for the small population of people that don't do either, it's not really worth it. 40$ gondola ride to the top of sunshine village which also includes the chair lift tickets. Gondola ride is about 20 min long. There are some restaurants at the top.

It gets cold here, so we really enjoyed the heated chairlift with a retractable wind shield (Tee Pee Town). There was terrific terrain for skiing from the Goat's Eye Express Quad Chair, and I wish we spent more time there. The lodge is nothing special, but we had decent food and drinks here after a bit of a wait.

This place has a lot of great runs. Be advised that you have a 17-minute gondola ride to get to sunshine village, although there is a spot midway where you can get off to ski/snowboard. They also have a luxury lift where there is a cover to protect you from the elements. I went here on a snowboard, and I would advise that others on snowboards should stick to blue squares or black because you can easily get stuck on greens. They have an amazing daycare with great staff. I'm excited to come back next year.

Giving 3 for a neutral review. It is neither good or bad because the gondola hours were closed when we got here during sunset hours and it would have taken us 4 hours for a round trip hike which we didn't have time for. We wish we could have seen this lake views from this summit judging by the pictures it looks amazing!! There is free WiFi here no password protection. The drive to this place after the turn off the main road was fun! I love windy road!! This is either a 7 minute speed limit cruise or a 3 minute rollercoaster experience of a drive. Please be careful! We also encountered a brown bear on the side of the road. We had stopped for a few seconds to snap some quick pictures.

We were here during the summer, and apparently we were there the second day after all the lifts (well, basically just the gondola and one chairlift) opened. They didn't have a protocol for people who walked up instead of taking the gondola, so we got the chairlift ticket for free! The view of the three lakes was really nice from there, and it was quite enjoyable! There was still some snow around the area so we couldn't walk from the top of the chairlift to Rock Isle Lake which was somewhat of a bummer (we had to take the chairlift back down and do the Rock Isle Lake hike). Definitely recommend if you're already in the area!

Now this is a ski resort! The views are spectacular, the snow is great, the lift system is efficient and the crowds are not bad at all. The resort is very spread out and allows skiers to experience many different types of terrain. The gondola ride from the parking lot into the mountains makes for an exciting beginning

The sunshine village lift was fast and efficient. The ski runs were amazing! The lodge had wall to wall people in it at noon, which is to be expected. The service at the bar and restaurant was top notch. The view from the look out kitchen and bar was spectacular.

Beautiful location, gorgeous resort with great amenities and excellent service. Extra points for the outdoor hot tub, location, shuttle service, and gondola ride. Big shoutout to Michael the night staff who gave my friend and I tips on viewing the northern lights and even gave us bear spray and flashlights to venture out at 2AM and made sure we returned safely and uneaten by bears lol, and to Isaac the private car driver who came back for us late at night when the gondolas weren't on and we returned to the parking lot late in the evening.

Sunshine Village is located 15 kilometers Southwest of Banff. This ski area offers ski runs and lifts that are accessed via an eight person high speed gondola, which takes people from the parking lot to Goat's Eye mountain in 10 minutes and to the upper Village area in 18 minutes. There are 10 chairlifts and 107 trails within the alpine valley formed by the three mountains (Mount Standish, Lookout Mountain, and Goat's Eye Mountain) that constitute Sunshine Village. Sunshine Village has 3,358 acres of skiable terrain, a healthy vertical drop, and you can really ski in 2 Provinces here. This place also get a lot of snow and the season sometimes lasts until the long Victoria Day weekend. There's also a slope-side Lodge here, along I've never stayed. Sunshine Village offers terrain for all levels of skiers and boarders. It offers a mix of gentle tree lined beginner slopes, wide open above tree-line intermediate and expert terrain. I love skiing here, and I'm very careful (especially at Goat's Eye), as there's some double black diamond stuff that could get me in trouble very quickly. I also love the beauty of this place and my 1st honeymoon memories, especially with the view of Mount Assiniboine at the distance.

Great skiing for families with all levels of skiers. Nice atmosphere. Good sized lockers. Food good for a ski lodge, with several options all close by. Ample parking and drops off zone. Fair prices and good service.

Always a safe bet for a good time. Positioned in the park so development is limited. Only ski Inn ski out in the Banff park. Everything from green Strawberry hill to avalanche transceiver Delirium Dive.

I love sunshine village! There is plenty for everyone to enjoy. The views are gorgeous and they have a super long season-as in it runs November through May. Hours are 9-4 and everything shuts down pretty much at 4 pm. Sunshine is comprised of three mountains. It's not a huge ski resort but offers wide variety.

Fantastic view of this part of the Canadian Rockies. Sunshine Village ski runs and lifts are accessed via an eight-person high-speed gondola. The gondola takes people from the parking area to Goat's Eye mountain in about 10 minutes and to the upper Village area about 20 minutes. There are 10 chairlifts and 107 trails within the alpine valley formed by the three mountains (Mount Standish, Lookout Mountain, and Goat's Eye Mountain) that constitute Sunshine Village. This place is open into May. All I can say is: Delirium Dive. Don't forget your Avalanche transceiver when you are entering into this area. Enter from Citadel Peak at about 8500ft (2610 meters), and dive into this special restricted area and get Delirium'd. Aside from this special killer zone, I'm not sure the other advance or intermediate runs on this mountain are anything above what you'd see at other N American destinations. However, the view is so nice that the popular American reality television show The Amazing Race 5 was done here.... a bunch of people traversed up the great divide to about 8900ft so we can all watch TV from our couches...yawn....I'd rather have Vodka martini myself rather than snow shoe up that.

Of the Big3, Sunshine is pretty good. The trails here are great to snowboard and there are plenty of varying levels of slopes to suit pretty much anyone's skill level. The mountain(s) themselves are grand in scale. You probably want to start off on Goats Eye to get warmed up. Goats Eye has lots of Green/Blue runs to get started as well as some Blacks to spice things up. Once you've gotten your legs back under you, you can hop the gondola over to Mt Lookout for the real fun. Mt. Lookout has the famed Delirium Dive as well as their terrain park. This in addition to even more trail runs and Mt. Standish too. The runs on Lookout are a bit more advanced than Goats Eye but even more enjoyable. If the terrain park is your thing, they have a pretty decent one here that will all skill levels. TO wrap the day up, you can head over to Mt. Standish for some longer trails and more laid back tracks. From here, you'll be able to ski back down to the parking lot or head back to the base lodge for some food. Overall, I really enjoyed this place. You'd be better off skipping Norquay since that's only 200 some acres (barely even worth the lift ticket) and heading to Louise or Sunshine for a great time snowboarding/skiing.

I have been going here for years. The conditions are usually the best. It's close to Banff. The Gondola ride up is fun and being able to ski right down to the parking lot is always the best part of the day. Get a group of friends, go to the top of Continental Divide and race right down to the parking lot. Super fun

Perhaps as an east coast skier accustomed to short icy trails I'm overly impressed. But for me these long breathtakingly beautiful trails filled with *powder* are literally awe inspiring. Took a 3 hour snow boarding lesson. The instructor was great. He must have been because I was upright the vast majority of the time! The lodge below has awesome snacks and the gondolas are heated and the ride up the slopes quite peaceful and lovely. Can't wait to get back to this winter wonderland.

We skied one day at Sunshine Village and really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend leaving extremely early on weekends because the parking fills up quickly (and you may have to park on the side of the road and take a bus down). On weekdays, you won't have any trouble finding parking. In fact, we were able to park in the front row recently without showing up too early. I have mixed feelings about the gondola up to the ski area. It is a great gondola (beautiful views and pretty spacious), but it took 17 minutes (timed it) from the bottom to the top. The daycare was excellent, but did require us to lug our ski gear, infant, and his bag to the gondola and then a walk through the snow from the gondola (vs. at Lake Louise, you can just drive up to the daycare). The slopes aren't as steep/challenging as Lake Louise, but still enjoyable nevertheless. There is a good mix of black, blue, and green. With that stated, some of the blacks would qualify as blues at other resorts (which was fine by me). I'd say this place can be hard on a snowboarder as there are quite a few runs where you can get stuck. Overall, a good experience and will definitely want to come back and explore this place more in the future.

After 3 winters in Calgary, we can wholeheartedly agree that Sunshine Village is the best ski resort within a day trip driving distance to Cowtown. Sunshine is consistently one of the earliest ski resorts to open in North America and often one of the latest to close in late May. The snow is powdery. The mountain (really 4 mountains total) all dump into the village where all the services are located. There is something for all ages and ability levels. Yes, it can get ungodly cold here from mid-December to mid-January but the rest of the winter is usually just wine. Most of the lifts are fast and lines are short and move quickly. That said, Sunshine village is short on restaurant options. Consequently all the venues are packed on weekends during lunchtime. We usually plan it to eat either a very early or very late lunch.

Three mountains in one resort which isn't bad for $83 for an adult day pass (or $67 for a half day starting at 12 pm). For non-riders, you can still ride up the gondola and hang out at the lodge for $30. This past weekend when I was there, it wasn't that crowded either particularly since it was Australia Day on Saturday.. or maybe all the local Aussies partied too hard the night before. Snow was good but could still use a little more powder, particularly in the tree areas. Plusses: -Gorgeous scenery! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sunshine-village-banff?select=Sf4SRnHEGgM128N2qezGHQ#Sf4SRnHEGgM128N2qezGHQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sunshine-village-banff?select=VAeJbx1kjoH0h4ctrsFIgw#sIprKguB529jBd4Qi3bzLg -Long runs, and a lot of areas you can drop off out of the groomed trails into the trees. -Lift lines weren't long at all, I hardly waited anywhere. -Sunny at the top! Which I presume is where the name stems from. -The nachos and their hot coffee+baileys+peppermint schnapps (!!) at Trappers bar (next to the Old Sunshine Lodge at the top of the gondola) Deltas: -Because it was pretty windy at the top, some of the groomed runs were fairly thin so unfortunately you may run over quite a few rocks. -A lot of the lifts take a loooong time (Angel Express, Tee Pee, Goats Eye, etc.) like about 12-15 min so you may freeze your bums off on the way up. -Some of the tree area in Goats Mountain is super thick and steep so I had to go really slow to stay careful. http://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/fJIsGcXcCnvfqBPoXOdv0Q?return_url=%2Fuser_details%3Fuserid%3DKxVf5jFIA_1Yk0nnLMq6mA -Delirium dive wasn't open, or I couldn't figure out how to get there lol. Trail map: http://www.skibanff.com/sunshine-village/trail-maps/ If you're more advanced I would suggest: 1. Warm up with Lookout Mountain (ride the gondola all the way up) -If you go towards underneath the Angel Express lift, there's a fantastic area to drop off into some tree areas. It's fenced off but there are 2 really small openings for you to get through. -Then stay towards your right and you'll go into the thick of the trees and then you'll come up to Tee Pee lift. Take that up (it takes you next to where the Angel Express lift drops you off) and repeat. 2. Later on move onto Goats Eye Mountain using either the gondola or ride up Tee Pee or Angel Express lifts and keep going to your right past the Wolverine Express) -Knock yourself out with all the different runs. I dropped off the trail into the trees at so many different points, unfortunately I can't pinpoint specific recommendations. The trees do get very thick as I mentioned earlier, and also Gladerunner and Freefall are very moguly if that's what you're into.

Stayed up at Sunshine Mountain Lodge and skied11/2 days, new snow and conditions were rounding into shape, really good for before Xmas. Not too busy and that will change next week for holidays. Lodge is showing its age now and really is a ski lodge with decent accomadation/lodging but not a 4 star.....imho. Scenery is awesome when conditions allow and snowy wonderland great winter enclave. Friendly and helpful mostly Aussie staff. Will go again....:)

One of the best ski and snowboard resorts I've been. Many trails and many lifts to choose from. A day was not sufficient to hit them all so must return for more snow action!! Ski lessons are reasonably priced. I got a day pass and ski lesson as Christmas present. Louis was my instructor. What a good chap from NZ!! He is friendly and passionate for skiing!! If you're looking for a ski instructor, I highly recommend him!!

Very nice and easy mountain. There's a lot of green and blue trails, but even the black ones aren't bad at all. If you want to take a very long trail you can go all the way to the top and then turn to goat's eye trail that goes to the bottom.

Spent the day in the lodge with my mother-in-law while my husband and father-in-law hit the mountain we ate that The Look Out Kitchen and Bar. The food and beer selection were good and the views of the mountain were phenomenal. We will definitely be back the. Next time we visit Banff.

Welcome to the ultimate snow enthusiasts's paradise. From the excellent gondola ride to the trail selection, this resort is hard to beat. We also appreciate the excellent tech team that know their stuff as well as the resort staff all around. Too bad 5 stars is maximum ;)

Just love this ski resort. Everyone so friendly and helpful. Rented high performance skis at the top for a few days which were perfect for the conditions. The hills provided a wide range of options and conditions. Had great food, drinks, and service in the restaurants and the views are incredible. One of the most beautiful places ever skied surrounded by majestic mountains. Can imagine the snow conditions just improve as the season continues on. Would love to return here often.