- OnTheSnow users picked Banff Sunshine as the best ski resort in North America.
- The Great Divide Express lift straddles Alberta and British Columbia.
- Sunshine is one of three ski areas inside Banff National Park.
The Great Divide Express chairlift at Banff Sunshine is one of the unique features at the resort west of Calgary. It’s the only lift in Canada that transports skiers and snowboarders between two provinces, Alberta and British Columbia.
Located on Lookout Mountain in the heart of Banff National Park, the high-speed quad crosses the Continental Divide twice, allowing you to ride from Alberta into British Columbia and back.
My party enjoyed some fresh snow in that area of Sunshine during a President’s Day weekend trip earlier this year, though there were more clouds than sunshine that day. The wide-open, above-treeline runs at 8,900 feet elevation were a highlight.
The world-renowned resort across three massive mountains offers 3,300 acres of terrain ranging from gentle beginner runs to extreme chutes.
And for users of a popular winter sports app and website, there’s no better place to ski or snowboard than Banff Sunshine.
OnTheSnow.com visitors and app users rated SkiBig3’s Banff Sunshine as the top overall ski resort in North America in its annual Visitors’ Choice Awards for the 2025-2026 season.
The site’s users rate and review the resorts they visit for characteristics such as terrain, après ski, family friendly amenities, terrain parks, among other features.
“You’ll find everything from accessible beginner chairs to wide open, above treeline runs and powder-filled bowls. For experts, it offers challenging chutes and off-piste terrain widely considered some of the best in the world. Uniquely, Banff Sunshine relies entirely on natural snow, receiving an average of more than 350 inches annually. This, combined with its high elevation, grants it one of the longest non-glacial ski seasons in North America,” per OnThe Snow.
Sunshine has received more snow this season than it’s had in a decade. It’s scheduled to close May 18.
Banff Sunshine is one of three resorts that make up SkiBig3 in Banff National Park.
Mt. Norquay Ski Resort is just north of the town of Banff. It is known as a training ground for Olympic and World Cup athletes and the only resort in the park with night skiing.
Just 36 miles up the Trans-Canada Highway is Lake Louise Ski Resort, one of North America’s largest, with 4,400 acres of skiable terrain across four mountains. It features everything from long cruising runs to glades to chutes to some of the Canadian Rockies’ best bowls.
On a sunny day, the SkiBig3 resorts offer breathtaking views of the craggy, towering peaks that surround them. Also, after a day of skiing or on an off day, the drive up to Lake Louise is worth it for a walk on the frozen water or to ice skate.
More OnTheSnow visitors’ choice awards
Best All-Mountain Terrain — Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Most Family Friendly — Winter Park Resort, Colorado
Best Terrain Park — Copper Mountain, Colorado
Best Après-Ski — Telluride Ski Resort, Colorado
Best Ski Area for Beginners — Purgatory Resort, Colorado
Best Small Ski Area — Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colorado