Adjacent to Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay is located in Alberta, Canada which constitute the ski area of Banff National Park. With a total of 60 slopes served by 6 lifts, Mount Norquay is the smallest one of those three and is located just a few minutes from the city of Banff, so visitors will have all kind of accommodations pretty close by.
The lifts are anything but modern and fast, yet they serve as a means to an end and take winter sports enthusiasts safely up the mountain – a plus is that you will barely have to wait in line at the ski resort's base station. Ski novices may want to go and explore the lower area while attending the local ski school or explore doable runs and the base area's beginner terrain by themselves. Hence, families find the best conditions for a stress-free day on the slopes knowing that their children are fully supervised and well cared for. Mount Norquay also lives up to the expectations of beginners of freestyle and freeride skiing, as the ski resort offers perfect conditions for winter sports newbies.
The amount of mountain huts – two in number – may not sound as promising as wished, however, both huts are absolutely sufficient in regard of the ski resort's size and its guests' demand for refreshment. Fans of après-ski better head to Banff which has plenty of bars and pubs on offer making for unforgettable nights with friends and family.
Verdict is in: Mount Norquay is a family-friendly ski area guaranteeing that each and every skier and snowboarder feels at home. It is a perfect winter sports destination for beginners and intermediates alike, yet, if you'd like to go higher, faster and really push your limits, you are better off at Lake Louise or Sunshine Village. However, as these two are twice as expensive as Mount Norquay and are located up to 45 minutes away from Banff, Mount Norquay will do perfectly fine for families with beginner skiers.