Nakiska Ski Resort

Only 45 minutes outside of Calgary, but still in the heart of beautiful Kanaskis Country, Nakiska Ski Resort is a great winter holiday spot. The resort is especially popular among families, with lots of family-friendly slopes, accommodations and non-skiing activities for the young and the old.

Around 13% or the runs are meant for beginners. Grab the Bronze Chair in order to hit the easy trails first. It features only greens like ‘Sweetgrass’ and ‘Sundance’. Next step would be to ride the Silver Chair, which brings you up to mid-mountain. Head right when you get off and you can ski down on well-groomed wide blues. Those are all connected and merge on the way down.

Olympic Chair, with its base station in town, will please all intermediates. Hit some great blue runs from the top station. You can also change to Gold Chair by skiing ‘Amphitheater’. This lift takes you to the so-called Monster Glades. Tree skiing, backcountry skiing, powder stashes - experts will feel like heaven!

And in general, experts surely won't miss out here! Nearly 30% of the runs are designated black and therefore only for skiers with more experience under their belt. You are sure to find a few exciting challenges.

Nakiska is well-known for their FIS competition half pipe and terrain park NaJIBska on Homestader. This one is clearly for expert freestylers. Novices and intermediate boarders have their own half pipe at the peak of Silver Chair. They will also enjoy the new superpipe built by famous terrain park architect Jeff Patersson.

Nakiska Ski Resort boasts a huge variety of sit-down lunch places and and grab & go options. The Slopeside Coffee and Deli inside Nakiska Daylodge serves Starbucks Coffee and all the coffee and tea specialties you could ever ask for. Baked goods, tasty sandwiches and wraps are also available. Located inside Nakiska Daylodge as well, you can find Nakiska Day Lodge Cafeteria. Here you can choose from a cafeteria style breakfast buffet. You can also come here for lunch or if you just want to grab a quick snack.

Look for the Finish Line Lounge at the upper level of the Daylodge. The restaurant has a great sun deck and offers full service. It features a great variety of poutine, Canada's national dish. Grab Olympic Chair Lift to get to the Mid-Mountain Lodge. Recharge with a hot or cold beverage while you enjoy the winter sun. The cafeteria style restaurant offers a great selection of typical mountain fare.

Looking for a hot lunch? The new BBQ Pit, located at the base area of Nakiska Ski Resort is awesome if you crave a good hot dog or burger. Most people come here for the Monster Hot Dog, which is actually 12’’ long!

Tubing at the Wanido Tube Park is a blast for the whole family. Close to the mid-mountain lodge you can feel the thrill of speed together with your friends and family. Furthermore, Kanaskis Country boasts hundreds of miles of cross-country trails for every skill level. Other outdoor activities include dog sledding, ice climbing and ice fishing. In town you can show off your skills on the local ice rink.

Fat biking is a new trend that has been gaining popularity among winter athletes. Biking through snowy forests and dreamy winter wonderlands is surely something to remember. If you prefer to walk, get into your snow shoes and venture out on your own or book a professional guide that shows you the beauties of the surrounding nature.