Kimberley Ski Resort

The Kimberley Ski Resort in Canada is under-rated. It’s well known as being an excellent family resort and having mellow terrain, but it also has some reasonably challenging terrain without being too extreme. Kimberley used to be a simple locals’ ski hill, yet the ski resort has evolved into more of a destination resort. Of course the huge benefit of Kimberley BC being underestimated is that it is relatively deserted.

Pros & Cons of Kimberley BC

Pros

• The Kimberley ski resort has a friendly vibe.
• It is more economical than most other Canada ski resorts and it’s not surprising that it’s popular with families.
• The front face has some good intermediate trails.
• The glades for advanced riders are a highlight.
• It doesn’t attract the same crowds as some other BC ski resorts.
• It’s easy to access, with an airport not far away.
• The ski-in ski-out accommodation makes a holiday easy, or if you stay in town, you can enjoy the “small town charm” which is part of Kimberley’s motto.

Cons

• Kimberley Ski Resort only has 3 primary lifts, which results in lots of repetitive transport on trails to get to different runs, and you have to ride two slow lifts to access some trails.
• They could do with some more grooming of trails.
• It doesn’t dump in abundance, with only 4 metres of snow falling per season on average.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Kimberley Alpine Resort can be accessed on an Epic Pass.

Kimberley Ski and Snowboard Terrain

At 729 hectares (1,800 acres) Kimberley is medium sized, although relative to other Canada ski resorts, Kimberley is below average for size. The ski area is all below the treeline and spread across four faces and it has 68 trails as well as a dozen gladed runs, so there’s reasonable variety for most skiers and boarders, except for experts.

The main part of the ski resort is only serviced by 3 lifts, of which only one is a fast detachable chair lift. The other chair lifts consist of a slow triple and a slow double.

Novices have a dedicated learning area serviced by a magic carpet and T-bar. Then it’s a bit of a leap for beginners onto green trails on the front face, and some of the “beginner” trails are just cat tracks which can be misleadingly difficult.

The front side of Kimberley is blue, whilst the three other faces of the mountain have mainly black terrain which is mostly glades and moguls. They don’t seem to have enough grooming snowcats, and race training seems to have too much emphasis on the runs that are groomed.

Kimberley doesn’t have any terrain that is particularly steep, scary or extreme. Kimberley also has a rail park.

Kimberley Snow

Kimberley is known for its reliable snow cover, dry powder and favourable aspect with lots of north and northeast facing slopes. Big powder resets are not that common and the upside of the lack of powder days is that Kimberly experiences many sunny days.

Where is Kimberley Alpine Resort?

Kimberley ski resort is located in the Purcell Mountains in the East Kootenays of Southeast British Columbia, Canada.

Kimberley is 406km by road southwest of Calgary International Airport, from where there are shuttle transport options or you can rent a car. The other gateway airport is Kalispell Montana, 2.5 hours drive south. Alternatively the Canadian Rockies Airport (formerly the Cranbrook airport) is just 20 minutes from the resort, with flights originating from Calgary or Vancouver.

Kimberley BC Canada

The ski resort is situated just a few minutes (4 kilometres / 2.5 miles) from the old mining town of Kimberley. A community bus travels between the resort and town, or if you don’t have a rental car you can catch a taxi.

Kimberley Accommodation

Kimberley Alpine Resort has a small village at the base, with much of the accommodation being completely ski-in ski-out. A popular choice is the Trickle Creek Lodge at the base of the express chair lift which has suites with fully equipped kitchens. There is also a spa resort, condos, and townhouses.

Alternatively you can stay in the town of Kimberley in a hotel, motel or hostel. Kimberley accommodations are generally more economical than on-mountain, and staying in town has the advantage of easy access to a range of restaurants, bars and gift shops.

See a range of Kimberley accommodation here. 

Kimberley Ski Resort Facilities

The mountain has some facilities including ski and snowboard rental, a snowsports school, child care, and a couple of retail shops. There are limited on-mountain dining or drinking options, so you might need to head into town in the evenings if you want variety and don’t want to self cater.

Apart from downhill skiing and snowboarding, other Kimberley activities include cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, and scenic helicopter flights.