Kicking Horse Might Be Most Insane Ski Resort in North America (Seriously)

Looking for one of the most remote ski vacations you can find in North America? Enter Kicking Horse, a majestic off-the-beaten-path ski resort hidden amidst the mountains of Canada's famed Powder Highway. Kicking Horse is more than three hours from the nearest international airport, but it stands out with some of the most iconic inbound ski terrain you can find anywhere. So is it worth the effort of getting there? In this video, we'll go through Kicking Horse's overall mountain experience, and then we'll go through how the resort stacks up in our overall rankings. If you find this information helpful, be sure to like this video and hit subscribe so you don't miss any of our content. And if you haven't already, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, where you can follow along for exclusive content you won't see in our videos. Canada's Powder Highway is known for powder, and Kicking Horse easily delivers. While it doesn't receive the highest accumulation totals in North America, low visitation and consistently cold temperatures allow Kicking Horse to preserve fresh snow for days or even weeks. Bad conditions in upper mountain areas are quite rare, making for high alpine bowls that are enjoyable without fault. That being said, lower elevations can become icy after a few days with no snow. The biggest risk to a Kicking Horse trip is arguably a cold spell. A few times a year, the resort sees incredible temperature drops, with frigid temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit or negative 40 degrees Celsius. In the coldest conditions, the resort can shut down the gondola, effectively cutting off access to the mountain entirely. Kicking Horse is an expert's paradise. Some of the most intense inbounds terrain in North America can be found at Kicking Horse, with chutes, cliffs, and corridors that are directly lift accessible. The resort boasts five tenuous ridges, and the most extraordinary runs exist off these cirques. Those who are not familiar with the ski resort should not mess around with Kicking Horse's double black terrain. Runs can quickly cliff out or require mandatory straight lining with little to no notice. Even Kicking Horse's single blacks are tough, and those who aren't tenured experts should probably start with the blue before moving on to any of Kicking Horse's advanced terrain. At just over 1,500 skiable acres, Kicking Horse isn't the biggest destination in the Canadian Rockies. That being said, the resort boasts a very commendable 3,500 foot lift serve vertical drop, and manages to offer some flavor of everything across its footprint. If you're willing to hike, the drop increases to an incredible 4,300 feet. Kicking Horse is chiefly known for its bulls, but it has some incredible tree terrain as well. Upper mountain areas have wider glades, while mid and lower mountain zones comprise thick but still fully skiable trees. For those who aren't willing to hike, Kicking Horse's woods are the best place to find hidden powder stashes. Lower mountain areas are chiefly made up of tree-defined trails. Kicking Horse's backdrop looks like it's straight out of a movie. Some of the most beautiful peaks in Canada are visible from every part of the resort, and this includes those within Kicking Horse itself. The peaks that comprise the ski area are truly breathtaking. Some may find the vista from the top of Kicking Horse to be the most beautiful they'll ever see at a ski resort. And frankly, Kicking Horse visitors will be seeing this vista frequently thanks to one of the strangest lift setups at any ski resort we've ever been to. The overwhelming majority of lift serve terrain is served by a singular gondola, the Golden Eagle Express, which spans from the bottom to the top of the resort. None of the upper mountain terrain directly served by the gondola is accessible from any other lift. This means that in the bulk of cases, taking a run at Kicking Horse means venturing down the resort's entire vertical drop. There are a few lifts at Kicking Horse that only serve part of the mountain, including the Stairway to Heaven chair which serves some very solid upper mountain terrain, but all of these other lifts are slow, fixed-grip chairs that mandate approximately 10-minute ride times. Kicking Horse's dependence on the lengthy gondola has profound implications for the resort's overall experience. Runs are incredibly long, which will considerably wear down guests, even experts, as the day goes on. While there are some groomers, a substantial portion of terrain remains ungrouped, often continuously from top to bottom. As far as ski resorts go, it's hard to find a more intense leg day than at Kicking Horse. It's not out of the ordinary for guests to take only a handful of laps and then call it a day. Kicking Horse's lack of upper mountain lift redundancies makes the gondola a huge choke point, despite the resort's extremely remote location. Gondola lift lines swell to considerable lengths during peak times, with nearly everyone at the resort spending most of their day lapping this workhorse lift. If it's a busy day, the mid-mountain Stairway to Heaven chair is the place to escape the lines and still hit interesting terrain. A little more than half of its lift serve terrain is directly lappable without going all the way back to the gondola. Despite its drawbacks, Kicking Horse's gondola setup does have some tangible benefits. The cabins are excellent shields from the cold, especially on days with extremely frigid temperatures. On top of that, the resort's runs are so long that it isn't a huge inconvenience to take off your equipment every time you get on. Approximately a quarter of Kicking Horse's terrain is not directly lift serviced, requiring hikes of varying lengths to reach. This hike to terrain is an absolutely integral part of the Kicking Horse experience. With all the high alpine terrain off three of Kicking Horse's five peaks, including Terminator 1, Terminator 2, and Ozone, requiring bootpacking to reach, these hikes service extremely tenuous expert terrain in a handful of single black bowls. Terminator 2 is by far the longest hike away, taking about 45 minutes to reach from the gondola, but untouched powder there takes weeks to get tracked out. The Ozone-accessed Rudy's Bowl, which hardly gets tracks due to a concealed entrance, probably offers the best combination of snow quality and hike time at the resort. Despite incredible terrain for experienced guests, beginner and intermediate visitors will quickly grow tired of Kicking Horse, and not just because of the tenuously long runs. The only section of the upper mountain that features direct access to green and blue runs is the Crystal Bowl. There are technically three lower level runs down this area, one green and two blues, but they're all part of the same bowl and feel similar, making for an especially repetitive experience for guests of lower abilities. The Bowl Overzone is home to an intermediate run out, but getting there involves a journey down at least one black trail. That being said, some of these blacks are short and can be a good place for advanced intermediates to test the water on their abilities. Greens and blues do become more widespread in the lower mountain, but the painfully slow lifts that directly service them are not desirable to ride. Despite all of Kicking Horse's quirks, it's not too terrible to get around. On-piste signage is clear, and essentially all trails funnel back to the same base, making it difficult to end up in the wrong place at the end of the day. But once you leave the defined trails, signage all but completely disappears. It's tough to figure out the locations of the chutes off the ridges, especially the hike-to ones, without consulting a local first. Kicking Horse's on-mountain facilities aren't anything too special, but they are pretty decent compared to some nearby competitors that significantly lack in this regard. The Eagle's Eye Restaurant, just off the top of the gondola, offers indoor seating with astounding views. However, its small size means seating is hard to come by during peak times. The only other mid-mountain facility is the Heaven's Door Yurt Cafe. This small hut at the bottom of the Stairway to Heaven lift offers outdoor seating and provides a stopping point for guests not looking to journey all the way down to the bottom to catch a breather. Kicking Horse is incredibly remote, and getting there is a commitment, especially for those coming from the United States and other foreign countries. With no traffic, the nearest international airport is three hours away in Calgary. However, direct flights from outside of Canada are both somewhat limited and pricey. The city of Kelowna is also four hours away, but international flights are even more limited. No matter which direction you come from, all of the highways into Kicking Horse involve sections that are quite mountainous and narrow, and roads are subject to frequent winter closures. Those not looking to drive can book a private shuttle from the Calgary airport, but these chartered rides are incredibly expensive. Ultimately, if ease of access is a top priority, Kicking Horse is not the best choice. Kicking Horse offers a number of ski-in, ski-out accommodations on site, ranging from upscale hotels to luxury condos. Most of these options boast amenities such as pools or hot tubs. For those looking for economical quarters, the nearby town of Golden, approximately a 15-minute drive away, boasts bargain basement but very cheap inns and motels. If you're not staying on site, free parking is readily available, and even the overflow lots are reasonably convenient. If you want to bring an RV or camper van, Kicking Horse allows overnight access in some of these lots. There's also a shuttle between Golden and the resort, and tickets are five Canadian dollars per way, although it's cash only. Kicking Horse features a small village, but the operating experience is limited compared to other destinations. The resort base hosts a bar with social happy hour vibes, and live music is a regular occurrence on weekends. The nearby town of Golden also features a few sit-down bars and restaurants, but those looking for true late-night outings won't find them here. So Kicking Horse makes very little sense for beginners and intermediates, those who want to But the resort exemplifies the best natural traits of the Canadian Rockies, including world-class expert terrain, mind-blowing backdrops, and excellent snow preservation in key areas. Kicking Horse's lift ticket rates are quite reasonable for the quality of slopes it provides, with one-day adult rates topping out at just 159 Canadian dollars or 119 US dollars, which is substantially lower than most US competitors. Kicking Horse also offers limited access if you happen to buy the full Epic Pass or select Epic Day Pass products. For tenured skiers and riders who can get behind the Kicking Horse program a fewer but more substantial lapse, the resort is more than worth it. Now let's go through how Kicking Horse stacks up in our overall rankings, which are determined by the following 10-category mountain score. Kicking Horse may not see the biggest accumulation totals, but it enjoys truly excellent preservation and gets a 9 for snow. Kicking Horse's terrain stays reliably open throughout the season despite very limited snowmaking, although mid and lower mountain conditions can get choppy and cold spells are always a risk, and the resort gets an 8 for resiliency. Kicking Horse claims a 3,486-acre footprint, but based on our measurements, we only found 1,525 of these acres to be skiable, earning the resort a 6 for size. Kicking Horse's beginner and intermediate options are lacking, but the resort features terrain across all major categories and gets a 7 for terrain diversity. Kicking Horse offers truly extreme terrain that will push guests to the limit, and it's unparalleled when it comes to sustained difficulty across a single run. The resort is as demanding as it gets and earns our highest possible score of 10 for challenge. Kicking Horse's gondola has some benefits, but its lift setup is very weird. 24% of Kicking Horse's terrain requires hiking to reach, and the resort gets a 3 for lifts. Kicking Horse rarely, if ever, sees the same traffic as most destination ski resorts, but the awkward lift setup makes the gondola a huge choke point, and the resort gets a 6 for crowd flow. Kicking Horse's on-mountain lodges get the job done, but if you take the wrong path, you may not be able to stop in for 3,500 vertical feet, and the resort gets a 4 for facilities. Kicking Horse is straightforward to get around, with clear signage that helps guests avoid high-consequence decisions, and the resort gets a 7 for navigation. And finally, mountain aesthetic. There are few resorts as majestic, pure, and awe-inspiring as Kicking Horse. Few guests will find another resort with overall vibes this incredible, and Kicking Horse earns our highest score of 10 in this category. These categories add up to an overall score of 70, placing Kicking Horse 6th in Western Canada, and 23rd overall. Kicking Horse is about as far from average as a mountain resort can get, and in many of our categories, it either hits it out of the park or falls flat. The resort stands out thanks to its top-tier mountain feel and unparalleled steeps, even against regional competitors that are incredibly well-endowed in this respect. But when it comes to the overall experience, Kicking Horse falls short against resorts such as Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and even Revelstoke that are just more well-rounded in areas that matter more to typical vacation-goers. But Kicking Horse's weaknesses are also part of what makes it so special, and the resort should be on every expert's bucket list. For more information on Kicking Horse and over 80 North American ski resort destinations, check out PeakRankings.com. See you for the next one!