The wide world of skiing keeps evolving, and although RED Mountain may not yet be a name you’re familiar with, this amazing ski area in British Columbia, Canada, not only has a long history (it’s actually the oldest resort in Western Canada) but has expanded three times through the last decade. Today it’s one of the top 10 largest ski resorts in North America.
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Although located in the snowy Kootenay mountains close to the US border, RED is proudly Canadian. The resort boasts an incredible 3,850 total skiable acres spread between five peaks with 360-degree descents. Altogether there are 119 marked runs and endless famous gladed tree skiing, known for its perfect pitch and even the option of highly affordable pay-per-run cat skiing. The resort also boasts nearly 3,000 ft of vertical drop and 300 inches of snowfall.
One advantage of having grown so big while remaining under the radar for many is that it receives only a fraction of the visits of similar-sized resorts, meaning there are no crowds or lift queues, even on powder days!
After your fabulous day on the slopes, aprés at Rafters Bar on the third floor of the base lodge is another part of the full RED experience! Rafters has as much history as it does beer selection (the rafter beams inside are from the original mine on Red Mountain!). Selected multiple times as North America’s Best Ski Bar, this is a place to rub shoulders with locals and visitors alike after an unreal day on the mountain.
But it’s not just about the amazing ski area. Rossland, RED Mountain’s resort town, has been voted the number one ski town in North America for the past two years in a row by USA Today and ranked the eighth best place in the world to visit by The New York Times.
It’s one of the few remaining real ski towns with a thriving local community and culture of welcoming locals that is hard to find anywhere else. Essentially, you’ll come for the skiing but will fall in love the with the town and people there.
Along with RED itself, the town is famous for its Winter Carnival, which has been running for over 120 years and is the longest-running carnival in Western Canada.