Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboarding Resort

Sunshine Mountain Lodge

Sunshine Village is one of my favourite spots for snowboarding in Banff, Alberta. We stayed in one of the West Wing Lofts at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge and had the best time! You get the dreamiest views of the mountain from your lodge and the ski lifts are steps away. My favourite part about staying at the lodge was that at the end of a long day of riding, you get to cozy up to a warm fireplace in your room. In our room, we had a large jet bath that I used every night and is the perfect warm soak after a day of riding!

It felt like we had a private spot all to ourselves, especially during lunchtime when the main eateries are busy. I love how we could warm up at our loft before going out riding again! Early morning, I’d walk to the Java Lift Coffee Bar in my slippers to grab a morning latte to start the day.

We woke up early each day and enjoyed the fresh snow before anyone even got on mountain. We chose to stay at the lodge as you get to avoid the parking rush all together, as well as the early morning drive. The views from the lodge were perfection. How often can you say you stayed a night in a cozy loft on top of a mountain?

Getting to Sunshine

If you stay at the lodge, there are reserved spots for guests at the Sunshine base. Just check in at the Creekside Lodge at the base on arrival (you’ll see a sign that says “Sunshine Mountain Lodge” for guests only). There’s parking just outside of guest services, where you can easily unpack your bags and bring your belongings inside. The staff will tag all your bags and let you know where you can park your car overnight. They’ll send up all your bags to your room for you! Then you can take the gondola and enjoy the views while it takes you to the Village. Once you’re at the top, it’s a short walk to the lodge where you can finish up your check in and head to your room.

If you’re going to Sunshine for a day trip, make sure you get there early. I typically start driving from Calgary around 6:00 – 6:30 am to get to Sunshine by 8:00-ish. The parking lot is pretty big, but it fills up quickly. One time I arrived at around 9:30 am and the main parking lot was full, so you have to park along the roadway. Since the roadway will be a fair walk to the base, they have a shuttle service that will take you. It does take up time though to load up everyone for pick up and drop off. So best get there earlier to avoid this! Once the service road and overflow lot is full, you won’t be able to get in that day.

Tickets

There are few options for purchasing lift tickets depending on how many days you plan to spend at Sunshine. In the past, I’ve purchased Costco Lift Tickets which give you 2 one-day lift tickets for a reduced price. I’ve also purchased a Sunshine Super Card, which if you’re going more than once, gives lots of perks like free rides on your 1st, 4th and 7th visit!

My favourite runs & views

There are 3 peaks – Goats Eye, Lookout Mountain and Mount Standish. My favourite views are from the top of Mount Standish. Goat’s Eye is also incredible, it has mostly black diamonds which for a beginner like me, I’m not quite there yet. But there is one blue run called Sunshine Coast which is one of my favourites! Views from here are just so beautiful. If you’re looking for more a beginner route, the Green Run on Lookout Mountain also has some of the best views.

When I’m ending my day, I like to do one last long run. Depending on where I am, I take the Tee Pee Town Express or Angel Express up Lookout Mountain to the Green Run. From here you get some of the best views if you’re there on a blue bird day. This will take you back to the village where you gotta keep riding! Cross through the village to Banff Avenue and get on the Jack Rabbit Quad. From there, keep enjoying the views down Banff Avenue all the way back to the base as your finish line (note: If you’re staying on the mountain, make sure you’re back on the gondola by 5:00 pm to get back to the Village!). The main gondola runs from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Saturday to Thursday and 8:00 am to 10:30 pm on Friday.

These photos were taken this year when I was there for a day trip. I don’t have any photos of the lodge, as we stayed there last year! I’m looking forwards to going back again, so stay tuned for updates.