Accurately named, British Columbia’s Sun Peaks Resort basks in over 2000 hours of sunshine each year, with its three mountains covered in trails that stream down to the village.
Almost entirely ski in, ski out, the village was created with convenience in mind, and they’ve done a brilliant job. Lifts are dotted at either end, and a bus loops the whole place in half an hour. A handful of hotels take centre position, with condos and chalets making up the bulk of other accommodation.
Everything’s built in European style, with chalet-like buildings painted in pastel blues, pinks and apricots.
Getting here’s a breeze, with Kamloops airport just an hour away which has daily connections from Vancouver and Calgary. Daily shuttles serve Kamloops and also Kelowna Airport.
It all began in the sixties, with the opening of the Burfield Lodge and its single chairlift. The place has grown with millions of dollars of investment, introducing state of the art snowmaking, a smooth-running lift system and fantastic facilities for skiers.
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Established: 1961
Open: November - April
Downhill: 135 runs / 4270 acres
View our detailed Sun Peaks snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Sun Peaks snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Kamloops | 61.5km, 1 hour |
|
|
Top Altitude: | 2152m |
Bottom Altitude: | 1255m |
Resort Altitude: | 1255m |
Longest run: | 8km |
Slope Orientation: | |
Vertical Drop: | |
Skiable Vertical: | 882m |
Night Skiing: | No |
Glacier: | No |
Downhill Runs: | 135 runs / 4270 acres |
Beginner slopes: | 10 |
Intermediate: | 58 |
Advanced slopes: | 32 |
Lift Pass Price: | $87-92 (adult / day) |
Nearby resorts: Revelstoke, Big White, Silver Star |
Before the aspirational Sun Peaks was named as we know it today, the area was known as Tod Mountain, after the highest and biggest of the mountains trio you can ski here. Together with Mt. Sundance and Morrisey, Tod forms the second biggest ski area in Canada - and it’s almost as diverse as it is enormous.
Starting off, there’s 4270 acres of skiable terrain and 135 runs; nearly 60% blue graded, with a decent amount of expert runs to provide challenges and enough beginner slopes to have learners turning confidently in no time (we love the Learning Zone by the Sunburst Express). The green 5 mile piste on Tod Mountain is the longest in the area, and a dream to ski whether it’s the end of your first week or you’ve been skiing for donkey’s years. Confident skiers and snowboarders can try the Three Mountain Tour, which covers 27km of the best runs of the area (maps are usually available from Guest Services).
Last time we checked there was a free guiding service which runs for any level and is a cracking way to get to know the area and meet others. Even without the guidance of a local, the whole area is a breeze to navigate with all runs leading back to the village.
With a yearly average of six metres of powder, two alpine bowls and 16 gladed areas, the off piste offerings are excellent. Cross country skiers are far from forgotten with just under 40km of trails. Nor are park rats, who have a 10 acre park to play on containing every kind of jump, box and rail you could dream of.
This place must have cabinets bursting with awards by now, and a number of them praise the resort’s après ski offerings. Holidays with Kids celebrated its activities and village atmosphere for families, while Ski Canada voted it’s après the best in the country.
When it comes to restaurants, choose between burgers and rubs at 5Forty, Italian favourites at Bella Italia and Canadian beef at the Steakhouse. We like Bottoms Bar for a pubby atmosphere - there always seems to be a drinks deal on and come evening, the whole place is buzzing. Morrisey’s Irish Pub is a good option too, where they screen live sports and serve up awesome comfort food. For late night dancing, make your way to the dance floor at The Club (part of Sun Peaks Grand).
There seem to be new activities available every time we visit, but last time we checked you could do anything from bungee trampolining to ice fishing. The tube park always goes down well with kids and big kids alike, while horse drawn sleigh rides are a romantic way to explore the valley. Look out for the Winter Okanagan Wine Festival which always brings a good atmosphere to the resort.
A whacking great 6 metres of snow falls here in average every year, which combined with 2000+ days of sunshine make the conditions historically brilliant. December is usually the coldest month of the season with average temperatures of -9.5°C, while April sees milder climes of around -1°C. December and January tend to be the snowiest, with over a metre of snowfall each.
There are all sorts of activities planned over Christmas in Sun Peaks, with favourite features in past years including breakfast with Santa and ice skating.
Anyone spending New Year in Sun Peaks will soon see that this village knows how to celebrate. We’d say look out for the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but it would be difficult to miss them!
Families are catered for excellently, making Half Term in Sun Peaks a super choice if you want to avoid the crowds and make the most of the mountains.
If this Easter in Sun Peaks coincides with their spring festival you’re in for a treat - think retro skiwear and whacky events like the Slush Cup…
Whether your little ones are spending their days in the Sundance Kids Centre learning with the Sun Tots and Sun Kids ski schools, or enjoying the mountains with you – there’s so much for families in Sun Peaks that many return year after year. We love how close-by everything is, to the point that sprogs can roam free on the pistes and snow tube slope while grownups watch with a cuppa from the nearest sun terrace metres away.
Three mountains and all manner of terrain make Sun Peaks brilliant for mixed ability groups. There’s plenty off the mountains too, from the friendly bars to the weird and wonderful activities available – Segway tours, snowbikes, you name it.