Panorama Mountain

The Panorama Mountain ski resort has offered alpine activities in British Columbia's Purcell Mountains since 1962. Regarded as one of the most spacious winter resorts worldwide (#1 for the most space per skier of the 100 largest ski resorts in the world by Montenius Consulting in 2019), the venue is popular with Canadian and American ski bums.

Motorists can use Trans-Canadian Highway 1 from Vancouver or Calgary, Alberta. Highway 95 is used to get to Invermere, British Columbia. From town, drivers will travel 11 miles west to reach the resort's entrance. Americans can use US Route 95 in Idaho or US Route 93 in Montana to enter the southern portion of the Province. Calgary's International Airport is closer than Vancouver's.

A Ski Resort Eons in the Making

The Purcell Mountains sit on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench and contain parts of the Purcell Supergroup formed during the Precambrian age (the earliest part of the planet's history). For guests skiing and riding at the Panorama Mountain ski area, that means variable terrain conditions. A base elevation of 3,773 feet and a summit of 8,038 help create the impressive 4,265-foot vertical drop found here. The terrain also contributes to the room on the pow, as the resort is off the "beaten path," with small communities miles away.

Accommodations at the Panorama Mountain ski area include condos, lodges, and townhomes. These lodging options allow guests to plan around budgets and group sizes, with package deals available on many rooms. There are almost a dozen bars, eateries, and restaurants serving drinks and food here. Families skiing and riding the slopes of Panorama Mountain have access to childcare, retail, spa, hot pools, or other guest services on-site or down the road in Invermere.

Mountain Outfitters is the rental center for skis and snowboards. Other outlets on the mountain rent out ice skates, snowshoes, cross-country skis, and fat bikes. There is also a shop for tune-ups and repairs. The Panorama Ski & Ride School offers lessons and courses from qualified instructors, ranging from first-timers to experienced snow hounds looking to learn a new trick or two.

Lots of Room to Roam

The Panorama Mountain ski resort has access to cross-country skiing, CAT and heliskiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and tandem paragliding for those looking for something other than downhill. There is also access to outdoor pools. It is the skiing and snowboarding that attracts most visitors here, though.

The average annual snowfall at the Panorama Mountain ski area is 204 inches. Forty percent of the named runs are equipped with snowmaking equipment to help supplement those totals and provide a consistent ski or ride experience. Panorama Mountain has 2,975 patrolled skiable acres, making it a large resort in the North American market.

The venue has 135 named trails, with terrain that divides evenly between casual fun runs and more challenging slopes. Green-rated beginner runs make up 15-percent of the mountain, and 35-percent of the alpine trails are rated blue for intermediates. Black diamond ratings mark 20-percent of the slopes for advanced skiers and riders, while the remaining 30-percent rate double black diamond for experts. Panorama Mountain uses ten lifts and a snowcat to move guests around.