Nakiska

Located only 1 hour from Calgary, AB, Nakiska is nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies in beautiful Kananaskis country. It has 3 high speed quad chairs, 1 fixed grip double chair and 2 magic carpets (one of which is the longest in Alberta!). Nakiska boasts 2,555 feet of vertical and a total of 64 marked trails that break down into 16% beginner, 70% intermediate and 14% advanced.

Nakiska was home to the 1988 Winter Olympic Alpine events and today, skiers and snowboarders can enjoy Olympic-length runs that are groomed to perfection. It is a family friendly resort with a gentle learn-to-ski area and an awesome ski school. Nakiska hosts the largest ski club in Alberta and many of our Canadian Olympic athletes train here as well. They also play host to numerous school groups in the surrounding area which provides a great opportunity to get our children and youth out of the slopes.

What you may not know about Nakiska

Nakiska has some of the longest, best groomed runs in Alberta. They provide seamless corduroy grooming which are great for cruisers that wants to work on their turns. Click here to see a trail map of Nakiska.

Nakiska is the official training facility for Alpine Canada. Many of our Canadian athletes that participated in the 2010 games in Vancouver train at Nakiska on a full time basis.

They are hosting the Canadian National Championships from March 22-28. Olympic caliber athletes from all over the world will be competing in this event.

What’s new at Nakiska?

New this year at Nakiska is the Gold Chair Express Lift. This lift replaces the old fixed grip triple chair and gets you up to the top in less than 5 minutes! Click here for more info on the Gold Chair Express Lift.

This year Nakisa has undergone numerous trail improvements which has enhanced the skiing experience for guests and created vital training conditions for ski racers. They also created the “Monster Glades” area which provides more access to gladed terrain with the widening of trails and increased runs in the trees. Click here for more info on trail improvements.

Nakiska’s snowmaking abilities have been enhanced by 40%. They are aiming to provide more snow coverage in variable snow conditions during early season than ever before. They now have the largest snowmaking system in Alberta with a total of 160 snowmaking guns! Click here for some stats on snowmaking at Nakiska.

The day lodge and mid-mountain lodge have undergone several renovations which improve visit quality for guests. The day lodge has a new roof, deck, washrooms and floors while the Finish Line Lounge upstairs has been completely refurbished with new flat screen tv’s, chairs and tables.

Top 5 reasons to visit Nakiska

1. Scenery

It doesn’t get any more beautiful than Alberta’s Kananaskis country. Nakiska provides breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains whether you are in the village, riding up the chair or at the top of the mountain.

2. Proximity

Nakiska is Calgary’s closest mountain resort. At 83 kilometers from Calgary’s city limits, it is less than an hour’s drive away. Simply head west on Hwy 1, then south on Hwy 40 and you’ll be enjoying the slopes in no time. Click here for directions to Nakiska.

3. Ski School

Nakiska offers a wide range of ski and snowboard lessons for all ages and abilities. They have group and private lessons, learn to ski programs and have even incorporated multi-week programs for the 2009/2010 season. For more information on Nakiska’s Ski School, click here.

4. Events

There are always tons of events going on at Nakiska. From Olympic caliber events to ladies day ski trips to spring fiestas, Nakiska provides great events and entertainment for all ages. Click here to see an events calendar for Nakiska.

5. Ski and stay packages

Nakiska offers a wide variety of ski and stay packages. They have heli tours, family packages, reduced lifts and a wide variety of hotels and accommodations to choose from. Click here to see what Nakiska has offer and book your ski getaway now!

Congratulations to Vladimir Alexeev who was our Go Big! Contest winner and took home a pair of lift tickets to Nakiska. Want a chance to win a set of his and her skis and a $1000 shopping spree? Click here!



Also a big thank you to Avalanche Ski Wear for their contributions to our marketing initiative.



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