Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington is an alpine resort near Courtenay in Central Vancouver Island, with skiing (downhill and cross country), snowboarding, and tubing in the winter and a number of hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer.
Understand
The largest commercial ski area on Vancouver Island. Skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snow tubing, snow shoeing, sledding. Summer attractions such as mountain bike riding and hiking.
Get in
The facility is about 3 hours by car north of Victoria and 40 minutes by car south of Campbell River.
From downtown Courtenay, take Cliffe Ave north to 1st St. and then turn right on 1st St. Take the next left onto Condensory Rd (Anderton Ave). Follow Condensory Rd to Piercy Rd. Turn left onto Piercy Rd and follow this to Hwy #19. Turn right onto Hwy #19. Turn left at the lights (Exit #130) and follow Strathcona Parkway up the mountain for 18 km. It is at the end of Strathcona Parkway).
By bus
During ski season, following bus service is available:
- Mount Washing Valley Bus Service, ☏ +1-250-338-1386, toll-free: +1-888-231-1499. Travels between Mt. Washington Alpine Resort, and Courtenay and Cumberland. Travel time time each way is 40 to 60 minutes. $20 per round trip.
- Mount Washington Ski Bus, reservations@mtwskibus.com. Travels between Victoria and Mt. Washington Alpine Resort with stops in Langford, Mill Bay, Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, and Qualicum Beach. A single trip travel to the Mt Washington in the morning and leaves Mt Washington in the afternoon. Operates Friday to Sunday, except during two weeks around Christmas and New Years Day, then it operates daily. Travel time to Mount Washington from Nanaimo is 1.5 hours and from Victoria is 3.5 hours. $85.50 roundtrip from Victoria and $52.50 roundtrip from Nanaimo. One-way fares available. discount available on Friday travel.
See and do
Winter
(December to April, depending on the snow)
Mount Washington receives 11 metres of annual snowfall. The resort is acknowledged as the home of Canada's deepest pile.
- Alpine skiing: 81 runs (14% beginner, 35% intermediate, 36% advanced, 15% expert, 5 lifts and 4 Magic Carpets including a high-speed six-pack and a high-speed quad.
- Cross-country skiing: Over 55 km (34 miles) of world-class machine-groomed cross-country trails in the resort and through scenic park lands.
- Snowshoeing in Mount Washington’s snow-frosted forests.
- The Tube Park offers a fun alternative to skiing or snowboarding and is also a great apres activity.
Summer
In summer, the mountain and surrounding resort community are a major destination for hikers and summer alpine enthusiasts.
Buy, eat and drink
- 🌍 Raven Lodge: restaurant, cross-country ski rentals, lessons, and sport shop. The Raven Lodge’s popular evening Snowshoe Fondue sells out, so book the fondue in advance.
Sleep
- 🌍 Alpine Village, ☏ +1 250-338-1386, toll-free: +1-888-231-1499. The resort has a lot of on-mountain accommodation in the Alpine Village.
Accommodation prices (Apr 2018) per night, plus 12% tax:
- Lodge rooms with queen bed $134
- One-bedroom apartment $164
- Two-bedroom apartment $204
- Three-bedroom apartment $244