Mt. Washington Resort is a full-service ski hill near the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. It offers skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities.

While the resort is well known for its winter sports it’s also open in the summer for mountain biking, ziplining and more.

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About the Ski Hill | Winter Activities | Admission | Tips | Other Information

Mount Washington Ski Resort

Mt. Washington is not located in Victoria. Far from it in fact. It’s actually about 245 km, or a 3-hour drive, from downtown Victoria. The ski hill is Vancouver Island’s main ski resort though, so the hill that Victorians ski at when they want to ski (unless they want to take a ferry ride and drive to Vancouver Ski Hills in the Lower Mainland).

The ski hill is a family-friendly resort with a wide range of terrain options and smaller lifts for the less advanced.

The resort offers a selection of activities in every season. It is most popular in the winter time for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The place also offers a tube park during the winter season.

About the Ski Hill

Mount Washington is located just over 30 km (or a 35-minute drive) from Courtney, BC. Courtney is right beside Comox in the Comox Valley. The two communities are about halfway up Vancouver Island and 110 km northwest of Nanaimo.

The ski resort features around 1,700 acres of skiable terrain and over 500 metres of vertical drop. Typically the mountain receives a lot of snow in the winter, with an average of over 11 metres (or 36 feet) per season.

There are about 80 ski and snowboard runs at the resort. Also on the mountain are 2 terrain parks (although reviews state that these are often closed). 10 chairlifts service the resort’s trails.

Winter Activities

In addition to the resort’s downhill skiing and snowboarding facilities, the place also offers a selection of other winter activities. Popular winter sports at the resort include Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and fat biking (the last of which involves off-road bicycles with extra big tires).

The resort’s Nordic area includes cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking. In total, the resort offers 55 km of trails for cross-country skiing and 25 km for snowshoeing.

Fat biking is a unique activity offered at Mount Washington within the Nordic area. Guests can rent bikes with special large, flat tires that can travel over the resort’s 15 km of snowy trails.

Admission at Mount Washington

Ticket prices at Mount Washington vary depending on the time of season. Prices listed below are for the beginning of the 2023/2024 winter season. Taxes are extra.

Skiing or Snowboarding Rates

Alpine rates for the 2023/2024 ski season are listed below. The listed prices for regular tickets are for weekday skiing, weekend rates are between $6 and $20 more expensive depending on your age. Holiday tickets cost the same whether it was a weekday or weekend. To encourage you to shop online, pre-purchases made before your date of skiing can save you $5-10 per ticket.

Full Day Tickets for Monday to Thursday (Regular Dates)

Adults (ages 19-64) – $109
Seniors (ages 65+) – $99
Youth (ages 13-18) – $99
Children (ages 7-12) – $69

Full Day Tickets for Friday to Sunday (Regular Dates)

Adults (ages 19-64) – $129
Seniors (ages 65+) – $109
Youth (ages 13-18) – $109
Children (ages 7-12) – $79

Full Day Holiday Tickets

Adults (ages 19-64) – $139
Seniors (ages 65+) – $119
Youth (ages 13-18) – $119
Children (ages 7-12) – $84

Discounts are available for students and military as well. Tickets with these discounts must be purchased at the resort at the Guest Services kiosk.

Nordic Rates

Three sports take place in the Nordic area at Mount Washington. These activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.

Nordic tickets can be purchased in person at the resort’s outdoor ticket booth. Rates for the 2023/2024 cross-country ski and snowshoe season are listed below.

Full Day Tickets for Monday to Thursday (Regular Dates)

Adults (ages 19-64) – $29
Seniors (ages 65+) – $24
Youth (ages 13-18) – $24
Children (ages 7-12) – $19

Full Day Tickets for Friday to Sunday (Regular Dates)

Adults (ages 19-64) – $32
Seniors (ages 65+) – $26
Youth (ages 13-18) – $26
Children (ages 7-12) – $21

Full Day Holiday Tickets

Adults (ages 19-64) – $35
Seniors (ages 65+) – $29
Youth (ages 13-18) – $29
Children (ages 7-12) – $23

Rates for trail tickets for fat biking during the 2023/2024 season are listed below. Trail tickets do not include bike rentals, which can be rented for two hours for an extra $42 or so.

Monday to Thursday

Adults (ages 19-64) – $12
Seniors (ages 65+) – $12
Youth (ages 13-18) – $12
Children (ages 7-12) – $7

Friday to Sunday and Holidays

Adults (ages 19-64) – $14
Seniors (ages 65+) – $14
Youth (ages 13-18) – $14
Children (ages 7-12) – $8

Tube Park Rates

Tickets for the Mt. Washington tube park are sold in time slots. Each ticket is valid at the start of the hour for when it is purchased. One hour of tubing costs $15 for children (ages 2 to 12) and $20 for everyone else in 2023/24.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra things you might want to consider when visiting Mt. Washington.

TIP #1: The road up to the ski resort is paved and well maintained, but conditions change rapidly. The mountain is known to have road crews checking drivers for chains before letting them up the hill. Make sure you carry chains every time you go up.

TIP #2: You can pre-purchase your ski lift passes on the Mount Washington website the day before your arrival to save between $5 and $10 per ticket.

TIP #3: If you are unable to take advantage of the pre-purchase discount, and you need to rent equipment, you can purchase your lift pass and equipment rental at the rental shop. There is no need to stand in two line-ups.

TIP #4: Mount Washington is the main ski resort for all of Vancouver Island. It can be busy. A good way to get the most out of your lift pass is to try the various chair lifts. One chair lift might have a long wait, while another gets you moving much more quickly. Be open to exploring a new part of the mountain.