Why Kicking Horse is Highly Rated for Off-Piste

Kicking Horse is North America's off-piste paradise. Our community have awarded the resort the coveted 2025 gold award for Best Resort for Off-Piste in the North American category. For those riders who are ditching the piste map and venturing off the marked trails, Kicking Horse has 4.84/5.00 rating from our users. The ungroomed terrain here is nothing short of legendary, with Snomad community member Tom describing it as "simply the best resort in the world for off-piste, big alpine skiing" with "the most ridiculous alpine bowls any resort has." This sentiment is echoed by Vince, who praises the "wonderful off-piste terrain and accessible, hikable backcountry from the top of the gondola." The natural features are extraordinary, with Ryan pointing out that the resort offers "more chutes and coulys then you could ever imagine," while expert snowboarder Jesse raves about the "super steep insane terrain with easy access to some of the best chutes on earth."

The backcountry access at Kicking Horse is unparalleled, making it a haven for adventure skiing enthusiasts. Expert skier Matt explains there are "lots of options for short (5-20 min) hikes to get in-bound, less skied runs," while Suhan describes the mountain as having "extremely challenging terrain that is more like backcountry avalanche terrain that just happens to be avalanche controlled." One Snomad community member liked that "you can almost always find powder if you don't mind hiking the ridges of the resort," as Chloe points out. Expert snowboarder Dave sums it up perfectly: "terrain is challenging if you dare to hike it and you are rewarded with amazing views and beautiful untouched powder." For true adventure seekers, expert skier Rich confirms it's "a fun and challenging resort, especially if you want to hike for your turns or are into ski touring."

Want to head off the beaten track? Read our full resort guide to see how Kicking Horse stacks up across all 20 of our community-rated categories!