Kicking Horse Reviews: 4.50/5 from 100+ Verified Skiers | Snomad
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Ski ResortsCanadaBritish ColumbiaKicking Horse
Updated January 2025
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Kicking Horse Reviews & Ratings

How Skiers Rate Kicking Horse

Overall Rating
4.50
Value for Money
4.26
Quiet Slopes
4.48
Après-Ski
3.40
Accommodation Options
3.97
Family Friendliness
3.67
Groomed Runs
3.75
Powder Zones
4.75
Tree Runs
4.32
Mogul Fields
3.82
Off-Piste
4.84
Snow Parks
2.40
Lift Efficiency
3.84
Eating Out
3.57
Ski School Quality
3.99
Beginners
4.50
Intermediates
4.25
Advanced
4.52
Experts
4.52
Snowboarders
4.34

Read All 100+ Kicking Horse Reviews

What Skiers Say About Kicking Horse

Kicking Horse draws predominantly advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders seeking steep, technical terrain including chutes, bowls, and glades. Reviewers consistently mention deep powder, low crowds, and significant vertical drop (over 4,000 feet). The resort has limited lift infrastructure, primarily one gondola, which funnels most traffic and can create bottlenecks. Beginners and intermediates find limited suitable terrain, with only a few green runs available. The base area and town of Golden offer basic amenities rather than extensive après-ski or dining options. Several reviewers note the need for hiking to access the best terrain, and groomers are not always well-maintained.

AI-generated summary based on verified skier reviews

  • expert terrain variety
  • powder quality
  • low crowds
  • vertical drop
  • backcountry-style inbounds skiing
  • tree runs
  • limited lift infrastructure
  • minimal beginner terrain
  • grooming quality
  • hiking required
  • limited base amenities
Filters
5.0
Overall Rating
No user avatar
Jamieson
advanced snowboarder 🏂 🇨🇦 Canada
Jan, 3 2025
Anybody that's truly explored and expierenced Kickinghorse would agree that it's the black sheep of all Canadian resorts, in a good way. It's a total badass and offers terrain incomparable to anything else in BC. Lift lines are manageable and snow is always wicked.
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5.0
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Rich
expert skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Jan, 2 2025
A fun and challenging resort, especially if you want to hike for your turns or are into ski touring.
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4.0
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Maria
intermediate snowboarder 🏂 🇨🇦 Canada
Jan, 2 2025
Really great ski resort! Not too far from Golden if you decide to stay out there. This is a relatively steep mountain face with a few friendly runs for beginners. Most groomed runs are quite rocky and have lots of traffic so be aware of that. Given the difficulty of how steep some runs are, it allows beginners to really push themselves! But theres so many runs to try out. Tree runs are really unique and cool, lots to explore!
Family Friendliness
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4.0
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Paul
expert skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Jan, 2 2025
Great skiing but not many options for non-advanced skiers. Lift infrastructure could be better as many of the best areas require hiking to, but that leads to them having amazing snow
Family Friendliness
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Eating Out
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Value for Money
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4.0
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Jason
advanced skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Jan, 2 2025
This is an intermediate ski hill. Limited green runs for beginners. Mainly blue and black runs throughout. Amazing bowls and very large terrain so traffic is always light on the runs.
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5.0
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Gary
expert skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 31 2024
Great big mountain skiing. No need to go out of bounds to ski some gnarly terrain. This is a great hill for experienced skiers and riders.
Off-Piste
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4.0
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Riley
intermediate snowboarder 🏂 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 30 2024
Mightve been the best day of Snowboarding in my life. Came from Ontario, stayed in Banff, AB and made the drive for a day at Kicking Horse and it was well worth it. The longest run can take you 25 minutes at a reasonable pace if you want to take in all the sights. Snow was great, and there are good glades opportunities for a range of skill levels.
Family Friendliness
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4.0
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Jesse
expert snowboarder 🏂
Dec, 28 2024
Best dry powder in the western Rockies , super steep insane terrain with easy access to some of the best chutes on earth
Family Friendliness
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Eating Out
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4.0
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Libby
advanced snowboarder 🏂 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 27 2024
Nice resort with a powder options, backcountry options and some steep fun as well. Lifts are a bit slow. There's a bear you can go closer to and breathtaking views.
Off-Piste
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4.0
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Thomas
expert skier ⛷️
Dec, 27 2024
For riders looking for steep and deep. Kicking Horse excels at providing the goods, as long as the snow is fresh. Excellent side country and a fun town to party in after.
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Logan
expert skier ⛷️
Dec, 27 2024
Awesome steep terrain loads of hikes highly recommend for expert skiers I would not recommend for beginner skis because the terrain is very steep and limited if you are not into hiking
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Stephen
advanced skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 26 2024
Kicking horse is Intermediate to Advanced skiing and Snowboarding wi top notch Terrain options.
Resort itself does not have a ton of accommodation and smaller resort base with just ok options for food, shopping and apres.
Village of Golden is 10 Klms away with all amenities as well.
Family Friendliness
Off-Piste
Snow Parks
Eating Out
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Value for Money
Groomed Runs
Tree Runs
Mogul Fields
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5.0
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Matt
expert skier ⛷️
Dec, 26 2024
Kicking Horse sucks. The snow is too deep and too soft. The locals are too friendly. I mean, who wants to do pillow lines from a lift? Where is the ice? Where are the crowds and lines?

In short, it sucks. Dont go there.
Family Friendliness
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4.0
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Karen
advanced skier ⛷️
Dec, 25 2024
Learned how to ski here which was intimidating! The staff was great and got me going in no time.

Been going back for years. The powder can be great - superfine and cold. Great runs a few trees. Lots offfun to play up there. I love the restaurant at the top such great views and a fun place to take a break.
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Shane
expert skier ⛷️ 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 25 2024
The amount of expert terrain makes this resort a go-to for anyone looking for backcountry style runs inbounds.
The resort could benefit from another high alpine lift but this is a want, not a need.
Friendly and helpful staff and lots of options for food both at the resort base and in town.
I would recommend to any skier or boarder looking for exciting inbounds terrain.
5 stars from me
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Ryan
expert skier ⛷️
Dec, 25 2024
Kicking horse resort is unrivaled in terms of big freeride terrain theres a reason the tour stops here although the snow doesnt come as often or as much its definetly worth a trip in good snow its a freeriders paradise with glades big cliffs and more chutes and coulys then you could ever imagine
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3.0
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Penny
advanced skier ⛷️
Dec, 24 2024
Great steeps and long runs
Over 4200 vertical feet .
Amazing ski touring off hill
Although not for the weak

Kicking horse has a lot of advanced terrain ,
We will just say grooming is not top priority, so make sure youve done some squats pregame ..

Highest elevation restaurant in Canada . Where you can enjoy a lunch and cocktail after a tough day skiing .
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Vince
expert skier ⛷️
Dec, 24 2024
Wonderful off-piste terrain and accessible, hikable backcountry from the top of the gondola. Don't miss Kicking Horse!
Family Friendliness
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5.0
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Kristina
advanced snowboarder 🏂 🇨🇦 Canada
Dec, 24 2024
Kicking horse has been my favorite mountain of all time in Canada. You can't beat the views or the runs and definitely not the vertical. Kicking horse is my happy place.



Love their little village too, it's a lovely place to hang out in the evening and have dinner or play giant jenga at the little pub. The resort has nice rooms and nothing like a hot tub overlooking the mountain sunset after a long day of riding. There's always something to do or see!

I truly believe everyone should experience kicking horse at least once in their life :)
Family Friendliness
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Eating Out
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Mogul Fields
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5.0
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Jason
advanced skier ⛷️
Dec, 23 2024
This is an expert mountain 80% black and double black . All strap shutes not many groomers. Everyone skiing this mountain have fat skies and just RIP. Not much to do après-ski wise . Very small town with not much to do .
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