Grouse Mountain Skiing 2026-27: Passes & Night Skiing

Grouse in 2026-27: the short version

Grouse Mountain is the closest ski hill to downtown Vancouver and the only one of the three North Shore hills you can reach by city bus: SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay, then bus 236 to the gondola. At the top are 33 runs, four chairlifts and 14 lit runs for night skiing, with the city and the harbour right below. It is a small mountain, about 212 acres with roughly 365 m of vertical, so it suits a quick evening session or a first day on skis better than a week of big-mountain skiing. In 2026 the resort marks its centennial.

Season passes and lift tickets for 2026-27

Grouse sells two 2026-27 season passes at early-bird prices until 13 October: the Unlimited pass, and the Weekday pass, valid Monday to Friday except from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. From 14 October both go up to the regular season-pass price. The centennial Y2Play passes for 2026-27 have already sold out.

Both passes include the snowshoe trails, the Mountaintop Skating Pond, the Light Walk and the Peak of Christmas (with the Weekday pass, on weekdays outside the blackout), 10% off food and drink, 20% off at the Grouse Starbucks and on regular-priced retail, 50% off an Ikon Session Pass 3-Day, and up to 50% off at partner resorts through the Mountain Interchange Program. A household buying together gets another 10% off early-bird rates (at least one adult and one child or youth; tots excluded). Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and students must show proof of full-time enrolment for both the fall and winter semesters.

Day tickets. Grouse has not yet published its 2026-27 lift ticket prices. Last season an adult day ticket was $89 on weekdays and $99 on weekends and over Christmas, an evening ticket from 3pm was $67, and the 3-Day Plus pack was $249. Buy online at least a day ahead: it is cheaper than the window, and with a QR-code ticket you skip Guest Services and go straight to the gondola line.

Getting there from downtown

Night skiing above the city

Grouse lights 14 runs after dark, and in the ski season the lifts run until 10pm. That is the reason to ski here: leave a downtown office at 4:30, and you can be on a lit run before 6, with the city and the harbour spread out below. The Cut, the long lit run you can see from downtown, is the one in every photo. Evening tickets start at 3pm ($67 last season). Weeknights are quieter than Fridays and Saturdays, and a cold, clear night after fresh snow is when the view is at its best.

Runs, lifts and terrain parks

Four chairlifts carry skiers up: the Screaming Eagle and Olympic Express high-speed quads, the Greenway quad and the Peak quad. Beginners have a Magic Carpet and the Short Cut handle tow. Of the 33 runs, The Cut is the classic cruiser with the view. Advanced skiers head for steeper named runs such as Purgatory, Inferno and Devil's Advocate, and for the trees of Peak Glades. Freestyle skiers and riders get a chain of parks: Cut Rookie Park, Cut Park, The Cut Jump Line, Paradise Jib Park, Side Cut Park, Grizzly Cub Park and Grouse Woods.

The mountain is a few kilometres from the sea, so the snow is often heavy and wet, and on a mild week the lower runs can get rain while the top gets snow. In the ski season, the Today on Grouse page lists the open lifts, runs and parks each day, and the webcams show what the top looks like right now. Check both before you go up.

Lessons and rentals

The CIBC Grouse Snow School teaches from age 3. For children there is Ski Wee (ages 3–6), four- and five-day Zone Camps (ages 6–12 and 13–18), the 10-week Zone Club for beginners aged 7–12, and All Mountain Masters for ages 10–14. Discovery Day group lessons are for ages 7 and up, private lessons for ages 3 and up, and adults can take Adult Elevation Sessions, a four-part series for bumps, trees and steeps. In early October the children's programs were 20% off for a limited time, while Discovery Day, private and adult lessons were still listed as coming soon.

Rentals cover skis, snowboards, boots, poles, helmets, snowshoes, skates and sleds. Grouse does not rent gloves, mitts or goggles (the Outfitters shop sells them), and clothing rentals are limited and first-come, first-served. Book rentals online by 5pm at least one day ahead. Lockers in the Rental Outpost at the top take a $2 token and fit only small items, not boots or board bags.

Winter at the top if you don't ski

Half the group doesn't ski? The mountaintop has snowshoe trails, from the Discovery Loop and Blue Grouse Loop to the Snowshoe Grind and the Dam Mountain Loop, and the Light Walk, a lit path around Blue Grouse Lake. The Skating Pond is the only outdoor mountaintop skating pond in the Lower Mainland (skate rental last winter was $10 for adults and $6 for children), and next to it the Sliding Zone has two groomed sledding lanes when there is enough snow. In the weeks before Christmas, the Peak of Christmas adds Santa's Workshop and, snow permitting, sleigh rides; last year it ran from 21 November to 24 December. Food ranges from Lupins Café and BeaverTails to Altitudes Bistro and The Observatory, the mountain's fine-dining room. Grouse calls itself Canada's first non-smoking and non-vaping resort. Today on Grouse lists what is open each day. For a non-skiing visit, see is Grouse Mountain worth it? and snowshoeing near Vancouver.

Grouse, Cypress, Seymour or Whistler?

Grouse wins on access and the view, not on size. Cypress has about 600 acres and 610 m of vertical on two peaks, and Seymour has the gentlest terrain and the cheapest passes. Whistler Blackcomb, about two hours away, plans to open on 20 November 2026 with more than 8,000 acres. The side-by-side with 2026-27 prices, transit and parking is in Grouse vs Seymour vs Cypress; for the bigger trip, see Vancouver to Whistler and the ski season guide.

Before you go

• Check Today on Grouse and the webcams the same morning: open lifts and runs, and whether the peak is in cloud.
• Buy lift tickets online at least a day ahead; with a QR-code ticket or a pass you go straight to the gondola line.
• Book rentals online by 5pm the day before, and bring your own gloves and goggles.
• Coming by transit? Keep your fare for the $10 discount, and buy your return SeaBus ticket before you board the bus.
• Leave the dog, the drone, your own sled and toy skis or snowboards without steel edges at home: none are allowed.
• Weekday passholders: the pass is not valid from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
• Mild, wet week in the city? Look at the snow report and Vancouver in the snow first.

Sources: grousemountain.com: Early Bird pass sale (2026/27 prices, perks, Weekday blackout), Y2Play passes, Getting Here and Parking, hours, FAQ (drop-off, rentals, lockers, smoking), Blue Grouse Gondola, CIBC Grouse Snow School, the Today on Grouse lift and run list, and 2025/26 lift tickets; Vail Resorts (Whistler Blackcomb opening date); Cypress Mountain and Mt Seymour (comparison figures). Checked 4 October 2026; prices in Canadian dollars before tax.

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