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The Ultimate SilverStar Ski Guide

It’s all about balance at this family-friendly mountain, where world-class downhill and cross-country skiing mix with myriad other diversions.

Why it’s legendary

SilverStar is the ‘Goldilocks’ of Canadian skiing.

It isn’t overwhelmingly large, yet its 1328 hectares make it the third-largest ski area in British Columbia. The colourful gold rush-themed village is nestled on the slopes of the resort’s namesake mountain, where 130 designated trails encompass pleasingly balanced terrain: 40 per cent is intermediate, with the rest split between beginners and experts. Visitors seeking a break from the slopes have their hands full with a wide range of indoor and outdoor diversions, including one of the largest and best cross-country skiing networks in North America. Then there’s the one factor you simply can’t overdo on a ski holiday – each year on average, SilverStar receives more than seven metres of fluffy Okanagan powder. Now that’s “just right."

SilverStar British Columbia
SilverStar’s small village is cute and cosy.

Who will love it

If variety is truly the spice of life for you, SilverStar is your perfect resort. An all-inclusive My1Pass lift ticket does more than get you up the mountain – it also covers cross-country, snowshoeing and fat-tyre biking on dedicated trail networks, as well as ice-skating and tubing. Indoor excitement, meanwhile, is the name of the game at Pinheads Bowling Alley or on the climbing walls of the National Altitude Training Centre.

Three things you must do

1. SilverStar has a sterling reputation for cruising runs, thanks to one of Canada’s top grooming teams. Whooshing down the aptly named Milky Way, right after it’s been groomed for night skiing on Fridays and Saturdays, will definitely make you late for dinner.

 

2. Go cross-country after dark down SilverStar’s four kilometres of illuminated Nordic trails, which make up a tiny fraction of the area’s 105-kilometre network. It provides a tranquil alternative to downhill descents.

 

3. Of all the unique dining packages offered at SilverStar, the Snowshoe Dinner Tour is the best for working up an appetite. Snowshoe through glistening forests to the resort’s Wild Horseman’s Cabin, where a lavish buffet dinner awaits. After dessert, a horse-drawn sleigh carries you into the night and back to the village.

Local secrets you should know

Several resorts in British Columbia offer free get-to-know-the-mountain tours, but only SilverStar extends these guided outings to fat-tyre cyclists. Friendly locals in distinctive blue jackets will take you out on the 15 kilometres of dedicated fat-bike trails, where oversized tyres roll through the snow to hilarious effect.

Off the slopes

Not even Whistler has a bowling alley. In the back of the Final Run Bar and Bistro, Pinheads Bowling is home to four lanes of tenpin action.

Pinheads Bowling SilverStar
Head over to Pinheads for a few rounds of bowling.

If you favour serenity overstrikes and spares, the full-service Ousia Day Spa offers massages and skincare treatments using all-natural products, while drop-in yoga classes at the Pinnacles Suite Hotel will keep your chakras in balance.

Best après-ski hotspots

Local favourite Long John’s Pub vies with the Den Bar and Bistro for the attention of the taps-and-apps crowd, while the Red Antler adds late-night live bands to the merry mix. Fine dining is similarly well represented, with the Silver Grill and the 1609 Restaurant and Lounge favouring locally sourced menus, craft brews and the Okanagan region’s renowned wines.

Skiers will love…

Going over to the ‘Dark Side’

 

No, this isn’t a Star Wars reference – it’s the local nickname for the mountain’s Putnam Creek area, where Gypsy Queen, Bon Diablo and other challenging groomers meet double-black-diamond drop zones like Gong Show and Cowabunga.

Snowboarders will love…

SilverStar Terrain Park

 

Covering a whopping 6.5 hectares with all manner of tabletops, step-up jumps, boxes and rails designed to boost park riding skills steadily and safely. It’s split into four lanes, ranging from small (or beginner) to XL, where pro slopestyle events are held.

SilverStar Terrain Park
Good luck guiding your way through this terrain.

Recommended places to stay

Budget

Vernon Hostel

 

A short drive away in downtown Vernon, this hostel has a mix of the dorm, private and family rooms with two communal areas, a dining room and kitchen, and, yes, free wi-fi.

 

Address: 3315 30th Avenue, Vernon

Midrange

Bulldog Hotel

 

A cosy 25-room property steps from the lifts with plenty of patio space, a large communal hot tub and ample equipment storage.

 

Address: 142 Main Street, Vernon

Bulldog Hotel Vernon
The ever-so-charming Bulldog Hotel.

Vance Creek Hotel and Conference Centre

 

All 18 condo-style units feature balconies and full kitchens, with a rooftop hot tub and heated ski lockers also on site.

 

Address: 148 Silver Lode Lane, Vernon

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Family

Pinnacles Suite Hotel

 

These slopeside suites and townhouses welcome both families and pets.

 

Address: 9885 Pinnacles Road, SilverStar Mountain

 

SilverStar vacation homes

 

Homes with three to six bedrooms are available here, all right on the slopes, and all with their own room configurations and features, as well as private hot tubs.

 

Address: SilverStar Road & Monashee Road

Luxury

Snowbird Lodge

 

These gorgeous ski-in/ski-out condos range from studios to three-bedroom units and combine a prime, central location with private balcony hot tubs, an on-site fitness room and 24-seat cinema.

 

Address: 170 Silver Lode Lane, Vernon

 

Check out our ultimate guide to exploring Canada here.

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12 grand journeys throughout North America

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    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

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    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

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    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

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    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

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    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

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    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

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    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

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    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

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    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

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    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

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    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

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    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

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