Panorama Ski Resort Review 2026
Panorama is a big vertical, reliably snowy, family friendly resort in the dry interior of British Columbia, with a tidy ski in ski out village and hot pools to soak in at the end of the day. Book it if you want one of the biggest verticals in North America, dependable cold dry snow, gentle crowds and a self contained village that suits families and cruising intermediates. Skip it if you want a big resort buzz, lively nightlife or a short transfer, because Panorama is quiet by design and a long drive from the nearest major airport.
A big vertical, dry snow, ski in ski out resort in the BC interior with hot pools and gentle crowds, best for families and intermediates who want space over a scene.
Panorama rises to around 2,380 m above the Columbia Valley in the Purcell Mountains, with roughly 4,000 feet of vertical, one of the largest in North America, across about 2,975 acres. It is known for dry interior snow, a compact purpose built ski in ski out village, hot pools at the base and the expert Taynton Bowl up top. The trade for the quiet and the space is a long transfer and a trail network that feels smaller than the big vertical suggests.
How it scores for your group
Families. A genuine strength. The village is compact, car free in feel and ski in ski out, the crowds are light, and the hot pools at the base are a hit with children at the end of the day. Add gentle lower mountain terrain and a good ski school and Panorama is one of the more relaxed, manageable family resorts in western Canada.
Beginners. Good. There is a dedicated learning area and gentle, well groomed green terrain on the lower mountain, served by its own lifts so beginners are not thrown in with the big vertical above. The quiet slopes make it a comfortable, unintimidating place to learn.
Intermediates. The sweet spot. The middle of the mountain is full of long, well groomed blue and easy black cruisers that use the big vertical, and with light crowds you can lap them all day. A confident intermediate gets superb mileage and a real sense of a big mountain without the chaos of a marquee resort.
Experts. Better than the family billing suggests, but know the shape of it. Taynton Bowl up top is real expert terrain, a hike or lift accessed bowl of steeps and trees that holds dry snow, and the resort is also the home base for adjacent helicopter skiing. The honest limit is that the marked expert terrain is concentrated rather than vast, so a hard charging expert may want more.
Non skiers. Decent for a small resort. The hot pools at the base are the centerpiece, there is tubing and a handful of village restaurants and bars, and the nearby town of Invermere on the lake adds options. It is not a destination for non skiers, but there is enough to fill quiet days.
Terrain by ability
Panorama is built around its vertical. From the village at around 1,160 m to the summit near 2,380 m it offers roughly 4,000 feet of continuous descent, one of the biggest in North America, and the long blue and black cruisers that thread down that drop are the heart of the experience. Sitting in the dry interior of British Columbia, it gets cold, light snow rather than the heavy coastal stuff, and the light crowds mean it stays good for days.
Be realistic about the trade. The trail network, while varied, is more modest than the headline vertical implies, so the appeal is lapping quality long runs rather than endless new terrain, and a week here suits cruising and family skiing more than relentless exploration. The expert reward is up top in Taynton Bowl, genuine lift and hike accessed steeps that hold dry snow, and the adjacent heli skiing for those who want to go bigger. For most groups, Panorama is about big, quiet, reliable vertical and a soak in the pools afterward.
Photos via Google, contributed by Panorama Mountain Resort and Paul Ekberg.
Charm, convenience and the evening
Panorama has a proper, if compact, ski in ski out village, which is a big part of its family appeal. Built up the slope around the base lifts, it gathers lodging, a handful of restaurants and bars, the ski school and the hot pools into a walkable, low traffic cluster where you can leave the car parked all week. It is tidy and convenient rather than charming or historic, a purpose built resort base done well.
The evening is quiet, and you should want that if you book here. The hot pools, a relaxed dinner and a drink in one of the village bars are the after ski routine, not a nightlife scene. For more, the lakeside town of Invermere is around 20 minutes down the hill with restaurants and shops. Panorama is a place to unwind, not to party, and it is honest about that.
Lodging and chalet quotes
The simple play is to stay in the ski in ski out village, where condos and lodges put you steps from the lifts and the hot pools and let you forget the car for the week, which is exactly what most families want. For a lower bill or more dining and a lakeside setting, the town of Invermere, around 20 minutes away, offers value lodging and restaurants with a short daily drive up to the snow. For convenience and the full self contained experience, stay on the mountain, for value and variety, base in Invermere.
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Prices, lessons and ski hire
Panorama sells its own lift tickets at around $110 a day, with savings for booking online ahead and for multi day stays, and it has appeared on multi resort discount passes, so check those if you are touring western Canada. Lift and lodging packages through the resort are often the best value for a week, bundling the ticket with the room and the hot pools. Lessons and rentals are easy in the village, and the cheaper, quieter setting makes Panorama a smart place to put a family through ski school. Book the extras ahead to lock in the price.
Book the extras and save
Lift passes, lessons and ski hire are where a trip quietly leaks money. Booking ahead almost always beats the resort window price.
Compare lift passesFind lessonsReserve ski hireTravel insuranceTransfers and access
Access is the main thing to weigh. Panorama is around three and a half hours from Calgary international airport by car, the usual gateway, through the Rockies and into the Columbia Valley, a scenic but real drive that you should not underestimate in winter. The smaller Cranbrook airport is closer at about an hour and three quarters if the flights suit. Either way a rental car is the natural choice, both for the transfer and for reaching Invermere and the lake, and winter tires and a watch on the mountain weather are sensible on the Rockies leg.
Sort the transfer
A smooth airport to resort transfer sets the tone for the week. Book ahead, especially over peak weeks.
Book a transferThe best weeks to ski Panorama
Panorama usually runs from early December to mid April, with the 2026 to 2027 season expected to match. The dry interior climate brings cold, light snow through the core of winter and the thin crowds mean it lingers, so fresh, soft conditions are common well after a storm.
January and February are the coldest and snowiest weeks, the time for the best dry snow in Taynton Bowl and the quietest slopes, though you will want to dress for genuine interior cold. March brings longer, brighter days and softer afternoon snow on the long cruisers, the most pleasant time for families. Even the holiday weeks stay relatively calm compared with the marquee resorts, which is a large part of the appeal.
Panorama FAQs
Is Panorama good for families?
Yes, it is one of the more relaxed family resorts in western Canada. The village is compact and ski in ski out, the crowds are light, there is a good ski school and gentle lower mountain terrain, and the hot pools at the base are a hit with children at the end of the day.
How big is the vertical at Panorama?
Panorama has around 1,220 m, roughly 4,000 feet, of vertical from the village to the summit, one of the largest in North America. The long blue and black cruisers down that drop are the heart of the skiing, though the overall trail network is more modest than the big vertical suggests.
What is the snow like at Panorama?
Cold and dry. Panorama sits in the dry interior of British Columbia, so it gets light interior snow rather than heavy coastal snow, and the thin crowds mean it stays good for days. Taynton Bowl up top holds the best dry snow for experts.
Does Panorama have hot pools?
Yes, there are outdoor hot pools at the base village, which are one of the resort's signature features and a favorite with families at the end of the ski day. They are part of why the village feels relaxing rather than rowdy.
How do you get to Panorama?
Panorama is around three and a half hours from Calgary international airport by car through the Rockies and the Columbia Valley, a scenic but real winter drive. The smaller Cranbrook airport is closer at about an hour and three quarters, and a rental car is the natural choice.
Is Panorama good for experts?
Better than its family reputation suggests, but concentrated. Taynton Bowl up top is genuine lift and hike accessed expert terrain that holds dry snow, and the resort is a base for adjacent helicopter skiing, but the marked expert terrain is limited rather than vast.
Nearby alternatives
The other big mountains of interior British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies are the natural comparisons, and these three are worth weighing up.
Kicking Horse
The steep, serious big mountain over the Rockies near Golden, the move when you want expert terrain and bigger steeps over family cruising.
Revelstoke
The giant vertical powder mountain further west, the move when you want the biggest snow and steeps in the region and will trade the quiet.
Big White
The big, snowy, family friendly resort near Kelowna with a real ski in ski out village, a like for like alternative with more village life.
Where should you stay and when should you go?
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By the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team · Last reviewed May 2026.