The 8 Best Ski Resorts Near Ottawa

2. Camp Fortune 

Camp Fortune is only a 25-minute drive outside of town, making it the closest ski area to Ottawa. It's also one of North America's oldest skiing destinations, with a history that dates back to 1920.
 
Today, the ski area boasts the Ottawa area's longest ski season, 12 night skiing runs (24 during the day), and two cozy base lodges. Camp Fortune welcomes visitors during the summer with an aerial park and zip-lines. In 2024, Camp Fortune boosted its stature by joining the Indy Pass, a multi-pass program that provides two days of skiing at numerous independent ski areas.

3. Sommet Edelweiss 

Sommet Edelweiss' lift infrastructure revolves around three main chairs: the Meister 4000, the Edelbahn Express, and the Streif. The Mesiter is best for beginners, and the aptly named Streif services a network of advanced trails. The Edelbahn Express falls somewhere in the middle.

Jumps and rails are part of the deal, too. Two terrain parks slices through the center of the ski area and offers a proving ground for would-be freestylers. If some members of your crew prefer to stay off skis, Sommet Edelweiss' has a tubing park with six slides.

Season passes to Edelweiss include varying access to another "Sommet," expanding the value proposition for ski area-hopping skiers. For instance, the unlimited Sommet Edelweiss pass includes seven nights a week at Sommet Saint-Sauveur starting at 4 p.m. This Sommet Saint-Sauveur access expands to include days on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays starting in January.

4. Calabogie Peaks Resort

Calabogie Peaks proudly offers Ontario's largest vertical drop, with 780 feet of skiable terrain. Unsurprisingly, the mountain is tall, too, inching just above Mont Ste-Marie in elevation. Eighty acres of skiable terrain and nearly 100% snowmaking coverage round out the appeal of Calabogie Peaks.

For lift access, Calabogie Peaks relies on two quad chairs, the Lakeview and the Solar, that whisk skiers upwards. If netting as much as vertical as possible in one day is your game, it's tough to go wrong with this Ottawa-area ski destination. Like Camp Fortune, the mountain is also a member of the Indy Pass.

5. Mont Cascades 

Mont Cascades is the complete package with six lifts, two lodges (the North Lodge and the World Cup Lodge), and a slew of runs and terrain parks. The ski area is a quick jaunt outside Ottawa—it's just a 20-minute drive—making day trips simple and easy. When the snow melts, Mont-Cascades has a waterpark with slides and pools that offer a chance to escape the summer heat.

At Mont Cascades, the mountain is split into two areas. One, serviced by the Quad East and Chaise Triple chairs, caters to intermediate and expert skiers and houses the ski area's only double black diamond run. Fittingly, this is known as the World Cup side of the mountain. The other area—the North Side—boasts more variability, with a beginner-specific learning zone and terrain park features.

6. Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort

Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, isn't right outside Ottawa. Still, the popular Eastern ski area remains day-trippable from Canada's capital city. Mont-Tremblant's large base village, which mirrors its European counterparts, has rows of colorful buildings that line walkable streets, creating the illusion that visitors have stepped through a portal and appeared somewhere in the Alps.

Slopeside, Mont-Tremblant, is a Quebecois heavyweight with over 750 acres of skiable terrain. A fleet of 14 chairlifts crisscross the mountain. Mont-Tremblant is the most established of the ski areas on this list, falling firmly on the "resort" end of the ski area-ski resort spectrum with après and lodging options aplenty. The only drawback is that Ottawa skiers will need to spend more time in the car to ski it.

7. Mount Pakenham Ski Resort

Mount Pakenham bills itself as Ottawa's "favorite family snow center." That claim is substantiated by the ski area's easily navigated footprint, which houses numerous beginner-oriented runs. All these runs deliver skiers to one central point, reducing the chances of kids—or anyone, for that matter—getting lost on the way back to the base lodge. Affordable lift tickets that only provide access to the Beginner Center are available to those making their first, tentative turns.

Mount Pakenham isn't just for beginners, though. A few advanced runs and glades will satisfy parents sneaking in a few laps during their kids' lessons. Those hoping to hit some jumps and rails will find thrills in the mountain's terrain park.

8. Centre Vorlage

Located in the riverside town of Wakefield, Centre Vorlage is another ski area near Ottawa that caters to families and first-timers with gentle, rolling slopes. More advanced skiers will still find some terrain to try, though, like the double black diamond We Knee Roast (that's not a spelling error) and Horizon Perdu runs.
 
Those looking to boost their cardio fitness can hit one of Vorlage's touring trails. The T-Bar is short and quick, ideal for getting your heart rate up fast. The Grand Climb crawls upwards at a slower pace, facilitating longer workouts.
 
If mountain biking is your off-season activity of choice, Vorlage is worth a look, too. The ski area becomes a bike park during the summer. At Vorlage, flow-style, natural downhill, and enduro trails were on offer in 2024, but the ski area plans to expand its trail lineup over time.

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