5 Awesome Ski Hills Under $50

Endless Powder without the Price

Ski and travel writer, Hilary Nangle, who's written about skiing for SKI, Ski Press and Ski Snowboard America and Canada, points out the big pricey hills aren’t the only options, “My favourite family ski memories aren't from the big resorts we visited, but the smaller hills. These are the essence of family skiing. The frills may be few, the lifts might be slow, but there's less pressure to have the latest gear and trendiest garb or to have perfect form.”

Nangle explains that the emphasis at smaller hills is on affordable fun, not glitz. Smaller hills tend to be places that welcome new skiers and families—and because of this they offer more incentives, including stay and ski packages like the ones found through Bellstar resorts in BC and Alberta, or ski week specials such as Ontario’s Blue Mountain $39 lift tickets.

Other great deals can be found through Ski Canada—which offers discounted ticket bundles at the beginning of each year. And if you have school aged kids, don’t forget to check out the “kids ski free” deals in Canada and the US—these offer free ski and rental passes to kids in 4th and 5th grade.

Along with these great deals, here are five ski hills in Canada and the US that are family- and budget-friendly.