With nearly a third of its terrain dedicated to Beginners, Mt. Norquay is ideal for families and new skiers. Known as "Banff's backyard," Mt. Norquay is the closest SkiBig3 resort to Banff (~10 minutes away). Home to Canada's longest-running snow school, the resort offers lessons for students as young as 3 years old. Cascade is a great place to start. Beginners can then progress onto the Spirit Chair with steeper green runs located below its mid-station. 

Known as the stomping ground of former and future Olympians, Mt. Norquay prides itself on impeccable grooming. The Spirit Chair offers a unique progression run, Abracadabra with a pitch that transitions from blue to green. For confident Intermediates, Mystic Chair has long, wide blue groomers. Monod's Legacy and Crosby's Run are steeper and more challenging underfoot while Crazy Canuck and Knight Flight are playful groomers.

One of the best-kept secrets in Banff National Park is Mt. Norquay's black terrain, which amounts to a surprising 44% of the resort. On a powder day, while traffic rushes to the other SkiBig3 resorts, locals race to Mt. Norquay to ride its famous North American Chair, a two-seater, for the freshest tracks and zero lift lines. Here, you'll find the bumpy, leg-burner Lone Pine and the north-facing Gun Run, with untouched turns late into the day.