Sunshine Region / Sunsine Village Ski Resort

9 km (51/2 mi.) west of Banff, Sunshine Road branches south off the Trans-Canada Highway. A further 10 km (6 mi.) brings visitors to the lower station of the longest cable railway, or gondola as it is locally called - about 5000 m (16,400 ft) - in the Canadian Rockies (winter operation only). A twenty-minute ride takes them up to Sunshine Meadows, at the Sunshine Village Ski Resort. The area is a very inviting mountain region where some beautiful hill-walks can be enjoyed, such as that to Rock Isle Lake.

This region is particularly magnificent in summer, when the mountain flora is in full splendor. In winter Sunshine Village is a favorite skiing area. A small Interpretive Centre provides information about the topography, and nature walks start from here. A chair-lift goes up to Standish Peak on the continental watershed, which here forms the boundary with British Columbia. From the end of June to early September the Sunshine Inn guesthouse offers food and lodging.

Sunshine Village is one of the two leading ski resorts in Banff National Park, drawing skiers from all over the world. It offers a vast terrain suitable for all levels of ability.