Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb holds a genuine claim to being North America's largest ski resort, 8,171 combined acres of skiable terrain spread across two adjoining mountains, a scale that consistently places it at or near the top of any serious ranking of the continent's ski destinations. The resort hosted Alpine skiing events for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, cementing an international reputation the mountain had already been building for decades.

The engineering connecting Whistler and Blackcomb mountains is its own attraction independent of skiing. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola, completed in 2008, links the two peaks directly at altitude, and its span between support towers, 3.03 kilometers without a single intermediate tower, set a world record for the longest unsupported gondola span anywhere, a title it held for years after opening. Cabins cross roughly 436 meters above the valley floor, offering views that rank among the more dramatic available from any lift system in the world, glass-bottomed cabins available on select runs for an even more direct look straight down.

Whistler Village, the pedestrian-only base area between the two mountains, has grown into a fully developed resort town in its own right, restaurants, shops, and accommodation ranging from budget-conscious to genuinely luxurious, all within easy walking distance of the lift bases, a layout that's become something of a template for purpose-built ski resort villages elsewhere.

What's changed most significantly about Whistler in recent years is its summer identity. The resort operates one of the largest lift-accessed mountain bike parks in the world once the snow melts, purpose-built trails ranging from beginner-friendly to genuinely technical descents, while hiking trails reach alpine lakes and wildflower meadows that see a fraction of the winter crowds. That shift has turned what was once a purely seasonal ski town into a genuine year-round destination.

The drive from Vancouver, roughly two hours along the Sea to Sky Highway, has become a worthwhile part of the trip itself, a scenic route tracing Howe Sound's coastline past waterfalls and viewpoints, adding a proper approach to a resort that's built its reputation on scale in every direction, mountain terrain, gondola engineering, and now, increasingly, months of the year it's worth visiting.