Snow Sports Winter Activities in Greater Toronto (Snowboarding and Skiing in the GTA)
Love skiing and snowboarding? We do!
We love skiing and snowboarding. Our writer, Mike Simpson, grew up in the Toronto area skiing and later picked up snowboarding. Whether hiking local hills or hitting Ontario resorts he’s had a lot of experience with shredding the area slopes. In this article he discusses the main resort areas within the Greater Toronto Area, focusing on Glen Eden (west), Dagmar and Lakeridge (east), Uplands (north) and Earl Bales Park in the North York area of the city.
Mike has made a plan to visit every ski and snowboard resort in Ontario over the next 10 years! (25+ resorts between 2025 and 2035). If you manage a resort and can host him and his Tdot Shots team please reach out.
Introduction
Ready to dive into winter? Absolutely the right time for it. In the first week of January we wish each other happy new year and consider how to pass the time when not at work or school. But boy is it freeing outside! Whether it is an arctic freeze or just the usual below zero temperatures, the weather can seem an obstacle to getting out and having fun.
But we think some activities, especially those that don’t require advanced registration, are done solo or in small informal groups, and those that are active and creative, like sports or hiking or photography, can be very stimulating and lift us from the SAD season (when we often face seasonal affective disorder). In this case we will focus on downhill skiing and snowboarding. In a future post we will include other snow sports like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, in the GTA and across Ontario.
Whether you have experience with these activities or are a raw beginner, there are opportunities for all. And speaking of beginners, we have tips for you in this article. Please read on to get the full scope of winter board sports in Toronto, as we have suggestions covering traditional ski and snowboard areas and some alternative traditions out on the hills along the valleys.
Snowboarding and Skiing
Which one of these is tougher and which is better for beginners? Great question. My advice is usually that everyone should try and do both in their lifetimes. My kids have asked me which one is more challenging and I generally fall back on skiing as being a little more beginner friendly, since snowboarding involves some awkward movements, particularly involving lifts. However skiing involves four edges rather than two so skiing can also present challenges to beginners.
Do you have a sports background or tried skateboarding or surfing? If your mind set tilts this way snowboarding mat quickly become a blast after you get used to your edges, making simple turns and learning to stop and control your speed. Snowboarding is really fun. However skiing at least initially, may be easier. For instance the control of speed and stopping via the snowplow ski technique is fairly straightforward. Snowboarders on the other hand need to learn to shift their weight and press their toes or heels to turn and stop. I believe beginner snowboarders spend more time catching edges and skiing is more forgiving in the first days.
Resorts in the GTA (Beginner Focus)
We have limited this article to ski resorts within the traditional GTA or Greater Toronto Area boundaries. We will feature resorts further afield in the next post, due in February.
Unfortunately some ski areas in Toronto and southern Ontario have closed in recent years. The Kawartha region lost two resorts (The Ranch and Devil’s Elbow) and Toronto lost one (Centennial Park). With only one remaining resort within the actual City of Toronto (North York Ski Centre in Earl Bales park) the ability to get out locally is limited.
We have included Earl Bales park in this review with the caveat that they operate a rope tow in their small beginner area and we consider this a little more challenging than a carpet lift (particularly for snowboarders). Their main run is also rather steep up top and may not be suitable for beginner riders.
We will look at these resorts:
- Glen Eden (west of Toronto in Milton)
- Dagmar (east of Toronto in Durham region)
- Lakeridge (also in Durham region)
- Uplands (north of Toronto in Thornhill) – Read Review
- Earl Bales park in North York, Toronto
Alternatives: Hiking the Local Hills and Night Skiing
Do not discount the joys of heading to a toboggan hill or spot along the various rivers and ravines across the city. You can avoid the cost of lift tickets while getting your feet wet. There are disadvantages of course. This winter has seen almost zero snow in the city. However my crew got 3 sessions in at a local hill that offered us a mix or flatter beginner terrain and some steeps for the experienced among us. We hiked up and down about 15 times over two hours and felt like it was a great way to slowly get back to basics.
However snow was very thin so we falls were hard and we are looking forward to visiting some of the real resorts in the Toronto area through January, February and March.
Night Skiing
Image courtesy Glen Eden resort
Heading out in the evening for night skiing and snowboarding has some advantages: less traffic, shorter lift lines than weekdays or weekend days, and a special magic as the slopes and lights take on a beautiful aura. Some of the best experiences on the hills can be found at night.
Lift Challenges
One last point is that the ski lift can present challenges to both skiers and snowboarders. You may need to practice the entry and exit of the lift techniques and for snowboarders in particular this involves mastering the skating technique and learning to glide with only one foot in the bindings.
Resorts with Carpet Lifts and Beginner Areas
You can try ski resorts with carpet lifts on beginners-only runs. We have found that in the GTA there are a few resorts with this facility: Glen Eden (two carpet lift beginner areas), Dagmar (two carpet lifts and beginner runs) and Uplands (one carpet lift and beginner run). Earl Bales park in Toronto offers a rope tow instead of a carpet lift.
Of course when you can ride the chairlift more terrain opens up including beginner runs that start from the top. At this point you can try the resorts mentioned above, and also a few other GTA spots. In a future post we will talk about resorts in Collingwood, Barrie, Haliburton and Kawarthas, regions about two hours north of TO.
You may want to confirm before you travel to these resorts that they are opening all their lifts including the carpet lift areas and chairlifts that serve beginner runs.
About Riding Carpet Lifts
A carpet lift is a conveyor belt-like surface lift that’s designed to be easy to use, making it a good choice for beginners.
To ride a carpet lift, you can:
- Approach the lift with your skis or snowboard on
- Hold your poles in one hand if you’re skiing
- Remove your back foot from your binding if you’re snowboarding
- When it’s your turn, slowly approach the carpet until it catches you
- Stand up and relax while you ride
- As you reach the end of the carpet, let it push you onto the snow or use your skis or snowboard to move away
Trail Status is recommended viewing before your trip
Note: as of January 8, 2025, the resorts in this article may be only partially open. Visit their websites or contact them to find out about run and lift closures. You should view “trail status” updates on their sites or contact them for this information before you head out.
Whether large or small, you should investigate which runs and lifts are open before heading to a resort. According to the city’s website Earl Bales park is not currently open.
Glen Eden
Located in Milton on the beautiful Niagara Escarpment, Glen Eden offers great terrain in west end GTA.
Operated by the local conservation authority. Glen Eden has two carpet lift served areas and a good mix of beginner, intermediate and export terrain. If you order your lift ticket online you get $5 off.
Dagmar
Located in Durham region, Dagmar offers skiers and boarders solid terrain in the east GTA (near Ajax – Whitby).
Dagmar has two carpet lifts and a few chairlifts serving their mix of beginner, intermediate and expert terrain.
Unique offer: if you come for “last call” from 7 pm to 9:30 pm there is a big discount.
Website: https://www.skidagmar.com/
Lakeridge
Located in Uxbridge just up the road from Dagmar, Lakeridge offers some fun runs for skiing, snowboarding and even a tubing area.
Lakeridge has some beginner runs and some steeps. They are currently open with 20+ trails and 3 lifts.
Website: https://ski-lakeridge.com/
Uplands Ski
Located in Thornhill, Uplands also operates as a golf course in summer. We visited Uplands in February 2025 and had a blast. Be sure to read our review.
With 100 vertical feet (30 meters) the hill is small but has a variety of terrain served by a chairlift and a carpet lift. They actively promote their ski school and holiday programs. They will be open on family day but do not offer weekday daytime skiing. Night skiing is available.
Website: http://golfnorth.ca/ski
Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre
The North York park is in the north end of the city of Toronto. It is accessible by TTC (public transit). You can occasionally see people with ski suits and skiis riding transit who are obviously headed to the hill. It is a unique site.
At 100 vertical feet (30 meters) the hill is small but offers an intermediate slope and beginner slope served by a chairlift and a rope tow, respectively.
Photo Gallery
Here are some website images and social media post from these local resorts. When viewing some websites be aware that the resorts or third party website admins may have used stock images that do not represent the real terrain or conditions. (You may be aware of this practice already).
Also check out video – YouTube has some great clips and features on many of these resorts. Watching them can give you an idea of what their runs and facilities are like.
Earl Bales Park
Glen Eden
Aerial view of Glen Eden in Milton
Uplands
Dagmar
Lakeridge
Thank you for reading
We are grateful to you for reading this article. If you have feedback please reply via our contact page.
Resorts! Please feel free to contact us if you can accommodate our next ski and snowboard adventure. We would love to do a full review of your location.
One more photo
Here’s a Toronto hill jump, apparently taken at G. Ross Lord park in Toronto. The Don Valley area has plenty of hilly natural areas used for gold courses and ski areas. and this park has some slopes decent enough to catch some air.
Credits
Images of ski resorts courtesy of the ski resorts.
Other images from Flickr. The creators are credited.
Feature image of Earl Bales park courtesy City of Toronto.
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