Mountain Review: Marmot Basin
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
8
Snow:
7
Resiliency:
5
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
8
Challenge:
6
Lifts:
9
Crowd Flow:
5
Facilities:
8
Navigation:
9
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $97-$103 USD ($131-$139 CAD)
Pass Affiliation: Mountain Collective Pass
On-site Lodging: No
Après-ski: Moderate
Nearest Cities: Edmonton (4.5 hrs), Calgary (5.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Beautiful, distinct location
Low crowds
Strong snow retention
Great nearby town
– Cons
Surprisingly weak annual snowfall
Extreme cold spells
Much more remote than other destinations
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 7
Trails: 91
Beginner: 30%
Intermediate: 30%
Advanced/Expert: 40%
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Mountain Review
Looking for the most breathtaking skiing and riding in North America? Marmot Basin might be for you. Not only is it within the staggeringly beautiful Jasper National Park, but it hosts the highest base elevation in Canada. That, combined with its extreme northern location, leads to some of the coldest temperatures found at a ski area. But when it’s warm enough to get on the slopes, how does it stack up?
Marmot Basin is located in Canada's Jasper National Park, making for staggeringly beautiful views throughout the resort.
Mountain Aesthetic
Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about Marmot Basin is just how beautiful the area is. Similar to the Banff ski areas, Marmot is located in a National Park, and the views of the surrounding mountains are incredible. The Athabasca River valley below is wider than the Bow River valley of Lake Louise, which means the mountains aren’t as in your face, but they are still visible from every mountain area, and especially from above tree line areas. The peak of the ski area, visible from many mountain areas, is lined with rocky chutes and outcrops that are now in the skiable boundary as of 2023.
TRAIL MAP
Size and Terrain Layout
With a vertical drop of 3,000 feet (914 m) and a skiable area of just over 1,100 acres (445 ha), Marmot Basin isn’t as big as the massive Lake Louise or Sunshine Village down south, but it’s still large enough to keep most guests busy for a few days of skiing.
The terrain at Marmot Basin has a few distinct zones, but getting between these zones is very easy. The zones are, from bottom to top, Eagle, Paradise, Eagle Ridge, and Knob. These zones are easily lapped with their own lift, and the Canadian Rockies lift, which goes from the base to the top of Paradise, allows access to all non-base lifts and the mid-mountain lodge. The beginner School House lift is near the base of the Eagle and Canadian Rockies lifts, serving one green trail as well as access to the parking lots.
Marmot Basin's footprint isn't the biggest out there, but it offers a strong variety of terrain for the size.
Lift Infrastructure
The lift infrastructure at Marmot Basin is fairly modern, albeit with a few exceptions. The Paradise Express, Eagle Express, and Canadian Rockies Express chairs are all high-speed quads, though the Eagle Express is getting up there in age. The Eagle Ridge chair, which serves the easternmost pod of terrain, is an older fixed-grip quad and the longest lift ride at the resort. The Knob Quad is the newest lift, and while it’s fixed-grip, it has a loading carpet to increase loading speeds. This chair replaced the aging Knob Double chair and extends both further down and up the mountain.
Marmot Basin features a mix of high-speed quads and slower chairs. The mountain is nearly always empty, meaning lift lines essentially never become an issue.
Crowds
One great aspect of Marmot Basin is the almost complete lack of crowds. The base area has two high-speed quads and a beginner triple chair, which work together to spread people across the mountain quickly. Once people are on the mountain, the high-capacity chairs keep people moving.
There are a few trails that can get a little busy, especially the green-rated Basin run, where all the traffic from Eagle Ridge leads. This trail is also where the runout from the Knob area and some of the beginner and intermediate Paradise-area runs end up. Luckily, this run is on the wider side, but it can still get crowded.
Marmot Basin's raw snowfall totals can't hold a candle to the best-known Rockies ski destinations, but small storm events are reasonably consistent.
Snow
With an annual average snowfall of less than 200 inches, Marmot Basin falls short in terms of its quantity of accumulation compared to other western resorts. Big powder days like one might find further south in the Rockies are few and far between.
However, the resort partially makes up for this weakness with the exceptional quality of its snow. The mountain's favorable elevation and northern location really help with consistency; temperatures rarely climb above freezing, meaning the slopes maintain a chalky, powder-like surface for days, or even weeks, after a storm. In addition, while the storms may not be that big, Marmot Basin does tend to see small but consistent storm events throughout the season, meaning that true snow droughts are fairly rare.
On the rare occasion that temperatures do rise above freezing, expect icy conditions off the marked trails until the next storm, with the exception of some wind-loaded pockets. The mountain’s varied aspects create extensive opportunities to uncover windblown powder, but you might have to hunt a bit for the best stashes.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MARMOT BASIN
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate ski
Recommended advanced ski
Recommended high-alpine ski
Recommended powder ski
Beginner Terrain
Marmot Basin claims 30% of their trails are rated for beginners, and this claim generally holds true with the distribution of green trails. The School House beginner area provides a wide, uncrowded beginner slope with great views and a good pitch for learners. There is also a magic carpet for those who aren’t ready for the chair. Outside of these areas, there are beginner routes down from every lift other than the Knob chair, though some of these are flat traverses that aren’t exactly enjoyable, except for the everpresent mountain views. The Basin run we mentioned earlier can get more crowded, as the green runs from the Eagle Ridge and Paradise chairs both funnel in here, but it also allows access to the mid mountain restaurant for beginners.
Intermediate Terrain
Marmot Basin may seem like a good mountain for intermediates on paper. But while still generally enjoyable thanks to a range of groomed cruisers, there are a few issues that make the resort less than ideal for this group of skiers and riders.
While the former Caribou chair previously allowed for easy access to blue runs in the Paradise area, that chair has been removed, and those runs are now only accessible by first going down an advanced pitch. While there are still a few good blue cruisers in the Paradise area, they require catwalking to the lookers left a bit and taking the flat Basin trail back. Another good spot for intermediates is the Eagle Ridge area, where there are a few blue cruisers, although these also end up in the Basin trail.
Marmot Basin offers some beautiful beginner and intermediate trails, although easily-accessible terrain of both difficulty levels is somewhat limited.
Advanced Terrain
Marmot Basin starts to really get competitive with other mountains once you hit advanced proficiency. The mountain offers a variety of steep, tree-cut runs across different zones—some left as mogul fields, while others are groomed into fast cruisers; checking the grooming report can help you find exactly what you're after. The Eagle Ridge area also has some nicely spaced tree runs, though they tend to be on the shorter side. For wide-open bowls, guests should head to the Knob pod, where the bowls often stash windblown powder, creating soft bumps and powder runs. In the Paradise area, you’ll find open runs that are left to bump up, leading to some of the longest mogul runs on the mountain.
Marmot Basin offers some particularly hairy terrain across its footprint, especially on the sides of the resort.
Expert Terrain
While Marmot Basin isn’t as large as areas such as Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, it does have enough expert terrain to compete with those behemoths. Expert terrain is found in multiple mountain zones, with high alpine chutes and bowls accessible from the Knob and Paradise chairs, and steep glades available off the Eagle Ridge area. Many of these runs are easily lappable, with a few requiring short hikes which help keep the snow fresher for longer.
With the new Knob Quad chair extending farther up and down the slope than its two-person predecessor, lapping expert terrain in this area has become even easier. The one issue with the terrain here is if the weather is less than ideal, it can get quite miserable, as the slow, fixed-grip quad chair and treeless slopes provide no break from chilly winds. The nearest shelter to the Knob area is below the bottom lift terminal, so if you want to go inside, you need to take an extra lift ride to get back to the area.
Terrain Parks
Marmot Basin offers multiple terrain parks across the mountain catering to different skill levels. Two beginner-friendly parks are located near the mid-mountain Paradise Chalet, featuring small rails, boxes, and jumps, perfect for those just getting into park riding. The largest park sits under the Eagle Express chair, offering a solid jump line and a variety of larger jibs. While it’s not the biggest terrain park around, it’s more than enough to keep most park enthusiasts satisfied, with features that are frequently swapped out to keep things fresh.
Marmot Basin can get extremely cold throughout the winter, but at least it's fairly easy to get around.
Cold Spells and Resiliency
Perhaps Marmot Basin's biggest challenge is the resort’s propensity towards extreme cold spells. Like the Banff resorts, it’s not unusual to see temperatures dip below 0°F (-18°C), with temperatures as frigid as -40°F (-40°C) usually making an appearance at least once a season.
However, there’s an upside to those frigid temps—the snow retention here is exceptional. Powder stashes stay soft for weeks thanks to the cold, preserving prime conditions long after a storm.
Navigation
Getting around Marmot Basin is relatively simple for a ski area of its size. Most major lifts are reachable from the top of every other lift; the lone exception is the Knob Quad, which is inaccessible from the Eagle Express. There are very few flat traverses, making navigation relatively easy; the exits from the expert-only Tres Hombres and Eagle East areas are well-graded, so you won’t need to push much. The Knob Traverse, which is the only intermediate route from the peak, has some catwalky sections, but they don’t last too long.
The largest navigational quirk comes in the location of the parking lots. They are up on the looker’s right of the mountain, so If you ski down to the bottom at the end of the day you may have to take an extra lift ride, or if the lifts are done spinning, make the long trek back up.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MARMOT BASIN
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended high-alpine board
Recommended powder board
Facilities
If the cold starts to wear you down, there are a few spots to warm up at Marmot Basin. The base area offers multiple food and drink options, including a bar and typical cafeteria-style fare. Up on the mountain, the one option is the Paradise Cafe. This mid-mountain lodge is spacious and centrally located, accessible from the top of almost every major lift (the only lift you can’t get to the bottom of from the mid-mountain restaurant is the Knob Quad, which can be a bit frustrating since that’s the coldest and most exposed part of the mountain). Inside the mid-mountain lodge, you’ll find a bar, cafeteria-style food, and plenty of seating to relax. If the cold isn’t too harsh, there are also fire pits outside for a quick warm-up."
Parking
Parking at Marmot Basin is a little different than other ski areas. The parking lots are on the side of the mountain, rather than the true base area, which allows easier access to vehicles throughout the day. This is a little less convenient for those renting skis, as the lots are a ways from the base area, but there is temporary parking at the base for those who are renting. Parking lot 1 is reserved for paid parking, but since all the parking lots are ski-in/ski-out,it isn’t too much different from getting a further-up parking spot.
Marmot Basin's parking lots are ski-in/ski-out and located above the base area, making them easy to access.
Getting There
For those who aren’t driving, there are a few options to make it up to Marmot Basin. There are shuttles from the town of Jasper multiple times a day, though this service has a small fee. There are also bus lines from Edmonton for day trips or longer vacations, though some of them terminate in Jasper rather than going all the way up to Marmot Basin. Finally, there is a VIA rail station in Jasper, making Marmot Basin one of the few ski areas you can easily access using rail service, though the aforementioned town shuttle is needed to get to the ski area.
Lodging
There is no on-mountain lodging at Marmot Basin, but there are plenty of options in the nearby town of Jasper. The crown jewel for lodging is the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which is one of the Grand Railway Hotels of Canada, a series of historic hotels across the country including the Chateau Lake Louise and Banff Springs Hotel. There are also cheaper options including motels and a downtown hostel.
It should be noted that during the summer of 2024, a large forest fire destroyed parts of the town. However, there are still many hotels that are undamaged, and a large portion will likely be open by the winter.
Après-Ski
Marmot Basin isn’t the craziest party mountain out there, but those looking for an après experience won’t be left totally in the dust. While there are a few on-mountain bars, they aren’t overly lively and close around 30 minutes after the lifts shut down. There can be a bit of a tailgate scene in the parking lots, but those only pop up on warmer, sunny days, which aren’t the most common. On most days, visitors will want to head to the town of Jasper for après, where there are plenty of more casual bar and restaurant options. However, there isn’t much to offer for those looking for a harder partying scene.
The charming town of Jasper has some après options after the slopes close, though we wouldn't exactly call it a party town.
Verdict
Marmot Basin is a lot like a smaller and more exotic version of Lake Louise. Both have incredible vistas, outstandingly light snow, varied terrain, and cold temperatures, but Marmot Basin is just a little bit more under the radar. If you’re looking for a beautiful mountain with a great nearby town, you can’t go wrong with Marmot Basin.
Pricing
So how much is it to ski at this remote hill? In comparison to other ski areas of similar size and quality, not that much. Lift tickets max out at $139 CAD, or just above $100 USD as of the time of this publishing. For regular visitors, the Marmot Basin Escape Card is a great deal at $99 CAD, giving the cardholder half-off tickets and a host of other perks—making it worth the investment after just two visits.
Marmot Basin is also part of the Mountain Collective Pass, offering two days at each of its partner resorts and 50% off the window ticket rate for each additional day. While it was previously part of the Powder Alliance, Marmot will be leaving that program for the 2024-25 season.
If you plan on visiting certain resorts on the Ikon or Mountain Collective Passes, now is your last time to secure access at a remotely reasonable rate.