Mountain Review: Mont-Sainte-Anne
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
6
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
4
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
6
Challenge:
7
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
6
Facilities:
6
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $73-$105 USD ($101-$104 CAD)
Pass Affiliation: Epic Pass (full pass only)
On-site Lodging: Yes
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Quebec City (1 hr), Montreal (3.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Terrain diversity
Fast lifts
St. Lawrence River views
Available night skiing
Value
– Cons
Much more difficult to reach than other Northeast ski resorts
Some navigational challenges, especially around the summit
Some frontside snow reliability issues
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 9
Trails: 71
Beginner: 21%
Intermediate: 46%
Advanced/Expert: 33%
Mountain Review
Are you looking for a comprehensive ski resort experience in the Northeast, but don’t want the crowds of resorts further south? Well look no further than Mont-Sainte-Anne. With terrain for all abilities to enjoy, abundant and affordable lodging options, and easy access from nearby Quebec City, Mont-Sainte-Anne is a standout for visitors of all abilities and inclinations. So how does it compare to other resorts in the region?
Size and Terrain Layout
With 547 acres of skiable terrain, Mont-Sainte-Anne ranks among the largest ski areas in Quebec—and holds its own against some of the biggest resorts on the East Coast. 360-degree skiing and riding is available off the summit across half a dozen distinct terrain pods, giving the mountain a true big-mountain feel. Terrain is generally divided by ability zone, allowing lower-ability skiers and riders to enjoy much of the mountain without frequent interference from faster-moving experts; that said, a few shared junction points do exist.
360 degree skiing off of Mont-Sainte-Anne’s summit adds to the resort’s big-mountain feel.
Beginner Terrain
Mont-Sainte-Anne offers a diverse and enjoyable beginner experience. Beginner terrain is spread across multiple areas of the resort, though most first-timers will find themselves descending east off the summit toward the north side base. These green trails feature long, gently-rolling pitches with a pleasant sense of isolation, offering serene views of the largely undeveloped woodlands to the northeast. Thanks to their higher elevation and northern exposure, these zones typically maintain snow quality far better than the base-area beginner zones found at many other resorts.
One of the resort’s most unique features for adventurous beginners—particularly children—is the Forêt Enchantée (Enchanted Forest), a beginner glade located in the backside zone. This area features interactive elements, including toys and wind chimes, creating a whimsical atmosphere rarely found at other resorts. The glade area itself is widely spaced and in some sections groomed, offering a choose-your-own-adventure experience that’s accessible to a broad range of ability levels.
Once visitors are ready to return to the front side, the long but scenic La Familiale trail provides a wide, straightforward route back to the main base without requiring a lift download. For true first-timers, Mont-Sainte-Anne also offers a magic carpet learning area near the base, set apart from the main skier traffic to ensure a safer environment for learning.
TRAIL MAP
Intermediate Terrain
From the first glance at the trail map, it’s clear that Mont-Sainte-Anne is heavily catered toward intermediate skiers and riders. Aside from the expert-focused Panorama Express bowl, every terrain pod at the resort offers a wide range of blue trails, covering nearly every style of intermediate skiing. For those seeking fast, lower-angle groomers with wide cuts, the north-facing backside trails are the best option. This zone also features two excellent blue-rated glade trails with sustained vertical drops and some of the best snow preservation on the mountain.
Intermediates looking to progress from the north side will find the frontside blue trails particularly appealing, with these runs offering steeper pitches than those on the north side and often incorporating ungroomed sections that would earn a black diamond rating at many other resorts. And on busier days when the Corde Raide T-bar is running, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s often-overlooked west side offers a handful of isolated blue trails that sit well away from the masses.
Advanced Terrain
While Mont-Sainte-Anne offers fewer single-black diamond trails compared to its broad selection of blues, there’s still plenty for advanced skiers and riders to enjoy across every terrain zone. Each major pod at the resort features at least one advanced-level trail, and none feel like an afterthought. On the backside, the Mélanie Turgeon trail offers a long, rolling groomed pitch that's perfect for those looking to pick up speed.
Mont-Sainte-Anne caters most heavily towards intermediate skiers, but there are plenty of options to keep beginner and advanced skiers occupied.
On the front side, advanced visitors will find the Panorama Express pod particularly appealing, with a variety of steep groomers, bump runs, and glades. However, caution is warranted in this zone—many trails carry a legitimate double black diamond rating, and even some single blacks can become treacherous in adverse conditions. Thanks to the sustained pitch throughout this pod, skiers can expect a serious leg-burner on the way down, provided they’re fit enough for the challenge.
Beyond the Panorama Express area, many of the frontside blue trails also feature steep, frequently ungroomed sections, offering additional opportunities for advanced skiers looking to mix things up.
Expert Terrain
While Mont-Sainte-Anne may not offer the most extreme terrain on the East Coast, its expert offerings are far from lacking. Nearly all of the resort’s double black diamond trails are concentrated off the Panorama Express, a steep, expansive bowl that serves as an expert’s playground. With a sustained pitch and natural separation from the rest of the mountain, this zone often stays uncrowded on most days.
Skiers and riders who enjoy the tight, technical glades the East Coast is famous for will find no shortage of terrain to explore here, with roughly 100 acres of steep woods feeding directly back to the Panorama Express. Trails like Le Canyon, La Rousseau, and La Saint-Laurent deliver the classic, narrow, and challenging New England double black experience experts seek out. For those looking for a true test, La Super S offers a precipitously steep, often icy groomed pitch that demands precision—and is really best reserved for those with sharp edges and strong nerves.
Mont-Sainte-Anne isn’t the most freestyle-oriented mountain out there, though it does feature one major terrain park with a range of features.
Terrain Parks
Mont-Sainte-Anne’s primary terrain park is located on the Grande-Allée trail, descending east from the summit. While it’s the resort’s only major park, it’s well-built, easily accessible via the gondola, and lappable from the (admittedly slow) La Tortue lift. The park typically features a range of small to medium-sized features, making it approachable for a variety of ability levels, though it’s not quite up to the caliber of the largest parks elsewhere in the East. Its high-elevation location helps preserve snow quality, though its eastern aspect can occasionally expose it to sun and variable conditions. Additionally, a beginner park is often set up near the base area, offering an accessible option for newer park riders.
Snow and Resiliency
Mont-Sainte-Anne averages 169 inches of snowfall annually—a healthy total that’s competitive with many East Coast destinations, though slightly behind some resorts in northern Vermont. The resort’s far northern latitude helps it avoid many of the midwinter warm spells that impact stateside resorts; however, the south-facing frontside terrain can still see variable conditions even during the core season. Thanks to relatively modest crowds compared to U.S. resorts, snow preservation often outperforms expectations, particularly in the resort’s large network of gladed terrain.
The vast majority of trails are supported by snowmaking infrastructure, and when combined with the mountain’s colder climate than parts of the U.S., key trails typically remain well-covered throughout the heart of winter. That said, Mont-Sainte-Anne is not immune to the East Coast’s trademark thaw cycles, which can cause melt-outs—with the south-facing front side, which includes all of the true expert terrain, being the most susceptible. That said, even during low-snow periods, the more sheltered northern face tends to hold snow quite well.
Most of Mont-Sainte-Anne’s skiable footprint is served by a fleet of high-speed lifts, although they are generally on the older side.
Lifts
Mont-Sainte-Anne's lift setup is generally a strong suit, although some lifts are starting to show their age. All major terrain zones at Mont-Sainte-Anne are served by a fleet of modern high-speed lifts and a gondola, with the exception of the west side trails. For most visitors, lift placement is intuitive, allowing for quick laps within each terrain pod and maintaining a loose separation between different ability levels. However, skiers looking to lap the primary terrain park on Grande Allée may find the main lift serving this zone—La Tortue—to be notably slow, with the only alternative being a long runout back to the gondola at the base.
Crowd Flow
Like most Quebec resorts, Mont-Sainte-Anne rarely experiences the large crowds typical of major U.S. destination resorts, although the busiest holidays and weekends can bring some lines at popular lifts—particularly the gondola. When it comes to crowds on the ski trails, a few choke points do exist near the frontside base, where skier traffic tends to merge onto the La Familiale and Le Court Vallon runs. That said, for most visitors, especially those skiing midweek, long lift lines and trail congestion are not much of a concern.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MONT-SAINTE-ANNE
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 glade ski
Recommended powder ski
On-Mountain Facilities
Mont-Sainte-Anne offers a handful of well-placed, well-maintained facilities spread across the mountain. Base lodges exist at both the main southern base and the more isolated northern base, and an on-mountain lodge sits just below the summit at the top of the La Tortue lift. Each lodge provides food and restroom access, ensuring visitors are never more than a lift ride away from a place to rest or grab a bite, regardless of which terrain zone they’re lapping. Food quality is about average for a Quebec resort—generally a step above what’s typical stateside, though not a standout—although thanks to favorable exchange rates, prices tend to come in slightly cheaper than at comparable resorts in the United States.
Navigation
When it comes to getting around Mont-Sainte-Anne, the resort features abundant, well-placed signage across the mountain. However, the resort’s highly three-dimensional footprint—particularly around the crowded summit area with its frequent double fall lines—can sometimes make navigation challenging. Guests aiming to access the north or west sides from the summit should study the trail map carefully and follow signage closely, as it’s surprisingly easy to accidentally drop into the expert-only Panorama zone.
Visitors at Mont-Sainte-Anne are never more than a lift ride away from one of the resort’s three lodges.
Mountain Aesthetic
While the area around Mont-Sainte-Anne’s southern base feels somewhat developed and commercialized, most other terrain zones—particularly on the north side—offer a more isolated, even remote atmosphere. The Enchanted Forest trail, complete with hidden wind chimes strung through the trees, creates a distinctive skiing experience unlike nearly anything else out East. And on clear days, east-facing trails also offer stunning views of the legendary Saint Lawrence River just a few miles away.
Night Skiing
It’s also worth noting that Mont-Sainte-Anne offers one of the most extensive night skiing experiences in the East, featuring 19 illuminated trails and the highest vertical drop for night skiing in Canada at 625 meters (2,050 feet). Night skiing typically operates from 4pm to 9pm on Thursdays through Saturdays during the regular season, with expanded schedules during peak periods such as the Christmas holidays and March spring break. The resort's night footprint only extends to its beginner and intermediate trails, but it’s still quite a bit more competitive than similarly-sized resorts elsewhere in Quebec, Vermont, and Maine, which typically offer no night skiing at all.
East-facing trails at Mont-Sainte-Anne feature stunning views of the Saint Lawrence River.
Getting There and Parking
With its far northern location, Mont-Sainte-Anne is north of every other East Coast destination resort, save for nearby Le Massif de Charlevoix. Because of this, the resort can be a challenging drive for visitors coming from major U.S. metropolitan areas, and even for those in Montreal. However, the mountain is easily accessible from Quebec City, sitting just a 45-minute drive up a major highway from there. For those flying in, it’s possible to get from Quebec City’s airport to the resort base in under an hour. Once on-site, visitors will find a massive, free parking lot that easily accommodates typical skier traffic.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MONT-SAINTE-ANNE
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 expert board
Recommended powder board
Lodging and Après-Ski
Mont-Sainte-Anne features a small but modern ski village at its base, with plenty of lodging options right on the mountain. Village accommodations lean upscale, though even the more luxurious options tend to be noticeably more affordable than comparable experiences stateside. Visitors on a tighter budget will find more affordable options just down the road in the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, where a range of motels, hotels, and condos cater to all types of travelers—along with a solid selection of cafes and restaurants. For those accustomed to the steep prices near major Rocky Mountain resorts, the often sub-triple-digit lodging costs in Sainte-Anne can be reason enough to consider a trip to the region.
For après-ski, a base area bar and a handful of family-oriented dining options are available in the village. Additional food and activity choices can be found a short drive away in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. However, those seeking true nightlife will want to drive 40 minutes back into Quebec City proper.
Mont-Sainte-Anne’s village is small but modern, though accommodations are generally quite affordable compared to many resorts out west.
Verdict
While its exceptionally northern location will dissuade many from visiting, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s broad diversity and high-quality terrain make it a standout option versus other East Coast ski resorts. It offers some of the best value for money in the region and qualifies as a true destination resort by most metrics. Beginners and intermediates will find Mont-Sainte-Anne to be a top-tier Eastern mountain, while advanced and expert skiers should have little trouble staying engaged for multiple days on the mountain.
Pricing
For the 2024-2025 season, adult day tickets at Mont-Sainte-Anne are priced at $135 CAD, with advance purchase and shoulder-season rates dropping as low as $101 CAD—an excellent value for visitors coming from the United States. Budget-conscious skiers can also take advantage of steeply discounted half-day and night skiing options, with adult night tickets regularly available for as low as $43 CAD. For a destination resort, it’s one of the best single-day values in North America. Full Epic Pass holders also receive up to seven days of access at Mont-Sainte-Anne, although these days are shared across Stoneham, Kicking Horse, Fernie, and Kimberley.
