MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteriaGOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $105-115 CAD ($74-81 USD)
Pass Affiliation: Epic Pass (full pass only)
On-site Lodging: Yes
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Quebec City (35 mins), Montreal (4 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Strong intermediate glades
Extensive terrain parks, including a halfpipe when conditions allow
Bubble quad serving central terrain
Short drive from Quebec City
– Cons
Slow fixed-grip chairs on the outer peaks
Flat, awkward green-trail connections for beginners
Limited expert terrain that depends on natural snow
Low elevation and east-facing slopes that hurt snow preservation
MOUNTAIN STATS
Skiable Footprint: 333 acres
Lift-Serviced Terrain: 100%
Top Elevation: 1,936 ft
Vertical Drop: 1,125 ft
Lifts: 4
Trails: 55
Beginner: 27%
Intermediate: 30%
Advanced/Expert: 43%
Mountain Review
Stoneham is a compact, three-peak ski area just outside Quebec City. The resort stands out for its intermediate glades and extensive terrain parks, both of which offer more variety than the mountain’s modest vertical might suggest. But the slow lifts serving the outer peaks and some poorly designed beginner connections detract from the experience.
Size and Terrain Layout
Stoneham has 1,132 feet of vertical across three peaks. The central sector contains the main express chair, groomed blues, and easier black diamonds. Much of the steeper and ungroomed terrain is on the two outer peaks.
The central express lift makes it easy to fit in several short laps. On the outer peaks, slower fixed-grip chairs take considerably more time relative to the runs they serve.
Signage is clear, and moving between the three sectors generally requires only a short connection. The exception is the green-trail network, where flat and even uphill sections make some routes difficult for beginners.
Stoneham consists of three neighboring terrain pods.
Beginner Terrain
Stoneham has a learning area with surface lifts and a selection of green runs higher on the mountain. La Laurentienne, served by the main express, is wide and gently rolling, making it one of the more approachable full-length descents for beginners.
La Laurentienne becomes quite flat near the bottom, which is particularly inconvenient for snowboarders. The green-rated La Randonnée is more problematic: it functions mainly as an access trail, with long flat sections and uphill stretches that may require skating or walking.
Those connections also complicate access to La Casimir. Beginners returning from this area may have to choose between a blue run and the awkward flat sections of La Randonnée. Although these trails are marked green, traveling between them isn’t always beginner-friendly.
La Casimir itself is a gentle wooded trail, giving new skiers an unusual opportunity to ski through the trees. Its main drawback is the inconvenient route in and out.
Intermediate Terrain
Most of Stoneham’s central terrain falls in the blue-to-easier-black range, making the express chair well suited to confident intermediates. But the intermediate glades are what distinguish Stoneham from other small regional mountains.
Wapiti is a blue-rated glade with natural features and a flowing route through the trees. L’Original adds another blue wooded option, giving intermediate skiers more variety than the central groomers alone.
The trees can shelter fresh snow after exposed trails have been skied out, though the underlying surface may still be firm after a thaw-and-refreeze cycle. Coverage matters here, especially for intermediates still getting comfortable on variable snow.
Stoneham offers a decent variety of intermediate cruisers, including some standout glade runs.
Advanced Terrain
Advanced skiers have a good selection of groomed black diamonds, ungroomed runs, and wooded terrain. Many of these trails sit on the outer peaks, where the fixed-grip lifts make repeat laps much slower than on the central mountain.
La Sapinière is a black-rated glade with changes in pitch and natural features that call for more precise turns. The outer peaks have additional ungroomed runs, offering a different challenge from the central groomers when snow coverage allows.
Snowmaking helps maintain the groomed black diamonds, but Stoneham’s glades and ungroomed trails rely more heavily on natural snow. In thinner conditions, a significant portion of the advanced terrain can remain closed even when the groomers are operating.
Expert Terrain
Some of Stoneham’s groomed double-black diamonds are less challenging than their ratings suggest. La Bomba and La Dubé, for example, lack the sustained steepness and technical difficulty of the East’s toughest expert runs when groomed; at more demanding mountains, they would likely be rated single black.
Zipper and La JP Auclair are considerably more serious, with steep pitches and irregular natural terrain that demand expert-level skiing. Both need sufficient snow cover, however, and can be unavailable when the groomed trails are skiing well. This is legitimate expert terrain, but it’s concentrated in a small part of the resort and reached by the slow, fixed-grip L’Aurore Boréale chair.
Stoneham’s expert terrain is concentrated on the skiers’ left-most pod of the mountain.
Terrain Parks
Stoneham’s freestyle setup is unusually extensive for a ski area of this size. Several terrain parks offer a progression from small jumps and beginner boxes to large rails and advanced features.
XL 418 is the resort’s expert-level park and requires a separate access pass. Stoneham also builds a full-size halfpipe when snow conditions and the seasonal park setup permit. The exact feature lineup varies throughout the winter.
Snow Quality and Resiliency
Stoneham averages around 130 inches of snow a year. This is a respectable amount of snow for a regional ski area, but its low elevation limits how well that snow holds up. With a base at 814 feet and a summit at 1,946 feet, thaw-and-refreeze cycles can leave firm surfaces beneath fresh snowfall, particularly on lower-mountain terrain.
Stoneham’s ski slopes predominantly face east rather than north. That orientation receives more direct morning sun and is not especially favorable for snow preservation, particularly later in the season. Some of the wooded terrain benefits from tree cover, but the mountain’s aspect and low elevation mean natural-snow conditions can deteriorate relatively quickly during warmer periods.
Snowmaking covers 86% of Stoneham’s skiable terrain, helping keep the main groomed runs operational when natural coverage is limited. The glades and steeper ungroomed runs are more dependent on sustained snowfall and a deeper base. For advanced skiers in particular, checking which natural-snow trails are open is more useful than relying on the overall open-trail count.
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Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
Lifts and Crowds
The central detachable quad has protective bubbles and provides quick access to groomed runs and intermediate glades. The outer sectors are served by much slower fixed-grip chairs, a particularly noticeable drawback given the short descents.
L’Éclipse is especially inefficient for repeat laps, crossing a long, relatively flat section before it begins climbing the hillside in earnest. The ride can feel disproportionately long compared with the skiing underneath it.
Ski-school groups can briefly back up the central express, but slow lift rides are the more persistent problem on the outer peaks. Advanced skiers can spend far longer on the chair than on the runs, making it difficult to build up many laps in those sectors.
The outer sectors are served by much slower fixed-grip chairs, a particularly noticeable drawback given the short descents.
On-Mountain Facilities
Stoneham has a large base lodge that provides a convenient stopping ground for a break. The L’Aurore Boréale pod is quite a ways away from that lodge, but there is an additional restaurant right at the base of that lift. Higher up on the mountain, no facilities exist except ski patrol shacks.
Night Skiing
Stoneham offers night skiing on 19 trails. This makes it convenient for skiers coming from Quebec City after work, although only a portion of the mountain’s daytime terrain is illuminated. Evening operations run daily from 4-9:30pm.
Getting There
Stoneham sits in Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, roughly 20 minutes north of downtown Quebec City. The resort is reached mainly via Highway 73, followed by a short drive along Chemin du Hibou to the base. Its proximity to the city makes it easy to fit in a few hours of skiing without committing to a full mountain getaway.
Visitors staying in Quebec City or planning to ski several resorts in the region will find a car the most practical option. Regional public transportation serves Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, but its schedule and stop locations are worth checking carefully before relying on it for a ski day, especially an evening session.
Parking
Stoneham has ample free surface parking at the base, a significant convenience compared with resorts that charge for parking or require advance reservations. The main parking areas provide access to the base lodge, lifts, rentals, and slopeside accommodations without a separate shuttle ride.
The closest spaces are particularly convenient for families carrying gear, although parking farther from the lodge may mean a longer walk on busy days. For most visitors, parking is a straightforward part of the Stoneham experience.
Lodging
Stoneham has genuine slopeside lodging, despite its relatively small footprint. The Hôtel Stoneham sits directly at the foot of the mountain, with ski-in/ski-out access, while condominium accommodations provide additional options near the lower slopes. This setup is convenient for families and visitors who want to ski during the day, take a break, and return for the evening. There are also several condominiums in and around the lower mountain ski slopes.
For those not looking to stay directly on-site, there are numerous options. Quebec City, about 20 minutes away by car, offers a much larger range of hotels, restaurants, and activities, making it a more flexible base for travelers visiting Stoneham alongside Mont-Sainte-Anne or other nearby mountains.
Condominiums occupy parts of the lower mountain, giving the resort a developed, regional-ski-area atmosphere.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended touring board
Après-Ski
Stoneham’s après-ski scene is fairly active for a mountain of its size. The main gathering spot is Bar Le Quatre-Foyers, which has a large dance floor, mountain-facing windows, pub food, and live music on winter weekends. The base-area terrace also has hot tubs that the resort advertises as free to use.
The bar is a substantial attraction in its own right, and the nearby hotel makes it possible to stay at the mountain rather than drive back to the city afterward. Outside the resort, though, Stoneham does not have an extensive walkable restaurant-and-bar village; visitors seeking more nightlife will find considerably more options in Quebec City.
Stoneham stands out for its blue glades and wooded trails, particularly for confident intermediates.
Verdict
Stoneham is particularly well suited to Quebec City skiers, confident intermediates looking for wooded trails, and freestyle riders. The blue glades and extensive park lineup stand out, while the central express provides quick access to much of the groomed terrain.
But for a true vacation, the compromises are harder to overlook. The green-trail connections are awkward, the expert terrain is limited and snow-dependent, and slow lifts make the outer peaks tedious to lap. Nearby Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif offer much more extensive skiing and better overall experiences.
Pricing
Stoneham’s 2026-27 lift-ticket prices are relatively reasonable by North American standards. Adult full-day tickets cost C$105 on regular days and up to C$115 on peak dates (approximately US$74-81), before taxes. The resort also advertises discounts for buying online in advance, with the final price depending on the date.
Other ticket products can be better suited to shorter visits. Adult half-day tickets cost C$75-80 (US$53-57), while evening tickets are C$47-57 (US$33-40). There’s also an afternoon-and-evening ticket valid from 12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for C$85-90 (US$60-64), a useful option for skiers who want a long session without arriving first thing in the morning.
For frequent visitors, the unrestricted adult Stoneham season pass costs C$1,628 (US$1,152) at the regular fall rate, while the weekday pass is C$1,044 (US$739) and also includes weekend evening access. The strongest value is the La Passe evening pass, priced at C$299 (US$212) before November 1, 2026, and C$359 (US$254) afterward. It covers evening skiing at both Stoneham and Mont-Sainte-Anne, subject to each resort’s operating schedule.
