Mount Washington Alpine Resort is the dominant skiing destination on Vancouver Island, located about thirty kilometres west of Courtenay in the Vancouver Island Mountains. In winter it offers downhill skiing, snowboarding, and extensive cross-country trails; in summer the lifts run for hikers and mountain bikers exploring the alpine terrain above the treeline.
The resort has a genuine mountain feel — the snowpack can be deep, the views across the island to the Strait of Georgia are striking, and the access road through old-growth forest makes the approach worth something in its own right. From the summit in clear weather you can sometimes see the Coast Mountains on the mainland.
For families, Mount Washington is more accessible and less expensive than major mainland resorts. Day passes are affordable, the runs are varied enough for most ability levels, and the drive from Courtenay is thirty minutes on a well-maintained road. In summer the resort operates a chair lift to the alpine meadows, which have good wildflower displays in July and August.