Great value and if you stay on the upper slopes there is some great skiing
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Cheap season pass, but you get what you pay for. Very close to Calgary compared to other resorts, but not worth the time saved. Most facilities aren't open until weeks into the season, and when open don't provide the same quality found at sunshine and Louise. Lifts are randomly closed and not kept updated on site, you need to show up to find out that only one small lift is open 😂. Not very good customer service, doesn't go out of their way to counteract any of their downfalls. First and last season here, would've really liked to have made it my new regular hill, oh well 😋 back to Sunshine it is
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Given it's close proximity to Calgary, Nakiska gets SUPER busy over the Christmas period.

Plus the Snow is dreadful here!!! Hardly any and it's super ICY!

Already able to ski, we tried our hand at snowboarding.

The beginner terrain is limited to around 4 runs and the queue for the chairlift can take 20 mins.
Once on the beginner slopes, they are narrow and super flat in parts. Not good to learn to snowboard.

Snowboard lessons are also expensive and take place on a slope where people are routinely walking up the middle. I'd be surprised if these people had resort passes at all.

Ski wise, the main chairlift to 'black' terrain was closed for urgent maintenance. This lasted over 4 weeks and Nakiska offered 'free' days (for season pass holders) at Fernie & Kicking Horse. For those staying in Calgary, this was a useless offer given the distance to the other resorts

However, to end on a plus, the Blue runs were wide and fast.
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I've skied all over the world and have enjoyed all types of conditions. I recently accepted a new role in Calgary and moved about 40 mins west of the city which has me almost on the doorstep of Nakiska. I have a young family that hadn't had much time on the mountain that were all interested now that we live in this climate. Nakiska was a cheap way to introduce them to snowboarding. We got a family pass for the year for just over $700 cnd. Very cheap considering the big mountain resorts are charging 6x that. We may move up to the larger mountains and make the bigger investment when the time comes but for now this is great for them to learn at a very affordable price.
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Place is too crowded. Lounge is not big enough upstairs. Customer service sketchy.
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I've had many ski trips to Alberta, flying into Calgary and primarily visiting Sunshine and Lake Louise. During one of those trips, I decided to try out Nakiska, which is along the highway from Calgary to Sunshine and Lake Louise. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of positive things to say about Nakiska. The terrain is much smaller than nearby places like Sunshine and Louise, and the snow quality just isn't there, perhaps due to the lower elevation and the easterly location within the rockies.

I had a hard time understanding the draw of Nakiska, but I guess it provides slightly closer access for families from Calgary. And maybe those people with young children find it an easier place for their kids to learn.

That said, for most people, I would keep driving west on the highway and go to Sunshine Village or Lake Louise. Sorry Nakiska. :-(

Pros: 1) Close access from Calgary, 2) Easy place for kids to learn

Cons: 1) Not the greatest terrain, 2) Snow quality is not what you would expect from a western resort
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I put Nakiska sub-par to neighbouring Norquay. Went here for a half-day and didn't even bother staying for the whole 4 hours. If you just want to tear up a couple runs on the way to Banff, or if you live in Calgary, why not. With over 2000' of vert, beginners and intermediates shouldn't complain, but the windswept face of Nakiska is definitely not where Powderhounds go to find Powder!

During my 3 runs, I did each of their so called "expert" runs and figured I might as well go enjoy a beer instead, cause I wasn't feeling it. Originally built for the Calgary Olympics, I'm sure it served well, but with all the competition from the Big 3 less than an hour west, Nakiska has an outdated feel to it.

Pros:
-Snowpark
-Close to Calgary
-Cheap

Cons:
-Crowded
-Icy
-Lot of inexperienced skiers

Best suited for: Calgary locals, beginners, families, snow park junkies
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If Nakiska gets some new powder, the black terrain on the top part of the mountain (Gold) is superb. They have some great gladed areas, some mellow blacks like Whoop-Up, and some rarely used blacks such as Bobtail. If there has been no significant snowfall, however, this area can be horribly icy and not fun. The gladed areas usually are soft and not.

The middle part (Silver) is mainly blue and always groomed. This area is full of wide cruising runs that are perfect for testing ones top speed. Homesteader is a 3.5km run that is a perfect family cruiser. The middle of the mountain is usually in good condition and does not tend to ice up like the top area does.

The Bottom section of the mountain (Bronze) has its own double chair and is pretty much only for learning, but is an interesting and fun area for beginners. The conditions in the Bronze area are almost never a factor as they work hard to ensure there's no ice for kids learning.

Scenery at Nakiska is spectacular and the mountain is tall. It's a great place to explore for a single day trip from Calgary, but not a great place for a week vacation.

Be a snow report watcher and head here when they get some significant snow so you can have all the powder in the Gold area to yourself, as most people think it is "always icy" and avoid it.
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Nakiska is only 45 minutes from Calgary so it’s fantastic for Calgarian families to go schussing together. It’s quite amazing that they were able to put a purpose-built ski resort at Nakiska at all, and the amount of snowmaking capacity is quite impressive.

Pros: cheap; family friendly; good beginner and intermediate terrain; great runs for racing, and a half pipe.

Cons: lack of natural snowfall and a tendency for the snow to quickly melt (a snorkel is definitely not required); often icy; and minimal terrain for advanced and expert riders.
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