Toronto park with its own ski hill and chair lift opens next month
It's time to pull your skis and snow gear out of the closet, because winter is in full swing and with it comes some of your favourite snowy-weather sports.
Blue Mountain and other favourite ski hills are open for the season but if you don't want to travel far, make sure to hit up the Toronto park with its own ski hill and chairlift that's opening next month.
Located in North York, Earl Bales Park has walking trails, fire pits, a dog park, picnic sites, and an outdoor amphitheatre that surround the ski hill.
The ski hill is divided into three hills: one beginner hill with a rope tow, the main hill that has three runs that start at the top, and a race hill available to the public when not in use by ski racing groups.
You'll have to take the chairlift, which sits four people, to get back to the top of the main hill.
If you're like me and need to brush up on your skills or are a beginner skier or snowboarder, the park is offering instructor-led programs and lessons for both skiing and snowboarding.
After enjoying all that snow, make sure to take a break at the ski chalet, where you can warm up with a hot drink or grab a bite to eat.
The park also offers rental equipment for those who are casual skiers and don't have their own gear. Whether you need a full ski set or just a helmet, the park offers hourly or all-day rentals.
Just like any other ski hill, Earl Bales Park offers season ski memberships so you can hit the slopes any time during the season. Annual membership starts at $270. Hourly lift tickets are also available for those who want to casually drop in and start at $27.
Tickets for the use of the beginner hill are $13 for the entire day.
As epic as it would be to slide down the massive hill, tobogganing is strictly prohibited at Earl Bales — but Toronto has a ton of designated hills to go tobogganing down.
The ski hill is set to open in mid-January through mid-March, but is weather and snow dependent.
Olivia Little
