Mount Washington Alpine Resort facts for kids

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is an exciting place for fun all year long. It is located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This resort is right next to Strathcona Provincial Park, which is the oldest park in British Columbia.

Mount Washington is the only full-service ski and summer resort on Vancouver Island. About 300,000 people visit it every year. The resort is more than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) above sea level. From here, you can see amazing views of the Comox Valley, the Strait of Georgia, and the Coast Mountains.

In winter, you can explore over 688 hectares (1,700 acres) of ski slopes. There are 507 vertical meters (1,663 feet) of downhill skiing. You can also enjoy 55 kilometers (34 miles) of cross-country skiing. There are 25 kilometers (16 miles) of trails for snowshoeing. The resort has a special Nordic lodge, a Tube Park, and Fat Bike trails. Mount Washington gets a lot of snow. It receives over 11 meters (36 feet) of snow each year on average. This is one of the biggest snowfalls in North America!

In summer, there are many cool activities. You can ride a 2.3 kilometer (1.5 mile) ZipTour zip line. There is also mountain biking where a lift takes you up the mountain. Other fun things include a quad bungy trampoline and chairlift rides. You can play disc golf and miniature golf. There are also giant chess and checkers boards, shops, and restaurants.

How Mount Washington Started

Mount Washington Alpine Resort first opened in 1979. Two businessmen from Campbell River, Henry Norie and Alex Linton, started it. Alex Linton loved to ski. In 1975, he was amazed by how tall Mount Washington was and how much snow it had.

Alex and his friend Henry, who had a helicopter, explored the mountain. About 16 months later, they bought the land. They bought it from a company called Crown Zellerbach. Then, they hired a company called Ecosign to plan the resort. Building began in 1977. Mount Washington was one of the first resorts in British Columbia to be planned out completely, just like Whistler Blackcomb.

In 1989, the founders sold their part of the resort. A group led by George Stuart bought it. This group invested money to make the resort better. They upgraded the ski lifts and added more ski areas. They also built new buildings at the base of the mountain. They improved the roads and other important things. In 2015, George Stuart's group sold the resort again. It was bought by a Canadian company called Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.

Getting to Mount Washington

It's easy to get to Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

By Road

The resort is located at #1 Strathcona Parkway. It's about a 15-minute drive from the Inland Island Highway, which is British Columbia Highway 19. You can also find bus services that go to Courtenay. In winter, the resort has a special ski bus. This bus picks up people in Courtenay and takes them to the resort.

By Sea

BC Ferries offers daily boat trips. You can take a ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo. There are also ferries from Powell River to Comox.

By Air

The closest airports are the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) and Campbell River Airport (YBL). Both are on Vancouver Island. From either airport, it's about a 40-minute drive to Mount Washington.

Why it's Called Mount Washington

Mount Washington is named after a person named John Washington (Royal Navy officer). He was an officer in the Royal Navy. For several years, John Washington worked as an assistant to Sir Francis Beaufort. The range of mountains that runs down the middle of Vancouver Island is named after Sir Francis Beaufort.

Images for kids

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  View from Mount Washington Nordic Lodge