For more than 60 years, thrill-seekers have made Mt. Dufour Ski Area a top destination for skiing and snowboarding in Northern Ontario. Situated in the heart of Elliot Lake, Mt. Dufour is one of the region’s longest established ski hill and a non-for-profit endeavour since the early 60s.
The skiers and snowboarders at Mt. Dufour are a mix of seasoned veterans who love riding down some of the steepest runs in all of Ontario. On the other end, Mt. Dufour boasts some of the biggest and widest runs in the province, and one of the best beginner slopes in Ontario.
That’s why many families often make the trek from Sudbury to experience everything Mt. Dufour Ski Area offers. It’s a short drive to experience some of the best skiing and snowboarding conditions around, at a price that’s very affordable compared to other ski hills.
“The biggest barrier to entry for skiing is cost for anyone,” said James Stewart, director at Mt. Dufour. “That’s part of Mt. Dufour’s Ski Area’s objective is to maintain a low-cost skiing centre with world-class conditions for the benefit of all surrounding communities.”
“We’re one of the oldest clubs in Elliot Lake with the largest memberships. It’s a community mountain powered by volunteerism. And because it’s non-for-profit, it allows us to maintain a much lower price point on ticketing than we’d see from a lot of our competitors.”
Lift tickets are only $65 per person, which includes tax. Adventurers get their money’s worth at Mt. Dufour because they pride themselves on having no lift lines. Rather than spending the bulk of your day standing in line or sitting on a lift, Mt. Dufour’s quad chair lift moves 2,400 skiers up the mountain per hour.
On a casual day, that means anywhere from 40 to 60 runs down the mountain, but Stewart has seen some skiers even push closer to 80 runs in a day.
A returning feature to Mt. Dufour this year is their terrain park, which is a big hit with the younger crowd, but open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages. The terrain park has 10 features like rails, jumps and rainbow rails. There’s also an instructor who will show people how to navigate the Terrain Park and the jumps safely.
Trying a new sport for the first time is always intimidating, which is why Mt. Dufour makes skiing and snowboarding very approachable. Register for a lesson with their Snow School to get the hang of the mountain. From there, it’s up to you depending on how comfortable you feel.
“For most folks, one or two days on the bunny hill, because it’s such a forgiving, long, gradual slope, you get a good chance to put all the pieces together without all the intense pitches or the faster traffic that you might see on our main runs,” Stewart said.
With ski and snowboard season in full swing, it’s an exciting time to come up to Elliot Lake and explore Mt. Dufour for yourself. February 28 to March 2 is the Joe Sarich Classic, which is the busiest weekend of the year at Mt. Dufour Ski Area.
The slopes will be open for March Break to cater to all the students and families coming in from Sudbury and surrounding areas in Northern Ontario to take in a premiere experience at a fraction of the price of major ski hills in the province.
Skiing has long been a part of the identity of Elliot Lake, and Mt. Dufour embraces the opportunity to show locals and out-of-towners why the mountain should be a top destination for all adventurers and tourists.
“People will often say you’re a uranium town, you’re a mining town, or you’re a retirement town. My objection to that is always: ‘No, we’re a skiing town. Most people just haven’t figured that out yet,’” Stewart said. “We’re extremely proud of our non-for-profit mountain that offers some of the best conditions and terrain anywhere in Ontario.”
With seven trails and no lift lines, Mt. Dufour Ski Area prides itself on having one of the most thrilling and accessible skiing and snowboarding experiences in Northern Ontario.
Come up for the day, or stay and plan for the weekend! Find out more at MountDufour.com.