About grouse mountain

the peak of vancouver

Just 15 minutes from downtown, Vancouver's premier attraction offers the perfect destination for a truly rewarding and memorable experience. With a variety of cultural, educational and outdoor adventures to choose from, we look forward to helping you plan your next visit.

Grouse Mountain is located on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples: the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We value the opportunity to live, work, and share experiences on their ancestral territories.

Most of Grouse Mountain's summer activities and winter activities are complimentary with a Mountain Admission ticket.

To learn more about Grouse Mountain's social and environmental commitments, check out our Blue Grouse Sustainability program.

Our Story

Grouse Mountain was named by the first recorded hikers to reach the summit in October 1894. In those days, climbing Grouse Mountain was a three or four day epic journey - there was no bridge across Burrard Inlet and no road to the base. The hardy group of hikers slogged through snow, scrambled over rock and up through the dense forest. Along the way, they hunted a Blue Grouse and honoured the plentiful game bird by calling the Peak "Grouse Mountain".

Soon after this first ascent, Grouse Mountain began attracting hundreds of intrepid hikers. Among these were Don and Phyllis Munday who built the first log cabin on the mountain. Today, the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park bears their name in honour of their contributions to mountaineering.

Early Milestones

Plans for a Railroad In 1910 a group of entrepreneurs decided to build a railroad to the summit to make the mountain more accessible. However, due to steel shortages in World War I, the railroad was never built.

Tyee Ski Club In 1929, the Tyee Ski Club was formed, which is now one of the oldest ski clubs in Canada. By the mid-1930s, the mountain had its first rope tow. Since then, organized skiing and ski racing have flourished at Grouse Mountain.

VIP Visit On September 2nd of 1929, Grouse Mountain was proud to host Winston Churchill for dinner in the original chalet. Britain’s most famous statesman and beloved Prime Minister was England’s Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of his visit. He was in Vancouver to open New Westminster’s exhibition. Sir Winston Churchill visited Grouse Mountain accompanied by his son Randolph and his brother Jack.

Cabin at The Cut The cabin area at the base of The Cut has a long history. It began with Vancouverites who found it an easier place to live than the city during the Great Depression, and it was the proposed terminus of yet another inclined railway in 1939. World War II and another steel shortage ended this attempt, which had actually progressed to the construction stage, even though the tracks were half steel and half wood.

The World's First Double Chairlift In 1949, the world's first double chairlift was built, replacing a two to three hour hike from the skiers' bus stop at the base of the mountain. This confirmed Grouse Mountain's reputation as a leader. The first chairlift for The Cut was built in 1951 and, for the first time, skiers and visitors could reach the mountain in a two-stage trip. The Peak of Vancouver soon became a hub for the international jet set, drawn to dining and dancing in the original Grouse Mountain Chalet. In 1965, the Grouse Mountain Snow School opened, drawing upon an already well-established history of skiing, ski clubs, and world champion skiers.

The Skyride Opens

In 1964, Andrew Saxton Sr. along with a group of investors, purchased Grouse Mountain from the Cromie family, owners of the Vancouver Sun newspaper. Saxton knew, in order to be successful, he needed to find a better way to get people up the Mountain and he arrived at the idea of an aerial tramway – which would become the first of its kind in Canada.

The Skyride Opens On December 15, 1966, the 45 passenger Grouse Mountain Skyride was opened and dedicated by Premier W.A.C. Bennett. A new mountain station with two restaurants, gift shops and other facilities accompanied the opening of the Skyride, as did a new valley station complete with 1,000 paved parking spots. Other accomplishments included building Canada's largest snowmaking system, completed in 1973.

A New Beginning
In 1974, the McLaughlin family purchased controlling interest in Grouse Mountain Resorts Ltd. and provided the necessary funding to construct a second tramway. The addition of the 100 passenger Red Skyride made the Grouse Mountain aerial tramway system the largest in North America. In 1989, the McLaughlin family purchased 100% of Grouse Mountain shares. The following year, the Theatre in the Sky was built and became the first year-round attraction on the mountain.

Renovations and Enhancements

Since 1990, $25M in renovations have been undertaken, merging Grouse Mountain's rich history with the latest in modern recreational technology and convenience. Among the developments:

1990 - The Theatre in the Sky in the Peak Chalet opens
1990 - The World Famous Lumberjack Show opens for performances to the public
1996 - Renovations to the Peak Chalet further enhance the appeal of the lodge - using natural indigenous materials to build upon its rich heritage.
1997 - The híwus Feasthouse and cultural centre is constructed on the shores of Blue Grouse Lake. Offering visitors native dining, culture and entertainment, this beautifully carved cedar longhouse has been praised for its authenticity and uniqueness.
1999 - The Observatory Restaurant opens, providing visitors the finest in contemporary British Columbian cuisine high above the city.
2000 - Grouse Mountain invests $4.3 million to enhance its winter operations - including Vancouver's first high-speed quad chair the Screaming Eagle. Snow-grooming and snowmaking operations are also improved, providing an exceptional winter experience.
2001 - Grouse Mountain brings the world-renowned UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to Vancouver for the first time, and is commissioned to host the event for three consecutive years.
2001 - The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife launches. Grinder and Coola, two orphaned grizzly bears, are the first to call the Refuge their home.
2001 - Wraparound decks are added to the Peak Chalet, providing optimum viewing of the city below. Renovations are completed in the popular Lupins Café.
2002 - Orphaned grizzly bear brothers Cari and Boo are given a second chance at life in the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. Their critical first winter successfully passes in a custom-crafted hibernation den.
Summer 2002 - Renovations are completed in Grouse Mountain's newest dining venue Altitudes Bistro. Boasting one of the greatest patios in the province, Altitudes offers casual West Coast fare in a sleek mountaintop setting.
2002 - Extensive renovations to Grouse Mountain's Guest Services and Rental facilities are completed, streamlining operations and allowing guests to get started on their mountaintop adventures more promptly.
Winter 2002 - The Magic Carpet lift is built, especially designed to facilitate the beginner's ski and snowboard experience. A new intermediate run, Heaven's Sake, is introduced off the Peak, increasing Grouse Mountain's skiable terrain. In addition, 5 new snowguns are added to the fleet, bringing the grand total to 35 machines.
2003 - Grouse Mountain introduces snow skating to its repertoire of winter activities. Snow skaters are permitted access to Grouse Mountain's greatly enhanced Terrain Park for the cost of General Admission.
2003 - Grizzly cubs Cari and Boo depart the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife to anchor phase two of the grizzly bear rehabilitation project. The 2-year-old brothers move to the world's largest protected grizzly bear habitat at Kicking Horse Mountain in Golden, BC. Following Cari and Boo's move to Kicking Horse, remaining grizzlies Grinder and Coola inherit free reign over the entire 5-acre grizzly habitat at Grouse Mountain's Refuge for Endangered Wildlife.
July 2003 - Following Vancouver's successful candidacy as host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Grouse Mountain announces plans for a $4M upgrade to its winter infrastructure in the form of a new high-speed, detachable quad chair, the aptly named Olympic Express.
June 2004 - A pack of adult grey wolves arrives atop Grouse Mountain. The wolves are retired film industry stars that were born into captivity and hand-raised. Grouse Mountain is proud to have given these wolves a large protected home where they could roam freely for their remaining lives.
June 2008 - Mountain Ziplining arrives at Grouse Mountain. This experience puts guests high above the alpine rainforest, careening through the air at speeds of more than 50 km/hour.
November 2008 - Grouse Mountain invests $3M to enhance winter operations by building two new quad chairs - the Greenway and the Peak Chair.
2009 - Phase two of Mountain Ziplines opens, expanding the circuit to five lines. It spans further and faster across a canyon to neighbouring Dam Mountain. Speeds on the tour reach 80 km/hour.
2009 - Construction begins on BC’s first commercially-viable wind turbine atop Grouse Mountain, the first of its kind in the world to feature an elevator accessing an observation pod.
2009 - US television giant NBC announces its popular daily morning news show “Today” will broadcast from Grouse Mountain throughout the 2010 Olympic Games.
2010 - The Grouse Mountain wind turbine opens to inspire, educate and exhilarate the public about the benefits of alternative energy sources and the viability of wind energy. BC Premier Gordon Campbell inaugurates The Eye of the Wind.
2010 - Grouse Mountain opens 24 hours a day for the duration of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games as Canada welcomes the world to Vancouver and Whistler.
Fall 2010 - Vancouver resident Sebastian Salas sets a Grouse Grind official course record time of 25:01 in the 2010 Grouse Grind Mountain Run; and also sets the unofficial record (outside the annual race) in a time of 23:48.
Winter 2011 - Grouse Mountain launches the Snowshoe Grind, a challenging snowshoe trail that can be timed using the Grind Timer system.
2013 - 18-hole Disc Golf course opens on the mountaintop, as does the Grizzly Lookout perched next to Grouse Mountain's grizzly bear habitat along with the Altitudes Sky Deck located on the upper floor of the Peak Chalet.
December 2015 - Grouse Mountain debuts the Light Walk, featuring stunning light installations around Blue Grouse Lake, as well as a new Sliding Zone, located just west of the Skating Pond offering two lanes of sliding fun.
Summer 2016 - Grouse Mountain launches the Skyride Surf Adventure, a brand new way to experience the iconic Super Skyride.
September 2018 - Mountain Ropes Adventure™ and Kids Tree Canopy Adventure™ opens: Grouse Mountain's latest activity features an aerial ropes course with a special kids zone.
September 2022 - Construction begins on a new state-of-the-art gondola at Grouse Mountain. The new lift system includes a total of 14 towers and 27 eight-person gondola cabins. With a one-way journey time of 5.5mins, our capacity is expected to be 1,000 people per hour, greatly improving the flow of people visiting the Mountain, reducing wait times and lineups.
December 2022 - New Short Cut Handle Tow in Side Cut Park opens. The new lift can move up to 600 people per hour and offers access to up to 20 features, eliminating the need for skiers and riders to use the Screaming Eagle Chair.
December 12th, 2024 -The New State of The Art Gondola opens to the public. After a $35 million upgrade. It features 27 cabins, a 5.5-minute ride, and a capacity of 1,000 people per hour.