Cypress Mountain unveils 60-year plan to reshape Vancouver’s closest ski area

Cypress Mountain Resort has published a long-term development plan that could transform the West Vancouver ski area over the next six decades, with proposed upgrades to almost every major lift, a new beginner zone, expanded snowmaking, a rebuilt Nordic base and a substantial expansion of summer activities.

The plan, prepared by Whistler-based Brent Harley and Associates for Cypress Mountain’s operator, Boyne Resorts, is now being reviewed by BC Parks. Public consultation opened on 15 September and runs until 4pm on 16 November 2026.

Although the proposal covers a 60-year period, Cypress describes it as an effort to modernise and better organise the resort rather than expand its boundaries. The Controlled Recreation Area would remain at 293 hectares, while skiable terrain would increase only marginally, from 137 to 139 hectares. The number of ski trails would rise from 61 to 66.

The distinction is significant. Cypress sits inside Cypress Provincial Park, a protected landscape that also supports backcountry access, conservation and a range of recreational uses. The development plan therefore attempts to reconcile the resort’s ambitions with the constraints of operating inside a provincial park.

“Same footprint, better experience” is the resort’s summary of the proposal.

A new beginning for beginners

The most immediate change proposed for winter users is a complete rethink of the Easy Rider learning area.

The existing Easy Rider chairlift would be removed and replaced by a series of surface carpets serving gentler, purpose-built learning terrain. A new children’s centre and ski-school building would be tied directly into the beginner area, creating a more concentrated base for first-time skiers and snowboarders.

The change addresses a weakness identified in the development plan’s analysis of the current mountain. Cypress has a generally balanced spread of low-intermediate, intermediate, advanced and expert terrain, but lacks sufficient dedicated terrain for beginners. The proposed learning zone is intended to improve that balance without requiring a major expansion of the ski area.

The plan would also relocate the existing Easy Rider Quad to replace the ageing Midway double chair. In its new role as the Lower Bowen Quad, it would provide faster and more comfortable access to the surrounding terrain.

Snowmaking would be extended across the Beginner Area, Rainbow, Lower Bowen, Lower Fork, Cascade and the Raven Ridge sector. The stated aim is to improve early-season reliability and support a longer operating window, described in the plan as running from early December to early April.

Lift fleet enters a new era

The lift proposals represent one of the most ambitious elements of the plan. Cypress currently operates seven uphill conveyances in its Alpine Area: two detachable quads, three fixed-grip quads, a fixed-grip double and a carpet.

At buildout, the resort would operate eight lifts, including three major upgrades:

• Lions Express would become an eight-passenger chairlift.

• Eagle Express would be upgraded to a six-passenger chairlift.

• Raven Ridge would be replaced by a detachable quad.

• The Midway double would be replaced by the relocated Lower Bowen Quad.

• Easy Rider would be replaced by two beginner-area carpets.

The Lions Express proposal would be particularly notable for the Lower Mainland. Industry reporting on the plan describes it as a potential first eight-passenger chairlift for the region, with the upgraded Eagle Express also expected to improve uphill capacity.

However, Cypress is not presenting the lift programme as a way to dramatically increase skier numbers. The Alpine Comfortable Carrying Capacity—the planning measure used to assess the number of skiers who can enjoy the mountain without compromising the experience—would rise from 4,713 to 4,866.

That increase of 153 skiers is modest compared with the scale of the infrastructure programme. The stated objective is to improve circulation, reliability and the quality of the experience, particularly for beginners, rather than simply put more people on the hill.

Nordic side to receive major rebuild

The largest proportional redevelopment would take place away from the Alpine Area, at Cypress’s Nordic base.

The resort operates the largest Nordic trail network in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with approximately 22km of trails, including 7.5km lit for night skiing. Yet the development plan identifies the Nordic base as significantly undersized, with restaurant, rental, retail, washroom and locker facilities below the levels needed for current visitation.

A new Nordic Lodge would consolidate restaurant, rental, retail and guest services into a single building close to the forest edge. The proposal also includes a dedicated passenger drop-off, additional parking, direct links to the trails and tube park, and a clearer separation between vehicles and pedestrians.

Nine trails approved under the 1996 Master Plan would finally be built, adding approximately 2.9km of beginner and intermediate terrain. That would increase the Nordic Comfortable Carrying Capacity from 884 to 1,010 skiers per day, while correcting what the plan describes as an existing imbalance towards advanced terrain.

The tube park would be relocated and expanded from six to eight groomed lanes, with an upgraded lift capable of serving approximately 800 tubers per day—up from the current 250. Trail lighting would also be extended across the Nordic and snowshoe network, opening the possibility of a more extensive night-time offer.

Cypress expects snowshoeing to become increasingly important, with projected use rising from around 200 guests per day to approximately 400 at buildout.

A four-season strategy

While winter remains the resort’s core business, the development plan is equally notable for its attempt to establish Cypress as a genuine four-season destination.

A lift-accessed mountain-bike park on Black Mountain is expected to open in summer 2027. Designed and built by Gravity Logic within areas already approved under an earlier plan, it would include both flow and technical trails, alongside a beginner-focused learning area and family zone near the base.

The wider summer concept includes expanded hiking and sightseeing routes on Mount Strachan, viewing platforms, interpretive signage, a summer events area and a relocated mountain coaster with a dedicated uplifter. Cypress is also exploring a suite of additional activities, including a zipline, aerial adventure park, via ferrata, climbing wall, disc golf and orienteering.

The resort stresses that these proposals are intended to complement—not replace—the winter season. Some elements remain candidates rather than committed projects and would require separate approval through BC Parks.

Two proposed mountain facilities would serve both winter and summer visitors: the Sky Chair Hut and viewing platform, and a Lions Lodge café near the top of the Lions Express. Both would offer places to pause and take in views across the North Shore and wider Vancouver region.

Capacity, parking and infrastructure

At full buildout, the resort’s total Balanced Resort Capacity would rise from 6,942 to approximately 8,082 guests per day. This measure includes skiers, Nordic users, tubers, snowshoers, snowplay participants and passive visitors, rather than counting only downhill skiers.

The increase would be accompanied by additional facilities on both sides of the resort.

In the Alpine Area, the plan proposes a new guest drop-off, children’s centre, ski patrol and first-aid building, and an expanded maintenance facility. The latter would reduce the need for snowcats to travel roughly 4km between the existing maintenance yard and the operating areas.

Alpine built space would increase by approximately 22,278 square feet, from 73,268 to 95,546 square feet. Nordic built space would increase by approximately 19,592 square feet, reaching 30,563 square feet at buildout.

Parking has long been one of Cypress’s most visible operational challenges. The resort currently has 2,540 stalls and space for four buses, while busy weekends and holiday periods can push the Alpine lots to or beyond capacity.

The plan proposes an eventual increase to approximately 2,880 parking stalls, alongside a dedicated drop-off and continued use of shuttles, car-pooling incentives and charter-coach services. Cypress acknowledges that the proposals would reduce pressure but would not eliminate congestion on the busiest days.

Park, environmental and Indigenous review

The development plan does not itself authorise construction. If BC Parks supports the overall SRDP, individual projects would still require detailed design, site-specific environmental assessments, archaeological studies, hydrology work and further review before they could proceed.

The plan was developed with input from BC Parks and the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Cypress acknowledges that the resort operates on the unceded traditional territories of those Nations and says consultation is ongoing. Formal consultation on individual projects will be led by BC Parks, with the resort participating in the process.

The proposal also states that the Controlled Recreation Area boundary would not change and that existing backcountry access arrangements would remain. Cypress is a staging point for routes including the Howe Sound Crest Trail, Black Mountain Plateau and Hollyburn Peak, and the plan says designated access corridors will continue.

Environmental questions are likely to be central to the public review. The plan concentrates proposed development in existing resort areas, but it also covers new summer activities, expanded snowmaking, additional buildings and changes to lift infrastructure inside a provincial park.

The resort says project-specific assessments will be used to modify designs where necessary—for example, by shifting lift towers or stations to avoid sensitive habitat or old-growth forest.

A plan measured in decades

Cypress’s proposed rollout is deliberately gradual. The first phase, expected within roughly five years if approvals are secured, would prioritise summer activities, the Sky Chair Hut and viewing platform, expanded hiking and sightseeing, the mountain-bike park, the Beginner Area, Lower Bowen Quad, Eagle Express upgrade and snowmaking extensions.

Later phases would address the Raven Ridge and Lions Express upgrades, the Lions Lodge, the Nordic base redevelopment, additional parking, the Cypress Creek Lodge expansion and renewal of Black Mountain Lodge.

The timing is not fixed. Cypress says the sequence will be influenced by demand, visitation, economic conditions and the resort’s investment priorities.

That long horizon reflects both the scale of the proposal and the regulatory reality of operating in a provincial park. BC Parks’ decision on the development plan would establish a framework, not give the resort a blank cheque to build.

For Cypress, the strategic case is clear: its proximity to Vancouver gives it a powerful advantage, but that same proximity creates intense pressure on parking, facilities and the mountain experience. The plan seeks to address those pressures while improving the resort’s appeal beyond the traditional ski day.

For BC Parks, the question is more complex. The proposal promises better infrastructure, improved beginner and Nordic facilities and a stronger year-round recreation offer, but it must be judged against environmental values, Indigenous rights, backcountry access and the limits of development within a protected landscape.

Public feedback on the plan remains open until 4pm on 16 November 2026. BC Parks says submissions will be considered alongside technical information, environmental studies, Indigenous consultation, policy requirements and responses from other interested parties before it decides whether to support the proposed direction.