a snowy wonderland at dakota ridge
When people think of visiting the Sunshine Coast, I am almost certain a snowy dreamscape reminiscent of a Dr. Suess book does NOT come to mind. Let me tell you though, if you visit Dakota Ridge Nordic Ski Area after a snow fall, a scene out of The Grinch is exactly what you’re in for.
I thought I would share about it on the blog, incase you’re visiting Gibsons or Sechelt and need to escape the rain. Because let’s be honest, snow usually trumps rain when you get to just visit it up on a mountain somewhere instead of dealing with it all winter long.
So, back to our time up at Dakota Ridge and how to visit it.
The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure you have chains for your vehicle. If you like having fun in the winter, you probably already have them. But it’s worth mentioning that you will probably need them.
To get to Dakota Ridge, you just bomb up Field Road in Wilsons Creek and then keep going up until you see snow. There are a lot of signs that you can follow.
dakota ridge is the best spot in winter on the Sunshine Coast.
We popped up with some snow shoes, but with a toddler, Cross Country Skiing and Snow Shoeing are not a full day event. BUT, the best tobogganning on the coast can be found at Dakota Ridge. We have the super speedy tubes that the kids got from Santa this year.
Yes, our children are wearing helmets. After an icy incident that included lil Wally getting air, and Eloise almost ending up in the parking lot, we thought it best to protect their thinkers.
The hill isn’t steep, but that’s said by me from the bottom taking photos. My husbands legs were tired after carting Wally up and down for “More. More! MORE!” As you can see from the image below, he LOVED it.
If you’re more of a skier or snowshoer, there was a handy map that I snapped a quick picture of:
Dakota Ridge is also dog friendly! It’s too bad our dog is a ridiculous animal who cannot be taken anywhere. He is mannerless.
Hanging at Dakota Ridge isn’t free, but it’s not going to break the bank. There are washrooms and all of the trails are so well taken care of, it’s worth the SIX DOLLARS for your vehicle.
Well, we always have a blast at Dakota Ridge. We have a 4Runner, and recommend a 4wheel drive vehicle ORRRRRRRR you can rent skiis, snowshoes and the likes down at Alpha Adventures by IGA and book a shuttle up.
I hope this helps you enjoy being outside. I definitely need a healthy dose of fresh air to beat the winter blues weekly and I am just not always down for getting soaked.
A moment of creative self-promotion though — the road up is BEAUTIFUL and would look so good for a couples shoot or engagement session or even a fun family session.
Also, Wally says that there is lots of fresh powder for snacking.
Well, that’s all for me now. Please excuse some of the images as they are a mix of iphone and my camera. I wanted to be present with the family, but also provide some value to you all!
