What are the best Montreal ski resorts? The Montreal area in the Canadian province of Quebec has some of the best ski resorts in eastern North America, many within just an hour or two's drive away from the city. Take your pick from trails and runs that will suit any level of difficulty you may be looking for.

While the regions around Montreal may not be the Rockies, it's still a gorgeous area to go skiing or hiking. The area is filled with lakes, rolling hills and rounded-topped mountains. The higher hills can range between elevations of 330m to 520m (or 984 to 1,706 in feet). By comparison, The Whistler ski area is 1,564m (5,122 feet) and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps is up around 2,210m (7,250 feet). So you won't find any record-breaking heights when skiing around Montreal.

Nearby Montreal Ski Regions

From the city, you can either head east or north for the main skiing areas. To the north are the Laurentians, where you will find the highest peak in the area, Mont-Tremblant. This is the most popular area for skiing, especially with tourists. More than 2 million people come to Mont-Tremblant each year.

It's about 130km north of the city, which is less than a two hour drive on average. You can go skiing year-round and it gotten coverage by some well-known publications such as Ski Magazine and Forbes.

To the east of Montreal, there are the township areas which have less access than Mont-Tremblant (no direct air service from New York City, for example) but it is also much less busy there because of it.

More on Mont-Tremblant

As the premiere ski spot around Montreal, here is a little more information on the ski runs there. There are 95 trails at the resort, with 14 lifts. At this time, none of these trails offer night skiing opportunities. Of those 95 trails, there are 17 at the beginner level, 31 at intermediate and 47 that are classed as requiring expert ski experience. The longest vertical drop at Mont-Tremblant is 649m (or 2,131 feet).

Some of the other slopes you should check out are Mont Orford, Jay Peak, Bromont and Owl's Head.

So don't discount Montreal when you are planning a skiing vacation. There are so many great and convenient Montreal ski resorts that it should be on your must-do list when in the area.