Night Skiing in Edmonton: Which Hills Run Lights and When

Yes, you can night ski in Edmonton, and you've got four hills to pick from. Rabbit Hill, Snow Valley, Sunridge and the Edmonton Ski Club all run under the lights on weeknights until 9 PM, and the Edmonton Ski Club also runs Saturday nights from 5 to 9 PM. Bring a clear or very light lens, around 70% VLT or higher, and dress for it getting colder once the sun goes down.

We're an Edmonton brand, so these are our home hills. Here's which ones run nights and when, how early it gets dark this winter, what the cold does to your plans, and which lens to bring.

Which Edmonton ski hills have night skiing?

All four of the city hills do. Here are the hours each hill has posted for the 2026/27 season. Hills change these with weather, holidays and lesson programs, so check the hill's own site before you head out.

A few things worth knowing:

• Early season is nights only on weekdays at some hills. Rabbit Hill runs 5 to 9 PM on weekdays from opening day until regular hours start, and Sunridge does the same until Dec. 5. So if you want laps in November, the weeknight session is your window.
• Saturday night is the Edmonton Ski Club. It's the only one of the four with a posted Saturday night session. Its projected opening day is Friday, November 27 at 3 PM.
• Sunday night is a rest night. None of the four list Sunday evening hours.
• Weeknight tickets. Rabbit Hill runs a weeknight special from 5 to 9 PM, and other hills run weeknight deals too. Prices change, so check each hill's ticket page.

Does Rabbit Hill have night skiing?

Yes. Rabbit Hill runs weeknights until 9 PM, Monday to Friday, and only 5 to 9 PM on weekdays early in the season. Weekends close at 5 PM. It's the biggest of the local hills, with over 40 acres of terrain, so it's the one most people mean when they talk about night laps near Edmonton. Its season usually runs from mid November or early December to late March or early April, depending on the snow.

When does it get dark for night skiing in Edmonton?

Later than you might be used to. Alberta stopped changing the clocks in 2026, so we don't fall back on November 1 and stay on Alberta Time all winter. That moves sunset about an hour later than past winters. In late December the sun sets around 5:15 PM instead of 4:15 PM.

Sunset times are approximate, for central Edmonton.

So from late November to late January, a 5 PM weeknight session is a night session. By March you'll start in daylight and finish under the lights, which is when a lens that handles both, or a quick swap, earns its spot. Our ski goggle VLT chart covers the daytime side.

What lens should you wear for night skiing?

Clear, or as close to clear as your goggle has. City hill lighting is never perfectly even. You get bright patches under the towers and darker strips between them, and that's where a tinted lens makes the bumps disappear.

Our only clear snow lens fits our smallest frame (the Valorie Snow). If you ride our largest frame (the Emily) or our widest view goggle (the Esme), Grape Ice at 72% is your brightest option. Lenses only fit their own frame, so buy the one made for the goggle you own. All three of our snow goggles use a magnetic lens, so swapping at the car or the lodge takes no tools. Our magnetic lens guide covers how that works.

There's no clear lens for the Emily or the Esme. At night I run Photochromic Black as my clear lens, and it works. Photochromic only tints under UV, so at night it stays at its lightest. (The Esme doesn't have a photochromic lens yet.)

We go deeper on tints, yellow vs clear and snowy nights in our night skiing goggle guide.

How cold is too cold for night skiing in Edmonton?

It gets cold fast once the sun is down, and the hills have rules for it. Rabbit Hill says it may close for the day if the temperature hits -22 C or colder (without windchill), and if the windchill hits -28 C or colder while it's open, the chairlift stops and only the surface lifts run. Snow Valley says it may also close or limit operations in extreme cold, and every hill's hours can change with the weather. On a cold night, check the hill's conditions page before you leave the house.

The cold is also when goggles fog and ice up. A few things that help at night:

• Keep your goggles on your face or in an inside pocket between laps, not on your forehead where your body heat steams them.
• Keep your spare lens in an inside jacket pocket so it's not ice cold when you swap it in.
• Don't wipe the inside of the lens when it's wet. Our lenses have a coated anti-fog, and wiping a wet lens wears it down. Let it air dry instead. Our post on why anti-fog coatings fail explains why.
• If your neck warmer or buff is pushing breath up into the goggle, pull it down under your nose. More in why ski goggles freeze up.

Do you need different goggles for night skiing?

No, just a different lens. Keep your day lens for the mountains and a clear or 72% lens for weeknights in the city. If you wear glasses, our prescription insert fits all our goggles, which helps a lot under the lights where you want every bit of detail you can get.

And if a night in the park ends with a tumble, it's worth knowing our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee covers all damage, including scratches, crashes, breaks and loss. Our post on what lifetime goggle warranties really cover explains how it works. Every frame is in our goggles collection, with a 60 day used trial. Ride them for 60 days. Most brands won't let you take the tags off.

What our weeknights look like

I usually ride Rabbit Hill, and Sunridge too. Snow Valley is smaller, but it's much closer for me and it's great for skiing with my 3 year old in the evening.

If you're planning a bigger trip once the mountains open, our spring skiing guide for Alberta covers the late season, and why I started Good Day Optics tells the story of why Edmonton is home.

FAQ

Which ski hill in Edmonton is open the latest?

All four city hills post 9 PM closing on weeknights. On Saturdays, the Edmonton Ski Club is the only one with a posted night session, 5 to 9 PM.

Is night skiing cheaper in Edmonton?

Usually, yes. Rabbit Hill runs a weeknight special from 5 to 9 PM, and the other hills run evening deals too. Check each hill's ticket page for this season's prices.

Can you night ski in sunglasses?

Only with a clear lens, and goggles are still the better call. They seal out wind and cold, which matters a lot more at night in Edmonton than on a sunny spring day.

Do photochromic goggles work for night skiing?

They work, but they aren't ideal. With no UV at night a photochromic lens stays at its lightest, about 65% on ours, which is darker than a clear lens.

When does night skiing start in Edmonton?

When the hills open, which is usually mid November to early December depending on snow. The Edmonton Ski Club's projected opening is Friday, November 27. Early season sessions at Rabbit Hill and Sunridge are weeknights from 5 to 9 PM.

Until next time, have a Good Day!