Kananaskis Country is basically the rugged, less-crowded sibling of Banff. If you’ve ever driven Highway 40, you’ve seen the jagged peaks and the deep valleys. But there’s a specific spot, tucked away in the Kananaskis Range, that feels like a fever dream for skiers. It’s a place where the lifts stopped spinning for the public nearly two decades ago, yet it remains one of the most talked-about patches of snow in North America.
The Fortress Mountain ski area isn't your typical resort story. It’s a weird, beautiful saga of 1960s ambition, catastrophic bad luck, and a strange second life as a Hollywood backlot.
Most people think Fortress is just "closed." They see the rusted towers and assume it’s a graveyard. Honestly? It’s more of a sleeping giant. While the day-lodge sits quiet, the mountain itself is busier than it’s been in years, just not in the way you’d expect.
The Rise and Sudden Stall of a Kananaskis Legend
Back in 1967, Fortress opened as "Snowridge." It was meant to be the local’s alternative to the high prices and crowds of Lake Louise. It had this incredible high-alpine bowl, tons of natural snow, and a vibe that was strictly about the skiing. No fur coats. No $20 artisanal toast. Just steep lines and some of the best glades in the Canadian Rockies.
By the early 2000s, things got messy.
Resorts need massive capital. They need constant maintenance. Fortress was struggling under aging infrastructure. Then came the ownership shifts. Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) eventually shut it down in 2004, citing the need for massive bridge repairs and lodge upgrades. People were gutted. For a generation of Albertans, this was where they learned to carve.
Then it just... sat there.
The lifts stopped. The wind howled through the empty chairs. But the snow? The snow never stopped falling. Fortress gets hit with an incredible amount of "upslope" snow that misses the more western resorts. That's why it stayed on the map for the hardcore crowd. Even when the gates were locked, people were skinning up or find ways in. They knew the terrain was too good to let go.
Hollywood’s Favorite "Secret" Peak
If you haven't been there, you’ve definitely seen it.
Because the Fortress Mountain ski area is private property with dramatic, accessible peaks, it became a darling for location scouts. Leonardo DiCaprio nearly froze to death there (cinematically speaking) while filming The Revenant. That massive fortress-like structure in Christopher Nolan’s Inception? That was built right on the ridge at Fortress.
- The Revenant (The final showdown happened in these valleys)
- Inception (The third level of the dream)
- The Bourne Legacy
- Jumanji: The Next Level
- The Last of Us (HBO series)
The film industry basically kept the lights on. The revenue from these massive productions allowed the current owners, Kananaskis Alpine Resort (KAR), to maintain the road and keep the site secure while they plotted a comeback. It’s a weird business model: "We aren't open for skiing, but we're open for explosions and Oscar-winning cinematography."
Kananaskis Wildside: The Cat Skiing Era
Here is the thing about the current state of Fortress: you can actually ski there right now. You just can’t use a chairlift.
In 2011, Kananaskis Wildside (the operational arm of the current owners) started running cat-skiing operations. It’s basically a boutique experience. You hop in a heated snowcat, they rumble you up to the top of the ridge, and you get 3,000 acres of untouched powder all to yourself.
It’s expensive? Yeah, compared to a day pass at Nakiska. But compared to heli-skiing? It’s a steal.
The terrain is divided into three main areas: the Frontside, the Backside, and the Far Side. The Backside is where the magic happens. It’s a giant horseshoe bowl that holds snow until June. Because the resort is perched so high—the base is at nearly 2,100 meters—the snow quality is often "dryer" than what you find in the valley bottoms.
The Re-opening Rumors (What’s Actually Happening?)
Every two years, a rumor starts circulating on Reddit or some ski forum that "This is the year Fortress re-opens to the public."
Don’t hold your breath for 2026.
The reality is a logistical nightmare. To re-open as a public resort, they need a new bridge. The old one over the Kananaskis River was a major sticking point for years. They need a new lodge because the old one is effectively a time capsule of 1970s mold and outdated building codes. They need new lifts. We aren't talking about a paint job; we're talking about a $30 million to $50 million "start from scratch" project.
The owners have been working through the Alberta government’s regulatory hoops for over a decade. Water rights, sewage treatment, environmental impact studies for the local grizzly and sheep populations—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
The vision is "Fortress 2.0." Think of it as a small-scale, eco-conscious resort. No massive hotels. No sprawling parking lots. Just a high-end, low-impact day area that focuses on the terrain. They want to use modern, energy-efficient lifts and keep the footprint small. Honestly, in a world where resorts are becoming corporate giants owned by conglomerates like Vail or Alterra, a small, independent Fortress would be a breath of fresh air.
Why the Terrain is Special
Why do people care so much about a defunct resort? It’s the topography.
Most Alberta resorts are either "big and windy" or "small and icy." Fortress is unique because it's sheltered. The way the peaks wrap around the bowls protects the snow from the notorious Chinook winds that plague Calgary and the surrounding areas.
When a Chinook hits, it can be +10°C in Calgary and -5°C at Fortress.
The "Canadian Side" of the mountain offers some of the best tree skiing in the province. The trees are spaced perfectly—natural glades that don't require much clearing. Then you have the "Frontside" which is basically one giant playground of rollers and steep drops. It’s the kind of place where you can find a new line every single lap.
Practical Realities for Today’s Adventurer
If you’re planning to head to the Fortress Mountain ski area tomorrow, you need to know the rules. You can’t just drive up.
- Access is Restricted: The access road is gated. Since it’s a filming location and an active cat-skiing operation, they are very strict about trespassing.
- Kananaskis Conservation Pass: You need this just to park in the area or access the nearby backcountry trails.
- Backcountry Access: There are ways to tour into the periphery of Fortress from the Highwood Pass or Chester Lake areas, but you better have your AST-1 (Avalanche Skills Training) and a solid map. You’re in real-deal grizzly country, and the snowpack in Kananaskis is notoriously "temperamental" (read: prone to deep persistent slabs).
The "New" Fortress Experience
If you book a cat-skiing day, it’s a trip. You meet at a staging area, gear up, and get briefed. It’s not about the vertical feet as much as it is about the "curated" experience. You’re skiing lines that haven't been touched in weeks.
The guides are usually locals who have been skiing these chutes since the 80s. They know exactly where the wind has deposited the best stashes. It’s a far cry from the "cattle-herd" feeling of a busy Saturday at Banff Sunshine.
Is it worth it?
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If you’re a powder hound, yes. If you’re looking for a spa and a five-course meal at the base, definitely not. It’s gritty. It’s real. It’s the last vestige of what skiing used to be before it became a "luxury lifestyle brand."
What Most People Get Wrong
People think Fortress is a victim of bad management. That’s a bit of an oversimplification.
The truth is that the 1980s and 90s were a brutal time for mid-sized ski areas across North America. Many folded. Fortress was also hit by the "perfect storm" of a massive flood in 2013, which wrecked regional infrastructure, and a shifting climate that made lower-elevation resorts nervous.
The current owners aren't just sitting on the land. They’ve been fighting an uphill battle against bureaucracy and the sheer cost of building in a protected provincial park. It’s not just about turning the lifts on; it’s about proving that a ski resort can exist in 2026 without destroying the very wilderness people come to see.
Moving Forward: How to Experience the Area Now
If you want to get a taste of the Fortress magic without waiting for the "Grand Re-opening" that may be years away, you have a few options.
First, check the Kananaskis Wildside website for cat-skiing availability. It fills up fast, often months in advance. Second, explore the surrounding trails like the Fortress Ridge hike. In the summer and fall, this hike gives you a panoramic view of the ski area and the "Inception" peaks. It’s one of the best "bang-for-your-buck" hikes in Kananaskis.
The view from the ridge looks down into the abandoned base area. It’s haunting and beautiful. You see the skeletons of the T-bars and the old chairlifts. It reminds you that nature eventually takes back everything, but for now, the skiers are still putting up a fight.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Book Early: If you want to cat-ski, start looking in October. The season usually runs from late December to April, depending on the snowpack.
- Gear Check: This is high-alpine terrain. If you're touring nearby, ensure you have a beacon, probe, and shovel. The "Fortress" bowl is an avalanche trap if you don't know the aspects.
- Stay in Kananaskis: Don't stay in Banff. Stay at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge or the Pomeroy. It keeps you close to the action and avoids the Highway 1 traffic.
- Respect the Gate: Seriously. Don't try to sneak up the road. Security is tight because of the multi-million dollar film sets that are often parked up there.
The Fortress Mountain ski area remains a symbol of Alberta's rugged spirit. It’s a place that refuses to be forgotten, serving as a reminder that the best things in life—like a perfect, knee-deep powder turn—are worth the wait, the legal battles, and the decades of uncertainty. Whether it ever becomes a full-blown resort again or remains a private cat-skiing paradise, Fortress is already a legend.
For anyone looking to dive deeper into the history, the book Skiing in Alberta provides some great context on the early days of Snowridge. Also, keep an eye on the Alberta Parks public disclosure pages; that’s where the real news about permits and construction usually breaks first. Avoid the gossip on social media and look for the permit filings if you want the truth about when the lifts might actually move again.