Accessibility in Whistler

Accessible Activities

There are many ways to play in Whistler and a variety of activities to choose from. Many are accessible or can be modified to suit people of different abilities. Browse through the list below to see general and specific information on how activity providers and operators have made their offerings accessible. This list is just to get you started – there’s a lot more to do when you get here!

Please contact our local travel consultants directly at 1.800.944.7853 to find out more information on available activities.

Winter

Activity	Details	More Information
Skiing and Snowboarding	Whistler Blackcomb provides access to the mountains via the Whistler Village Gondola and the Blackcomb Gondola	Skiing
Alpine Sightseeing	Whistler Blackcomb provides access to the mountains via the Whistler Village Gondola and the Blackcomb Gondola. Snow coverage may affect access for some visitors.	Sightseeing
Nordic Skiing	The cross-country trails are groomed for Nordic sit-skiing and cross-country skiing.	Nordic Skiing
Dog Sledding	Many of the dog sledding activities are accessible.	Dog Sledding

Summer

Activity	Details	More Information
Alpine Sightseeing	Whistler Blackcomb provides access to the mountains and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola via the Whistler Village Gondola and the Blackcomb Gondola. Snow coverage may affect access for some visitors.	Sightseeing
Adaptive Mountain Biking	Whistler Blackcomb provides access to AMTB riders in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park via the Whistler Village Gondola, Fitzsimmons Express Chairlift, Creekside Gondola and Garbanzo Chairlift. The Bike Park uses an adaptive trail rating system with considerations specifically tailored to the needs of users.	Bike Park
Lakes, Beaches and Parks	Enjoy the lakes, beaches and playgrounds, many of which have accessibility features and parking close by.	Lakes, Beaches, Parks
Kids Playgrounds	Families can enjoy the inclusive playground located in Whistler Olympic Plaza.	Parks and Playgrounds
Valley Trail	The Valley Trail connects Whistler's neighbourhoods. It is paved and suitable for wheelchairs, tandem bikes and hand bikes as well as gentle walking.	Valley Trail
Water Sports	Try a sightseeing tour or paddle yourself on Whistler's waterways.	Canoe, Kayak & SUP Jet Boating
Off-Road Adventures	Take a Jeep tour to see the mountains from a 4x4 perspective. Bear viewing tours are also done from a 4-wheel drive vehicle.	ATV and Jeep Tours Bear Viewing

Year-Round

Activity	Details	More Information
Meadow Park Sports Centre	The sports centre has a wheelchair accessible weight room and lap pool with a chairlift. Wheelchairs and sledges are welcome on the indoor ice rink.	Wellness
Helicopter Tours	Fly into the pristine and rugged landscape of the Coast Mountains and see Whistler from the air.	Helicopter Tours
Bungee Jumping	British Columbia’s highest, year-round bungee jumping venue features a 50-metre (160-foot) drop.	Bungee Jumping
Ziplining	Superfly Ziplines can accommodate people with mobility disabilities. Travel between platforms is with a trail rider (a passive device is used to sherpa an individual rider in singletrack terrain) and vehicle.	Ziplining
Escape Room	The Pinball Machine and Buried Cabin escape rooms are both wheelchair-accessible.	Escape! Whistler
Axe Throwing	Throwing and the playing of the games can be modified to suit your needs.	Axe Throwing
Arts & Culture	The Audain Art Museum, the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre and the Whistler Public Library are all wheelchair accessible.	Arts & Culture

Accessibility at Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb believes all guests deserve the very best mountain experience. Whether you're skiing, riding or sightseeing, you'll have access to the facilities and slopes of both mountains.

Whistler Mountain

Whistler Mountain is more accessible to wheelchair users than Blackcomb Mountain. The Whistler Village Gondola can accommodate a person in a wheelchair, with accompanying party members. Guests can ride to the top of Whistler on the gondola and easily access the Roundhouse Restaurant through a wheelchair accessible door. Wheelchair accessible washrooms and Pika's Restaurant are located on the first floor. An elevator exists to take you to the upper floor of the Roundhouse Restaurant and to Steep's Grill.

Winter Access

You can leave your wheelchair at the top of the Whistler Village Gondola and ask the lift attendants to move it to one side for you, behind the roped-off area. You can also request that the lift attendant send it back down to the Village or mid-station so it's there for you at the end of your ski day (and vice-versa). Guests can also utilize the Rupert Rollers. More information about these devices is available below.

The Creekside Gondola can accomodate a sit skier, or a person in a wheelchair, however, there is no wheelchair storage at the top of the gondola, so guests should either have their chair sent back down to the bottom by the lift attendant, or leave their chair at the base and utilize the Rupert Rollers with their sit-ski.

Summer Access

Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located on the first floor of the Roundhouse Lodge, along with a retail shop and Pika’s Restaurant. There is an elevator to take you to the upper floor of the building to access the Roundhouse Restaurant, Umbrella Bar and Steep's Grill.

The Peak Express Chairlift does not accommodate wheelchairs
There is no hiking or sightseeing access via the Creekside Gondola

Whistler Mountain Bike Park Access

Whistler Mountain Bike Park is committed to providing a great experience for all riders and uses an adaptive mountain bike trail rating system with considerations specifically tailored to the needs of those users. Pay special attention to the adaptive mountain bike (AMTB) specific rating as it may differ from the traditional trail rating. The rating system was created by the Kootenay Adaptive Sports Association, To learn more about the ratings, please visit kootenayadaptive.com.

Whistler Mountain Bike Park Trail Map with Trail Rating Matrix
Whistler Bike Park Orientation Guide (see page 9 for AMTB-specific recommendations)

Arrival

Guests are encouraged to purchase passes online and collect them from the Express Lift Ticket location at the Whistler Village Gondola, or within Guest Services. Please note that most adaptive mountain bikes do not fit through the doors at Guest Services. If you require assistance, please ask a staff member.

There is storage for wheelchairs inside the Whistler Village Gondola building. For assistance, please speak with a guest service staff member or lift operator. You are welcome to leave your chair in this location for the day if you so choose.

There is a designated Adaptive MTB (AMTB) entrance and lineup on the left side of the Whistler Village Gondola building. This is directly adjacent to the wheelchair storage space within the building.

Upload

Fitzsimmons Express Chairlift

In order to upload, guests must use the following procedure:

Guests will use the adaptive entrance of the Fitzsimmons Express maze, leading through to our side-load area
When ready to load, Lift Operators will stop the chair in a position that allows space for the guest to maneuver, parking in-line with the chair
Next, an operator will steady the chair to allow the guest to transition into the seat
If the guest is riding with someone, they can now load their bike onto the carrier in front, before joining on the chair
Once the comfort bar is down, operators will then lift and place the aMTB on top of the bar and seat

For unload, the reverse process will be applied.

Whistler Village Gondola

Most AMTBs (Bowhead, Sport-On) can only fit in the cabins vertically. If you have an Adaptive eMTB, it will be carefully transported in its own cabin with no occupants.

In order to upload, guests must use the following procedure:

Ask the Lift Operator to stop the gondola
Move next to the gondola and transfer from your bike onto one of 3 options:
- Personal wheelchair
- Whistler Blackcomb supplied transfer benches
- Whistler Blackcomb supplied wheelchairs*

The Lift Operators will load your bike into a cabin
Ride up in either your wheelchair, or on the cabin bench
The Lift Operator will stop the gondola when you reach the top
The Lift Operator will unload your bike and can assist you in exiting the cabin too
Transfer to your bike

If you choose to ride up in your wheelchair, they will then send your chair back down to the base area where it will be waiting for you in the same storage location.

Creekside Gondola

Upload access from Creekside is only available via the Creekside Gondola. Most AMTBs (Bowhead, Sport-On) can only fit in the cabins vertically. If you have an Adaptive eMTB, it will be carefully transported in its own cabin with no occupants.

In order to upload, guests must use the following procedure:

Ask the Lift Operator to stop the gondola
Move next to the gondola and transfer from your bike onto one of 3 options:
- Personal wheelchair
- Whistler Blackcomb supplied transfer benches
- Whistler Blackcomb supplied wheelchairs*

The Lift Operators will load your bike into a cabin
Ride up in either your wheelchair, or on the cabin bench
The Lift Operator will stop the gondola when you reach the top
The Lift Operator will unload your bike and can assist you in exiting the cabin too
Transfer to your bike

If you choose to ride up in your wheelchair, they will then send your chair back down to the base area where it will be waiting for you in the same storage location.

Garbanzo Chairlift

This is an open-air, 4-person chairlift which can accommodate 1 AMTB and rider at a time. In order to load, use the following steps:

Ask the Lift Operator to stop the chair
Move next to the chair, and transfer from your bike onto the chairlift seat
The Lift Operator will hook your bike over the backrest
Ride with your bike to the top station
The Lift Operator will stop the chair
The Lift Operator will unload your bike and position it for you on the ground
Transfer to your bike from the chairlift seat

For more information on the on-mountain accessibility experience, contact Whistler Blackcomb at 604.967.8950 or speak with Guest Services.

*Temporary use folding chairs.

Blackcomb Mountain

The Blackcomb Gondola can accommodate guests in wheelchairs as well as sit-skiers. The Excalibur Gondola can accommodate sit-skiers but not wheelchairs. Sit skiers require the use of the Rupert Roller and ramp, with the assistance of staff to load.

Winter Access

The Rendezvous Lodge can accommodate a wheelchair user in the restaurant, and has an accessible bathroom. Glacier Creek Lodge has an accessible bathroom, but no elevator to access the restaurant.

It is recommended that sit-skiers leave their wheelchairs in the secured storage areas at the base of Blackcomb and access the mountain via the Blackcomb Gondola.

Summer Access

The Blackcomb Gondola can accommodate guests in wheelchairs. Guests can ride to the top of Blackcomb on the gondola and easily access the Rendezvous Restaurant, which also has an accessible bathroom. For access to Christine’s on Blackcomb, please speak with the host upon arrival.

The distance from the Rendezvous Lodge to the PEAK 2 PEAK terminal is approximately 78 metres (256 feet) with an average grade of 5.7 percent.

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola

Currently, the path of travel from the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain to the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola (P2P) requires travel over snow for approximately 50 metres at an average grade of 2%. The path of travel from the Rendezvous on Blackcomb to the P2P requires travel over snow for approximately 80 metres at an average grade of 6%. Whistler Blackcomb is working on improvements to winter access to the P2P and aims to have these improvements in place by Winter 2025/26.

Rupert Rollers

Rupert Rollers are a specially designed device to enable sit-skiers to remain in their sit-ski when transitioning from their wheelchair or the snow, onto the gondola, and back onto the snow or their wheelchair again. Guests can request assistance from the lift operator if they wish to use the Rupert Roller, and then have their wheelchair stored by the lift operator.

These devices are available at the base station of the following gondolas:

Blackcomb Gondola
Whistler Village Gondola
Creekside Gondola

Whistler Blackcomb Accompany Tickets

Accompany tickets are available for persons with a disability requiring assistance, guides, carers or other personal support to access Whistler Blackcomb. The accompany ticket products are generously provided by the Epic Promise Foundation and Vail Resorts, and are available for summer and winter sightseeing, bike park, tube park, skiing and snowboarding. Plan your activity 72 hours or more prior to your visit as ticket quantities are limited. Accompany Ticket and Rental Equipment Request

Accessible Accommodation

Whistler has a wide range of places to stay in and around the Village. Look through the property listing below to see which accessibility features are available at specific locations. Please contact our local travel consultants directly at 1.800.944.7853 so they can assist you to find accommodation that suits your needs.

Whistler Insider Tips and Inspiration

Planning Tools & Resources for Travellers

Accessible Activities and Accommodation