Antoine Mountain (aka Mattawa Ski Hill) is one of Ontario’s most exciting and up-and-coming ski hills. With the province’s longest ski run, newly cut glades for the 2022/2023 season, and almost yearly upgrades to the hill, the reasons to visit the hill have never been greater.
Here is a complete guide to Antoine Mountain, providing everything you need to know to make your visit successful!
When is Antoine Mountain Open?
I’ll start with this, as Antoine Mountain does not have typical operating hours.
For the 2022/2023 season, Antoine Mountain is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Here are the hours for their primary services:
- In-Person Ticket Sales: 8:30am – 2pm
- Chair Lift: 9am – 4pm
- Rental Shop & Lessons: 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Cafeteria: 10am – 4pm
- Bar: 11am – 5pm
That said, Antoine Mountain is open every day between December 27th and January 8th (except December 30th) and will also be open for Family Day (February 20th) and all of March Break (March 13th to March 19th).
Remember these dates and hours as you plan your trip to ensure you don’t show up to a closed hill!
How Do You Get to Antoine Mountain?
Antoine Mountain is located just ten minutes north of Mattawa, Ontario and roughly 1 hour east of North Bay.
As such, due to its northerly and remote location, the only way of reaching the mountain is by car. That said, Antoine Mountain is within a reasonable driving distance of many Ontario towns and cities, with visitors coming from Sudbury, North Bay, Huntsville, Pembroke, Ottawa, and beyond.
Once you arrive, park in their free parking lot and head towards the chalet to start your day!
You can visit Antoine Mountain’s getting here page to see the most common driving directions!
If you live closer to Sault Ste. Marie and are looking for a similarly great ski hill, consider visiting Searchmont Resort! If you live closer to Thunder Bay, Loch Lomond is the ski hill for you!
How Do You Purchase Lift Tickets?
Next up on the to-do list is purchasing your lift tickets. There are two ways to do this.
First, you can purchase your tickets online. Select the appropriate lift ticket for your age, add it to your cart, and check out (Antoine Mountain accepts Visa and Mastercard).
Alternatively, you can purchase your lift ticket from a staff member at the chalet. Purchasing hours are 8:30am to 2pm.
Antoine Mountain also sells season passes – a great option if you live nearby and plan on visiting regularly. Adult passes start at $680 for the season.
A quick note – Antoine Mountain also has some unique pricing options, providing things like family lift ticket packages (2 adults + 2 juniors) and progressive pricing options for families looking to purchase season passes. You can learn more by visiting their tickets page!
What is the Ski Hill Like?
Antoine Mountain consists of 15 runs that include a great variety of beginner greens (40%), intermediate blues (35%) and advanced black and double black diamonds (25%). Each year, a custom terrain park is also built for those looking to hit some jumps, rails, and boxes.
The mountain’s vertical is 630′, providing relatively long runs that follow the fall line of the hill. This makes Antoine Mountain great for carving, as there is little-to-no traversing. All of this is quickly accessible thanks to the new Doppelmayr quad chairlift installed in 2014 that can carry 2,000 skiers/hour to the top!
The snow conditions are also known to be great, with Antoine Mountain’s northern location providing ample snowfall and consistently cold temperatures that allow for lots of snowmaking and limit icy conditions created by typical freeze-thaw cycles.
This combines to provide a fantastic ski experience that appropriately contributes to Antoine Mountain being known as Ontario’s best-kept secret.
Did you know? Antoine Mountain is home to the longest run in Ontario at 2.9 km long, a surprising fact considering the many larger ski hills in Ontario!
What are the Amenities Like?
Like the ski hill, the amenities at Antoine Mountain are top-notch.
The newly renovated chalet is at the base of the mountain, complete with a lounge area and kitchen serving up some of the best ski resort food around. It’s a great spot for everyone’s much-loved apres-ski experience, complete with signature Canadian cocktails, local draft, stone oven pizza, authentic poutine, and live music every Saturday.
Alongside the chalet is a new 7,500-square-foot building that houses Antoine Mountain’s rental fleet and snow school (more on those next). There is also 3,500 square feet of retail space.
Antoine Mountain has invested heavily in its property, and it is paying off, with most visitors praising the quality of the amenities and the experience they provide.
What About Rentals?
Antoine Mountain has invested heavily in its rental experience, building the aforementioned rental facility that is home to the Rossignol Experience Centre and Burton snowboard fleet.
For skiing, there are a variety of options available, which include:
- Ski Package (Skis, Boots, Poles, Helmet): $45
- Skis Only (92cm to 174cm): $30
- Poles Only: $15
- Boots Only (child 9.5 to adult 15.5): $25
- Helmet Only: $15
For snowboarding, you can rent:
- Snowboard Package (Snowboard, Boots, Helmet): $45
- Snowboard Only (90cm to 157cm): $30
- Boots Only (child 10 to adult 14): $25
- Helmet Only: $15
Rentals can be purchased in advance via Antoine Mountain’s online rental booking system. They can also be purchased in person at the rental facility.
What About Snow School Lessons?
Antoine Mountain provides various snow school experiences, all taught by CSIA ski and CASI snowboard certified instructors.
Lesson options range from those for first-time skiers and snowboarders to private lessons for more advanced skiers and snowboarders wanting to hone their skills.
Lessons must be purchased online in advance – that said, Antoine Mountain requests you email eric@antoinemountain.ca BEFORE making your purchase to discuss the lesson level required and arrange your booking date and time.
The following snow school options are available:
- Learn to Ski/Snowboard – $78 – Must be Booked in Advance Online
- For beginners. Learn basic ski or snowboard skills. Includes a handle tow pass, 1-hour group lesson, rental equipment and helmet. 3 participants are required. 10:00am & 12:30pm. Lift ticket upgrade available upon lesson completion.
- Private Lesson – $88 – Must be Booked in Advance Online
- For skiers or snowboarders of any age or ability who want to improve their skill level. Includes a 1.5-hour personalized lesson with a certified instructor.
- Semi-Private Lesson – $138 – Must be Booked in Advance Online
- For skiers and snowboarders of any age or ability who want to improve their skill level. Includes a 1.5-hour personalized lesson with a certified instructor. 2 participants are required. Both riders must be skiing/snowboarding at the same level to book a semi-private lesson.
- Expert-Level Ski Lesson – $108 – Must be Booked in Advance Online
- For advanced skiers looking to take their skills to the next level. A highly skilled ski instructor is available on the weekends by appointment to guide you in perfecting your ski style and technique.
For more information, you can visit Antoine Mountain’s lessons page!
PS – If you’re a beginner skier and live closer to Sudbury, Adanac Ski Hill may be a better option for you! If you’re a beginner living closer to North Bay, consider visiting Laurentian Ski Hill!
Are There Accommodations Nearby?
Yes, there are several options for accommodations near Antoine Mountain.
Some unique options for cabins and cottages include:
- The Canadian Ecology Centre – you can contact them by phone (705-744-1715) or email (info@canadianecology.ca) for deals and availability.
- Sid Turcotte Park – you can make your reservation via this form.
- Mattawa Adventure Camp – you can inquire about availability here.
For a more typical hotel experience, you can stay at Le Voyageur Inn in Mattawa. If a B&B experience is more your style, you can check out Top of Algonquin Bed and Breakfast.
And, of course, there is always Airbnb. A quick search shows dozens of accommodations in the Mattawa area, so take a look and see if any make sense for your trip!
Conclusion
And there you have it! A complete guide to Antoine Mountain.
Have you visited the ski hill? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
