SilverStar, through a Big White buyer’s eyes

The short version

SilverStar is the mountain above Vernon, roughly 22 km from town. It is a little lower than Big White and a bit smaller in skiable acres on paper, but it skis big thanks to the Putnam Creek side, a long, gladed back face that many locals prefer on a powder day.

Where it differs from Big White

• Distance to a city: SilverStar is about 25 minutes from Vernon’s shops, hospital and schools, which makes it easier to live there full time.
• Cross-country skiing: SilverStar and Sovereign Lake together groom more than 105 km of Nordic trails, the biggest daily-groomed network in Canada. Big White’s Nordic is much smaller.
• The village: a compact, colourful, mostly car-free village rather than Big White’s spread-out ski-in/ski-out layout.
• Passes: SilverStar is on the Ikon Pass for 2026–27, while Big White partners with the Indy Pass.
• Buyers from outside Canada: SilverStar is inside the areas covered by the federal ban on non-Canadian buyers; Big White is outside them.

Foreign-buyer and rental information per BCREA and the Association of Interior REALTORS® (2026). The federal ban on non-Canadian buyers currently runs to January 1, 2027. Rules change; confirm with a lawyer and the Province of B.C. before you buy. Pass partners and opening dates change every season.

Who SilverStar suits

Families who want to live on the mountain and still drive to town for work or school, keen Nordic skiers, and summer mountain bikers. Big White tends to suit people who want the biggest alpine terrain, night skiing and a resort-only week away.

SilverStar has its own site with the full story: the complete SilverStar resort profile, plus its neighbourhoods, buildings and trail guide.

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