Ski hills and clubs near Toronto are nestled around the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine.

While not a bonafide skiing destination, Ontario's geography does allow for a decent downhill experience, especially for beginners and those who haven't been exposed to the longer runs available in Europe and the west coast.

Here are my picks for the top ski hills and clubs near Toronto.

Blue Mountain

The largest ski resort in Ontario, Blue Mountain is also one of the best kept. There are 14 lifts and over 40 trails to choose from, with a healthy range of difficulty levels. It's pricey at $74 for a full weekday pass ($84 on weekends), but you can get a lot of runs in thanks to the high capacity of the resort.

Mount St. Louis Moonstone

Another ski resort with great capacity, Mount St. Louis is often the choice of those making day trips. At just over an hour away from Toronto, the lack of on-resort accommodation doesn't diminish the popularity. There are over 35 trails and 12 lifts.

Hockley Valley

If you're looking for a ski getaway that's close to Toronto, Hockley is one of your best bets. With 16 trails for skiing and snowboarding, a half pipe, and decent on-site accommodation, you can focus on your traversing through the day before resting up to do it all over again. Day passes start at $58.

Horseshoe Resort

Horseshoe has 29 runs, a snowboard half pipe, and a ton of trails for cross country skiing. It's also a full-service resort with overnight accommodations, and a spa. It's significantly smaller than Blue Mountain, but it's closer and tends to be less busy. There's night skiing all over the hill. A 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. pass goes for $54.

Hidden Valley

A smaller resort, Hidden Valley is a great spot for beginners and families. The trails aren't so challenging and the hill has a rather low capacity, but it's laid back and geared toward folks who don't need Black Diamond trails to have a good time on the hill. A 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. pass costs $55.

Dagmar

Dagmar Resort is located in the Oak Ridges Moraine between Ajax and Whitby. Here you have access to 17 runs of a whole range of varying difficulties. Along with four chairlifts and two carpet lifts for both day and nighttime skiing, there's also a coffee lounge and restaurant with licensed bar at the resort for a little apres ski.

Lakeridge

Lakeridge Resort is also in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Uxbridge, Ontario. It has more than 20 runs spread over 70 acres, with black diamond trails for experts as well as beginner hills. There are also mogul runs and three dedicated snowboard terrain parks. While hours vary depending on the day and time of year, night skiing is generally available until 9:30 p.m.

Glen Eden

Glen Eden has two major selling points: 1) it's extremely close to Toronto, and 2) it's reasonably priced. Passes range from $30 to $41. It's not a big hill by any stretch, but there's a terrain park and the skiing is great.

Brimacombe

Brimacombe is a not-for-profit initiative in Orono, Ontario, between Oshawa and Port Hope. It has 23 slopes of varying difficulty, 11 of which are open for night skiing. There are also two chalets with cafeterias, four quad chairlifts, and professional instruction available. Prices vary widely based on your visit, and are customizable and affordable.

Mansfield

Mansfield is a private ski resort with a variety of membership options available for midweek visits. With seven lifts and 17 slopes, there's decent variety in a resort is geared for families. There's nothing too challenging here, but you won't be kept waiting.