Big Sky Mountain Resort

Skiing, snowboarding, golfing, spectacular mountain view, and luxury accommodation are some of the images that come to mind when Big Sky Resort is mentioned. Spreading over three mountains, and with 250 named runs and 85 km of Nordic ski trails, Big Sky Resort sits in southwest Montana in the Madison Mountain Range. In 1970, former newscaster and Montana native, Chet Huntley, envisioned the idea of a ski and summer resort in southern Montana. Three years later, Big Sky Resort opened as a ski resort, and became the largest ski resort in the U.S. by land area with roughly 5,800 acres of skiable terrain and a vertical drop of 4, 366 feet. It offers magnificent scenery and minimal crowding, surrounded by roughly three million acres of pristine wilderness- the Gallatin National Forest. Over the years, the resort has grown following the acquisition of neighboring properties.

As Montana’s most popular ski resort, the Big Sky Resort is primarily about skiing and snowboarding. In 1995, a small cable car- the Lone Peak Tram was installed; it traveled to the top of the exposed treeless slopes of Lone Mountain, some 11,150 feet in elevation. Skiers, particularly experts, can appreciate the gnarly steeps, chutes, and cliffs that characterize the terrain serviced by the tram. The tram is a fifteen passenger carrier and operates at four minutes intervals. With more growth, more lifts were added, and the terrain for skiing and snowboarding expanded as well. In 1997, Swift Current high speed quad chairlifts were introduced, and in 1999, the Lone Moose triple chair with a base elevation of 6,800 ft at Lone Moose Meadows was also installed. For boarders, the Ambush Ski Trail has a 320 –foot-long halfpipe, big jumps, and its terrain park has tabletops, rails, jumps, spines, and rollers.

While Big Sky Resort is primarily known for its skiing and snowboarding, it also features summer attractions; zip-lines, paintball, archery, tennis, hiking, and mountain biking trails are available for enjoyment. Summer further features the Lone Peak Expedition in which tram rides take passengers to the top of Lone Peak. At the base area of the mountain is the Mountain Village which provides accommodation, and evening activities with lots of restaurants and watering holes. The Meadow Village and the Canyon are the other two notable Big Sky lodging areas. The quaint alpine village that is Big Sky Resort, Montana is simply a ski and snowboard lover’s paradise.

All sizes are approximate.