At Big Sky Resort, you can go sledding on spectacular slopes, stargaze, and have easy access to Yellowstone National Park.
See why Big Sky has become a ski season travel destination
USA TODAY’s Zach Wictor visited Big Sky Resort in Montana to snowboard and explore its beautiful scenery.
- Big Sky, Montana is a large ski resort with varied terrain for all skill levels.
- The resort offers year-round activities for non-skiers, including access to Yellowstone National Park.
- Visitor interest in Big Sky has skyrocketed, and the region is expanding its infrastructure to meet demand.
BIG SKY, Montana — Cruising along the Morning Star in Big Sky’s alpine bowl, I had a moment of thought. This is incredible. The scenery, openness, snow, everything met my expectations.
Big Sky is a place I’ve wanted to visit for years, and recently the resort has made a number of upgrades that allow first-time and repeat visitors alike to access all types of terrain within the resort. The variety of trail options and vastness of the mountain is a big draw for snowsports enthusiasts. Big Sky is, by some metrics, the largest ski resort in the United States. Big Sky is the third-largest ski resort in the country in terms of skiable area, but continues to have more skiable terrain than its larger competitors.
The snowboard completely met my expectations as a lifelong snowboarder. It’s a great mountain to cruise, and the weather was decent, even though temperatures were unseasonably near 50 degrees in early February. Big Sky has some serious steeps for adrenaline junkies and a few terrain parks dotted around the mountain, but I’m mostly a blue groomer guy myself.
The main attraction for me has always been the mountains, but I’ve learned that Big Sky has so much more to offer.
Due to its proximity to Yellowstone, Big Sky is a great gateway to the park. Big Sky is also where great food meets laid-back Montana living. The resort and surrounding area offers something for everyone all year round.
Here’s why you should check out this trendy spot, which, according to Expedia, saw a 92% year-over-year increase in traveler interest from 2024 to 2025.
Things to do in Big Sky
There’s definitely more to Big Sky than just the slopes, but there’s a good reason why winter is its peak season.
The mountain has three different base areas with terrain suitable for all styles of skiing and riding. It takes the better part of an hour to travel from one side of the resort to the other. Whether you want to find your favorite course and stick with it or try a new route every lap, there are plenty of options.
Lift tickets start at $58, according to the mountain’s website, but you’ll have to buy far in advance to get such a low price. Typical same-day prices are close to $250 or more. This mountain is also part of the Icon Pass network.
The resort has invested heavily in new elevators in recent years, making lines easier to manage.
But beyond that, Big Sky is working to make sure non-skiers feel welcome in town and around the slopes year-round.
From Mountain Village’s base area, skiers and streetwalkers alike can ride the Explorer Gondola to the Lone Peak Tram for spectacular views from 11,166 feet above sea level. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Grand Teton in Wyoming. Most ski lift tickets include access to the Lone Peak Tram, but some have an additional fee starting at $20. For non-skiers, day passes starting at $30 include access to the Explorer Gondola and Lone Peak Tram.
My mountain guide, who has lived and worked in Big Sky for more than 10 years, said he was very happy to see more non-skiers have year-round lift access to the top of Lone Mountain.
Melanie Fish, Expedia’s vice president of global communications, agrees.
“The gondola up the mountain is just as beautiful as in winter and worth riding in summer,” she said in an interview.
further over the mountains
Even if you don’t want to hit the slopes, there’s plenty to do in Big Sky.
“We’re developing an incredible product for people who don’t ski in the winter,” Visit Big Sky CEO Brad Niva said in an interview. “We have snowshoeing, Yellowstone tours in the winter, sled rides, and dog sled rides.”
Ride on a sled? you don’t say
yes. One of the most amazing experiences I had was a dinner on a sleigh ride at Lone Mountain Ranch. A real horse-drawn sleigh takes you from your check-in location to your cabin in the woods, lit only by gas lamps and heated by a huge traditional wood stove.
This experience costs $240 per person (excluding alcohol) and features a hearty meal of prime rib and delicious sides (vegetarian main courses also available), as well as live entertainment of country songs and cowboy stories.
On a clear night, on your way to and from dinner, you can stargaze without any light pollution. However, it is important to remember to bundle them up. Sledding takes about 20 minutes and takes place regardless of temperature or snowfall.
Yellowstone National Park is about an hour from Big Sky, making this ski resort a great basecamp for visitors to Yellowstone year-round.
“Big Sky is building lodging outside the park boundaries because the National Park Service needs help diverting traffic away from the park itself. They’re offering recreational alternatives such as skiing (as well as) hiking, fly fishing, and mountain biking, building infrastructure that encourages visitors to stay longer and reducing drive-in, drive-out Yellowstone day trips,” Fish said. “I think they’re very smart about how they’re dealing with overcrowding in that area.”
Niva added that while Big Sky’s peak season is currently winter, it’s becoming increasingly popular to visit in the summer as well. At its current pace, the resort could see more tourists in the summer than in the winter in the coming years.
“Summers here are really great. We have great mountain biking. I call it a three-sport day. You can mountain bike in the morning, golf in the afternoon, and fly fish until the evening,” he said. “Part of life in Montana is being outdoors.”
However, these activities may not be cheap if you need a guide or don’t have your own equipment. Tours like accredited Yellowstone tours and guided snowshoeing can cost upwards of $100 per person.
where to stay
Big Sky is definitely upscale, with five-star hotels like Montage and One&Only attracting big spenders. The Summit Hotel and Huntley Lodge are the most centrally located, but can be a little more expensive. According to Expedia, average weekend room rates in March range from just under $600 to over $700 per night. However, there are options in the surrounding area at a variety of price points, especially if you’re okay with staying a little farther from the mountain.
In the meantime, the town is working hard to improve its infrastructure to accommodate the surge in tourists, Niva said, adding that accommodation capacity has largely caught up, but it’s a good idea to secure restaurant reservations early if you’re visiting during peak season. I did hear from fellow skiers on the lift that without reservations they had a hard time finding an open restaurant during the dinner rush.
Expedia’s Fish noted that Big Sky is working to carefully expand guest capacity without compromising the experience. Big Sky was one of the first destinations to win Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check, which recognizes destinations that “offer meaningful travel experiences and actively manage tourism in a sustainable manner.”
Fish said that doesn’t necessarily mean the place has to limit visitors or what they can experience.
“I don’t think of (Big Sky) as being a remote location or an undiscovered destination. They know the crowds are coming and they’re making sure they can handle it,” she said.
Access to Big Sky
The closest airport to Big Sky is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, approximately 1 hour away. It is operated by major US airlines and some low-cost carriers. From there, shuttles are available to most parts of the resort, but Niva says renting a car is convenient, especially if you plan on exploring beyond the mountains.
“As we mature as a destination, we want to have a number of shuttle options from the airport to Big Sky,” he said.
If you have time, Bozeman is also worth checking out.
“It’s a cute, walkable town with great restaurants and shopping, and like many mountain destinations, there are nearby ski slopes that are cheaper than the big resorts, which attracts a lot of locals,” Fish said.
The reporter for this article received access from Expedia and Visit Big Sky. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
