It was mid-winter and I was on the summit of Montana’s pyramid-shaped Lone Peak, elevation 11,166 feet. I reached this lofty aerie with remarkable ease thanks to Big Sky’s new Lone Peak tram, the crown jewel of this sprawling resort, the third-largest ski area in the nation, celebrating its 50th year this season.
Exiting the sleek Austrian-designed, Swiss-built tram into the brisk high alpine air, I took in a stunning, 360-degree Rocky Mountain panorama: the snow-dusted peaks of the Madison Range, the nearby Spanish Peaks, the Gallatin, Bridger, Beartooth and Absaroka ranges spreading to the horizon like a vast 3D topographical map. On clear days, Lone Peak summit views reach far to south, all the way to Wyoming’s distinctively jagged Grand Tetons. It was pure Rocky Mountain majesty.
It takes only about four minutes for the tram to ascend Lone Peak from a mid-mountain base station. Once on the summit, skiers and snowboarders take in the views then descend the peak’s south-facing Liberty Bowl and steep chutes for a thrilling six-mile run that drops 4,350 vertical feet. Other skiers and riders ride the tram back to the mid-mountain station to continue long, sweeping intermediate (blue and double blue) and beginner (green) runs to the mountain’s Madison and Mountain Village bases.
I opted for the tram ride down and lucked into a wildlife sighting: a furry white mountain goat sunning itself on a knife-edge ridge just below the tram line. This wild goat is part of a herd that was originally relocated from Glacier National Park and the resort’s ski patrollers have named for a few of these intrepid creatures, including “Larry” and “Steve” — regulars on these remote ridges. Once back at the mid-mountain tram base, I clicked on my skis, strapped on my poles and continued my descent with a long cruiser ride on the Mr. K and Mr. Ed runs to the Mountain Village base.
(Note: The Explorer gondola is opening in winter 2025-26, providing a connection to the tram and access to Lone Peak’s summit for pedestrians of all mobility levels in both winter and summer seasons.)
For California skiers and riders who are used to busy, congested Sierra resorts, Big Sky has a deeply refreshing feeling of uncrowded openness and a friendly, unpretentious vibe. There are 300 scenic runs, 5,850 skiable acres (including 2,300 acres of beginner and intermediate terrain) and four mountains to explore. It’s so big that, at times, Big Sky feels like your own private winter resort. Views are dominated by mighty Lone Peak, known as “America’s Matterhorn”, a sentinel for snowsports enthusiasts in-the-know.
Big Sky historically averages some 400 inches of snow each season but, thanks to the erratic El Niño-influenced winter weather this season, the resort hadn’t seen much fresh snow prior to my early February visit. Coverage was somewhat limited so I spent most of my time taking long cruiser runs off the Swift Current 6 (aka “Swifty” ) high speed chair and on the green and blue runs of Andesite Mountain, accessed by the Ramcharger eight person chair. Fortunately, the resort’s season typically runs to mid-April, so there’s plenty of time for winter snowstorms to refresh the snowpack. For current conditions check: bigskyresort.com/snow-report.
On Andesite Mountain, the sunny runs below the Southern Comfort and Lewis & Clark chairs brought me to the luxurious Montage Hotel, which opened in 2021. After a quick coffee break at the resort’s Wildflower café and market, I headed to the other far corner of the resort to explore runs in the lightly visited Moonlight Basin above the Madison base area. (An uber luxury hotel, The One & Only, is slated to open here in the next year or so.)
Big Sky is nirvana for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders but is also a major attraction for thrill-seekers thanks to the myriad double and triple black diamond, experts-only terrain, including steep drops down narrow couloirs off Lone Peak. The most challenging run is known as the Big Couloir, a triple-black diamond, experts-only plunge which drops 1,400 feet from the summit of Lone Peak and has a sustained 50 degree pitch that’s not for the faint of heart, to say the least.
Lodging
Big Sky offers an abundance of condos and homes for rent as well as several hotel options, including:
The Summit Hotel: This chic slope-side lodge offers cozy rooms with spacious bathrooms and a very convenient location. A private ski valet is available for hotel guests and the hotel also has an outdoor pool and hot tub, fitness center, and two excellent restaurants.
Details: bigskyresort.com/the-summit-hotel
The Huntley Lodge: This old school slope-side hotel is a favorite of longtime resort visitors. Dining is offered at Chet’s Bar & Grill and the Huntley Dining room. Grab a latte at the Mocha at the Huntley fireside café and relax by the cozy wood-burning, log-framed fireplace in the Firehole lounge. Details: bigskyresort.com/huntley-lodge
The Wilson Hotel is a Marriott-owned property in Big Sky’s town center, about 7 miles from the resort. Rooms include studio rooms and spacious suites, with full kitchens. Some rooms even offer gorgeous mountain views of Lone Peak. Details: marriott.com
The luxurious Montage Big Sky opened in winter 2021 and features ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort’s, a three-meal restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, market, pub, bowling alley, two pools, and signature Spa Montage. Details: montage.com/bigsky
Dining
Montana is carnivore country and wild game dishes (elk, venison and bison) are commonly on the menus along with exotic cuts of meat such as tomahawk steaks and meat imported from Japan and Australia. Vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans should not have high expectations for fine dining, but won’t go hungry.
Everett’s 8800 offers an Alps-influenced menu and a wide deck with an outdoor bar and exceptional views of Lone Peak. Headwaters Grille at the Madison base offers barbecue and local beers. Backcast Bar & Grill at the Montage has piping hot bison ramen. Peaks Chophouse at the Summit Hotel and Horn and Cantle at the Lone Mountain Ranch near the resort are favorites for authentic Montana culinary experiences including steaks and wild steelhead trout.
A unique and very fun on-mountain dining experience is the Montana Dinner Yurt, tucked away high in the hills above the Mountain Village. One chilly evening I climbed aboard a burly red snowcat named Rosie (another snowcat is named Ginger), equipped with a passenger cabin and rooftop seating platform for a 15-minute ride to a secluded yurt. We started with a warming bowl of French onion soup then, after optional sledding, our choice of a filet mignon steak with peppercorn sauce or a roasted wild salmon dinner. Sides included garlic mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. The meal was topped off with Toblerone chocolate fondue with pound cake and bananas dessert. Details: bigskyyurt.com
Après-ski: Perhaps the best choice for après at Big Sky is the Umbrella Bar, a Euro-style circular bar with a retractable roof. Try the Tram Car IPA from Bozeman’s MAP Brewing or the Glacier Glasses cocktail (lemon vodka, lime juice, pea flower syrup and star anis) mixed by a burly ski hound.
Visit Yellowstone National Park in Winter
A popular diversion for Big Sky visitors is a snowcoach or snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park, about an hour’s drive to the south. Winter is a fantastic time of year to see wildlife such as bison, moose and elk and the perennial geysers blowing off steam amid a wintry landscape. If you don’t have a car, Karst Stage offers a roundtrip day trip to West Yellowstone, karststage.com, and Yellowstone Vacation Tours operates snowcoach and snowmobile tours. Details: yellowstonevacations.com
Big Sky Resort has plenty of other activities such as horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing or snowmobiles to ramble through the white wilderness. 85-kilometers of cross-country ski trails are maintained Lone Mountain Ranch. Dog sledding, ice-skating on a full-size hockey and ice rink and even sledding are fun winter activities. A perfect family activity is walking the “Enchanted Forest” at night on Andesite Mountain. Over 10,000 lights illuminate the way along a kilometer-long path and you warm up at the end of your walk around an outdoor fireplace. Details: bigskyresort.com/winter-activities/enchanted-forest
Getting to Big Sky
Big Sky is located in the Rocky Mountains of southern Montana. The Bozeman International Yellowstone Airport (BZN), is less than 45 minutes away, and offers nonstop flights from Los Angeles, as well as other West Coast cities. Shuttle service from the airport is offered several times a day by Karst Stage, karststage.com. Skyline Transportation offers frequent free bus transportation between Big Sky’s town center, about 6.4 miles from the resort’s base at Mountain Villlage.
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