Big Sky Resort
50 Big Sky Resort Rd
Big Sky, MT
A ski mountain the size of a small country under the pyramid of Lone Peak, dreamed up by a TV newsman who came home to Montana.
Big Sky Resort exists because a famous face missed home. Chet Huntley, the Montana-raised NBC newsman of the Huntley-Brinkley Report, spent his final years assembling the vision for a great resort in the mountains where he had grown up, and Big Sky opened in the early 1970s, just after his death in 1974.
In the decades since it has become one of the largest ski areas in the country, spreading across several mountains beneath Lone Peak, an 11,166-foot pyramid visible for miles. A tram climbs to its very summit, and from the top, on a clear day, skiers and summer visitors can see across Montana into Wyoming and Idaho, with Yellowstone's ranges filling the horizon.
What Guests Love
- Riding a tram to the summit of Lone Peak for a 360-degree view across three states
- Some of the most acres of skiable terrain of any resort in the United States
- Wide-open runs and short lift lines compared with the big-name resorts
- Summer lift-served hiking and biking, plus quick access to Yellowstone and the Gallatin River
Worth Knowing
- The Lone Peak Tram and top terrain are serious and exposed; much of the summit is expert-only
- Weather and wind at 11,000 feet can close the tram with little notice
- It sits at real altitude, so give yourself a day to adjust and drink plenty of water
- The mountain and the town have grown fast and can be pricey; a road trip stop can be as simple as the view and a summer hike
Details
Big Sky, MT
Learn about Big Sky Resort
A newsman's mountain
Chet Huntley was one of the most recognized voices in America in the 1960s, but he never stopped being a Montanan. As he neared retirement he threw himself into creating a destination resort in the Gallatin country, lining up partners and land and selling the idea of a place that could stand beside the great resorts of the West.
Big Sky opened for its first ski season in the winter of 1973 to 1974. Huntley died in 1974, just as his dream took shape, and did not live to see it grow. Over time the resort expanded onto neighboring mountains and, through mergers and lift links, became one of the biggest ski complexes on the continent, still anchored by the mountain he loved.
Lone Peak and the terrain
Lone Peak rises to 11,166 feet, a near-perfect rocky pyramid that dominates every view of the resort. The Lone Peak Tram carries riders to the summit, where the terrain is steep, exposed, and thrilling, the kind of high-alpine skiing usually reserved for the Alps. Even non-skiers ride up in summer for the view.
Below the peak, the mountain fans out into an enormous spread of runs, from gentle beginner slopes to bowls and chutes, giving Big Sky one of the largest lift-served acreages in the United States and a reputation for uncrowded snow. The scale is the point; you can ski for days without repeating yourself.
In summer the lifts keep turning for hikers and mountain bikers, and the surrounding Lee Metcalf Wilderness and Spanish Peaks offer trails straight into country with grizzlies, elk, and mountain goats.
Seasons and the setting
Winter is the headline, with a long, snowy season and high, dry Montana powder. Summer is quieter and lovely, with wildflower meadows, lift-served trails, and the Gallatin River running clear through the canyon just below, a blue-ribbon trout stream and whitewater run.
The resort sits at real elevation, so newcomers should take it easy the first day and hydrate. Its position halfway between Bozeman and Yellowstone's West Entrance makes it a natural pause on a Yellowstone road trip, whether you ride the tram, walk a summer trail, or simply stand and take in Lone Peak.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Big Sky
Gallatin River and Canyon
At the base road
A blue-ribbon trout river and whitewater run threading a dramatic canyon on the way to Yellowstone.
Ousel Falls
About 6 miles
A short, family-friendly trail to a pretty waterfall on the South Fork, just outside the town of Big Sky.
Yellowstone West Entrance
About 50 miles
The busy western gateway to Yellowstone at West Yellowstone, geysers and wildlife an easy day trip.
Bozeman
About 45 miles
A lively college town with the excellent Museum of the Rockies and its Tyrannosaurus collection.