A Planning Guide For Your First Ski Trip To Big Sky Resort

For over 15 years, Big Sky Resort near Bozeman, MT has been our family's annual winter escape. Our two daughters, who grew up skiing the slopes of Big Sky, have enjoyed the soft powder and groomed trails since they were just 4 years old. We've consistently found Big Sky to be the perfect combination of family-friendly, unpretentious, and less crowded compared to other large western ski resorts.

The breathtaking scenery, dominated by the iconic Lone Peak, minimal lift lines, and variety of ski terrain keep us coming back every year. There’s also not much in the way of night life as the focus here is all about skiing, and that’s a good thing for us.

Another reason we love Big Sky is its manageable altitude. The base sits at 7,500 feet, allowing us, as flatlanders, to acclimate quickly. (For the record, the summit of Lone Peak reaches a staggering 11,166 feet!)

I remember that planning our first trip to Big Sky Resort was a bit daunting—navigating accommodations, understanding the mountain layout, and figuring out what to expect in general. This guide is for all of you who, like us once were, are planning your first winter adventure at Big Sky Resort. Let's dive in!

Best Time To Ski Big Sky

Big Sky Resort opens the day before Thanksgiving and closes near the end of April. Opening day in November generally doesn’t have many runs open, but with snow making capabilities, there will always be something to ski during November. Might not be much, but you can ski!

Averaging 400” of snow per year, Big Sky receives fairly consistent snow throughout the season even into April.

This winter 2023-2024 season has had historically low snowfall so far, but we have to say that the skiing conditions were still good enough to warrant a trip.

You’ll always find good groomers and few stashes of powder, and you’ll likely get at least a bit of fresh powder over a week’s stay.

The busiest weeks at Big Sky include the week between Christmas and New Years, MLK Weekend in January, President’s Day Weekend in February, and any weekend with recent powder. March can also be fairly busy with school spring breaks.

All of that being said, there is plenty of mountain to ski per skier, so it never feels that crowded and lift lines have always been manageable, generally less than a 10 minute wait tops.

We think overall February has the best guarantee of good snow, but we’ve always found good groomers and pockets of powder throughout the season.

Getting to Big Sky

The closest airport to Big Sky is Bozeman/Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Bozeman, Montana. Upon arrival, we rent a car (all wheel drive), grab some groceries at the nearby Albertsons in Belgrade (you can even order ahead), and drive to Big Sky Resort which is a beautiful 1 hour and 10 minute drive south on US 191.

Car rental at the Bozeman Airport is super easy, and the airport is small which means no bus shuttles to retrieve your car. Just walk out to the parking garage and off you go!

Tip: Need a place to eat after your flight and before you begin your drive to Big Sky? MacKenzie River Pizza (11am-9pm) in Belgrade is close by or grab sandwiches to go from Chalet Market (closed Sundays) on Jack Rabbitt Lane.

We’ve never had any problem driving to Big sky due to weather conditions, but we always rent an all-wheel drive vehicle. The drive to Big Sky is a beautiful drive winding alongside the Gallatin River through the Gallatin Canyon. Note that the weather in Bozeman is not necessarily the weather you’ll find in Gallatin Canyon.

For the most part, US 191 through Gallatin Canyon is sanded and plowed often. That being said, I recommend driving during daylight hours. Not only will you be able to experience this scenic drive firsthand, but it will give time for snowplows and traffic to pave the way during inclement weather.

Tip: Check Facebook Group “Gallatin Canyon Road Conditions” for updates on road conditions.

Make sure to be on the look out for eagles, elk, and bighorn sheep on your way up to Big Sky. We almost always spot bighorn sheep at the beginning of Lone Mountain Rd on the right side, and elk herds are often congregating a bit further up.

Lone Mountain Trail (Route 64) which takes your to Big Sky Resort is generally plowed as well but can be slick after storms.

Tip: If we have a late night flight arrival or an early return flight, we stay the night in a hotel in Bozeman. The Holiday Inn Express is 5 minutes from the Bozeman airport and is quiet, comfortable, and clean. Or, if you have time to enjoy Bozeman, try downtown accommodations at the Lark Hotel, The Element, Residence Inn Downtown or the new Armory Hotel and be within walking distance of shops and restaurants yet still within 20 minutes of the airport.

Staying in Bozeman? See our blog post: A Simply Awesome Day in Bozeman, MT.

Do I Need A Car In Big Sky?

Overall, I recommend renting a car to get to Big Sky from the Bozeman Airport. However, it depends on where you are staying in Big Sky and the cost of the shuttle. For our family of four, it has always been cheaper or at least the same price to rent a car rather than book 4 roundtrip shuttles to/from the airport and fortunately my husband doesn’t mind driving in snowy conditions.

If you stay in lodging at Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Village near the base where you can essentially walk to the lifts and restaurants, you could easily do without a car during your stay. Huntley Lodge, The Summit Hotel, Shoshone Hotel-Condo, Village Center Condos, and Stillwater Condos are all within easy walking distance to Swift Current, Ramcharger, and Explorer lifts, restaurants, ski rental, etc.

See our Where To Stay When Skiing At Big Sky for all the details.

If you stay in Big Sky Resort’s Moonlight Basin area or down the mountain in Big Sky Town Center or want the flexibility to travel to additional restaurants, I recommend having a car.

Skyline Bus operates a free shuttle service from various areas in Big Sky to the ski lifts at Big Sky Resort, but they can be somewhat unreliable. If staying at the new Wilson Hotel in Big Sky Town Center, they offer transport up the mountain to the base at Big Sky Resort.

Shuttles From The Bozeman Airport To Big Sky

We’ve never taken the shuttle from the airport, but we have friends who have taken Karst Stage and all went very smoothly for them.

Karst Stage- A very well known and reputable company. It’s a large motorcoach or van driven by experienced drivers, and there’s plenty of room for your luggage and skis. Roundtrip is $155 per adult and $77.50 children ages 3-12. You can reserve online. Karst will even stop for grocery orders that have been prearranged with Albertsons in Belgrade 2-3 days prior to arrival.

Peak Shuttle is another option to transport you from the airport to your hotel or vacation rental in Big Sky.

Big Sky Resort is about 1:10 drive from Bozeman/Yellowstone Airport.

The Ski Runs At Big Sky Resort

Let’s get to it. How’s the skiing at Big Sky? Big Sky Resort boasts the “Biggest Skiing in America” with 5,850 skiable acres, 4,350 feet vertical drop, 39 lifts, 320 ski runs, and average annual snowfall of 400+ inches. Lone Peak is the prominent mountain peak at Big Sky Resort topping out at 11,167 feet.

You can easily discover new runs for every day of your visit. Big Sky Resort is known for its challenging terrain, but we’ve found plenty of great runs for beginners as well as advanced skiers. And after 15 years of skiing, we are still discovering new runs. It’s just that big!

Getting The Lay of the Land

Big Sky is big. The options and size of the ski resort can be daunting to first time visitors. Our approach to the mountain is to pick an area of the mountain to ski and stay put for a while so you’re not wasting time traversing to other parts of the mountain.

For instance, if you’re skiing on the Madison side of the mountain stay put rather than going back and forth between it and Andesite. We’ve always spend most of our ski time on runs accessed from the Mountain Village base area with its Explorer lift for beginner ski runs and the heated Swift Current and Ramcharger lifts once the family advanced from Explorer.

Moonlight Basin’s Madison base area offers plenty of ski runs of all levels as well, but we’ve always stayed in Mountain Village so we primarily accessed the runs from Swift Current and Ramcharger lifts.

If you’d like to sample a bit of everything Big Sky has to offer, check out their “Ski The Sky Loop Challenge.” This curated ski plan takes you on a total of 27 runs scattered throughout the different areas of the mountain. It’s designed for intermediate skiers and can be started from any base area- Madison Base (Moonlight) or Mountain Village.

Another option for getting the lay of the land is joining up with a mountain host during your first couple of days. These green jacketed hosts lead free 90 minute tours for intermediate skiers and above. See the website for meeting times and places. We wish we had known about this sooner!

Tip: The Big Sky App is worth a download for quick access to updated conditions and weather reports, parking lot status, trail and lift status, trail maps, and even a ski tracker to record your ski runs.

Our Favorite Ski Runs At Big Sky Resort

Big Sky Green Runs

Big Sky has plenty of greens for beginning skiers. Our daughters learned to ski at Big Sky, and it’s been delightful to watch them develop their ski skills over the years.

After graduating from the Magic Carpet/Bunny hill, the green Lone Wolf run is the perfect first off the chair run while White Wing offers a bit more variety but similar difficulty. We have such great memories of our excited, chatty girls on the Explorer lift as we skied Lone Wolf and White Wing over and over.

Mr. K., accessed from Swift Current Lift, is an all-time family favorite run even today. Mr. K is a wide and long groomer with a gentle slope, so you get plenty of practice for turns, stops, and building confidence on longer runs. Lower Morningstar is comparable to Mr. K as well.

Tip: Take the requisite Instagram photo of the Big Sky lettering at the top of Swifty! (see image below)

From Ramcharger, you’ll have access to some more of our very favorite green runs in Big Sky: Sacajawea and Deep South.

Green Run From Madison Base- The green Cinnabar run is very similar to the Mr. K run described above. We’ve only skied this run a few times over the years as we are typically based in Mountain Village.

See our blog “Is Big Sky Good For Beginner Skiers? Yes!” for a beginner’s guide to skiing Big Sky Resort.

Our Favorite Blue Runs At Big Sky

We’ve found the Blues at Big Sky to be a more challenging version of the Blues found on the East Coast. Some of our favorite blue runs include Calamity Jane, Pomp, Lizette, and oh so many more.

Some of the more challenging Blue runs that we enjoy include Elk Park Ridge, Elk Park Meadows, Tippy’s Tumble, and Silver Knife.

You could pretty much never ski the same Blue run twice. You have plenty to choose from at Big Sky!

Our Favorite Black Runs At Big Sky

Shedhorn and Dakota lifts supply endless challenging terrain to explore. With good snow coverage, the Black runs off of Challenger offer amazing views and thrilling runs for the expert skier.

For more ski run info, check out Big Sky’s “Five Classic Lines of Big Sky” and Discover Big Sky’s Best Intermediate Runs at Big Sky Resort.

Big Sky Resort’s winter trails map can be found here.

Big Sky Resort Lift Tickets & Passes

Lift tickets can be purchased online ahead of your visit. The more days you bundle, the better the daily rate. A 4 of 5 day adult lift ticket (meaning you pick the 4 days out of a 5 day window that you’d like to ski) ranges from $800-900 during the months of February and March. A child lift ticket (ages 7-15) costs $500-$600 for a 4 of 5 day lift ticket for that same time period.

Tip: The daily price of lift tickets fluctuates based on demand, so early ski season and late ski season is less expensive as are lift tickets to ski Monday thru Thursday. Weekends will always be priced higher.

Beginner Lift Ticket- As mentioned above, you can purchase a discounted Beginner lift ticket if you plan to stick to just the Explorer Lift in Mountain Village or the Derringer Lift at Madison Base. It also includes the Magic Carpet/Bunny Hill. No online purchase, so you’ll have to purchase tickets at base.

Big Sky Resort welcomes Mountain Pass Collective pass holders as well as the Ikon Pass. Mountain Pass Collective includes 2 days of skiing at Big Sky with your pass, then 50% off lift tickets. Reservations required, so book ahead of time for preferred dates.

Ikon Pass offers 5 and 7 day passes with no blackout dates as well as 2, 3, 4, or 5 day passes with blackout dates. Blackout dates are generally the week between Christmas and New Years, MLK weekend, and President’s Day weekend. Passholders must make reservations, so book early for best availability.

Lone Peak Tram- Note: As of the 2024-2025 ski season, lift tickets include unlimited access to Lone Peak Tram Rides. Per Big Sky Resort: Lift tickets and Big Sky Resort Gold & Double Black season passes include access to the Lone Peak Tram. Other Big Sky Resort Passes, plus Ikon and Mountain Collective Passholders, will use Autocharge to access the Lone Peak Tram. Tram Autocharge rates range between $10-$40+ per ride.

The Lone Peak Tram is accessed via the Jay Walk run off Swift Current 6. You can take the Tram up and ski the challenging terrain back down or take a scenic ride and return on the Tram.

Note: Pick up your lift tickets at any Sky Card Express box. You’ll find a convenient one at the Base Camp building in Mountain Village. Just scan the QR code in your confirmation email, and it’ll print out your Sky Cards with your lift tickets pre-loaded. Place your Sky Card in a pocket of your ski coat by itself. Your Sky Card is reusable year after year, so hang on to it!

Where To Stay in Big Sky

I remember when I first looked into lodging here, I found it terribly confusing without having visited Big Sky before. Hope this helps! To make the best lodging decisions at Big Sky, it’s helpful to first understand the general layout of Big Sky Resort in relation to the town of Big Sky.

There are essentially 4 main lodging areas to consider when skiing at Big Sky Resort:

1. Big Sky Resort Mountain Village Hotels and Condos Located at Base (walkable to everything)

2. Big Sky Resort Mountain Village Condos- (some ski-in/ski-out or drive or shuttle to base area at Mountain Village)

3. Big Sky Resort Moonlight Basin at Madison Base (mostly ski-in/ski-out townhomes and chalets)

4. Big Sky Town Center/Meadow Village (condos and hotel- 15 min drive or shuttle to Big Sky Resort)

Big Sky Resort is separated into two areas: Big Sky Mountain Village and Moonlight Basin which is located in the Madison Base Area which is 15 minutes up the mountain from Mountain Village. Both have lots of lodging and skiing options.

On the way to Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Village and Moonlight Basin, you will pass through the commercial hub of the town of Big Sky which is known as Big Sky Town Center and Meadow Village. It also has a variety of lodging options including condos and the Wilson Hotel.

Overall though, I prefer to stay in Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Village for its easy access to Swift Current, Ramcharger and Explorer chairlifts, ski rentals, lessons, a small grocery, and restaurants.

The properties below are all located in Mountain Village and are the first properties I look for. For us, walkability and convenience is a must with the kids.

• Shoshone Hotel-Condos- 1 bedroom sleeps 4-6 (our first choice)

• Huntley Lodge (nicely appointed hotel room and recently remodeled; pool access)

• The Summit Hotel (hotel rooms and 1 and 2 bedroom suites)

• Village Center Condos (studio, 1 bedroom, 3 bedroom)

• Stillwater Condos (1 bedroom, 1 bedroom +loft, 2 bedroom- sometimes units are a bit dated)

We generally like to stay in the one-bedroom Big Sky Resort Shoshone Condo Hotel located in Mountain Village. We like the Shoshone, because it offers a cozy, western decor, mountain views, plenty of space, walking distance to the lifts, hot tub and pool access, and a full kitchen. Parents get the bedroom and kiddos sleep on the pullout Murphy bed in the living area. (Sofa pulls out to a bed as well.)

For a detailed overview of lodging options and more recommendations on where to stay, see our “Where To Stay When Skiing In Big Sky.”
 

Big Sky Lodging Tip: We always check both VRBO (vacation rentals by owner) as well as the Big Sky Resort webpage for lodging choices. If you rent directly from an owner thru VRBO, you will likely have the advantage of paying a lower nightly rate. However, if you book through Big Sky Resort’s “Stay & Save”, you will receive lift ticket discounts (10%). Lift ticket prices vary by weekday vs. weekend and time of season and typically range from $100-$222. Compare the numbers and see which makes sense for you.

Heads up: We are not sponsored in any way and have never received compensation at the behest of any organization or company. If you book one of our recommended properties from our VRBO or booking.com links, you won’t pay a penny more but we may get a small commission which helps support this website. Thanks! Disclosure Statement.

Ski Rental

When we first started skiing at Big Sky, we rented from the resort at Big Sky Rentals. Never had a problem and great service. With our younger daughters, we wanted the flexibility of an on-mountain provider in case the fit wasn’t right for their growing feet. Our most recent rentals over the last few years have been from East Slope Outdoors located down the mountain in Town Center. We like the price, service, and selection there. All of these are great options:

Big Sky Rentals, located in the Mountain Village, is the most convenient option. They are ready to fit you in the perfect skis for the week. A nice, helpful staff within the center of Mountain Village. You can pick up your skis the afternoon (2-4pm) before your first ski day. Save 20% booking online. If you want more to choose from, Christy Sports also rents skis and is also located in Mountain Village within walking distance of lifts and lodging. The price seems comparable to Big Sky Rentals.

East Slope Outdoors, located in Big Sky Town Center 15 minutes down the mountain from Big Sky Resort, has become our “go to” for ski rentals. We usually stop on the way up the mountain to check-in to our lodging. The folks there are super nice and helpful, and we have made this our first stop each time we come. They offer some really nice choices for skis, and the rental is less expensive than the resort. Just keep in mind that you will need to transport them up the mountain.

Ski Camp/Lessons

Our philosophy is that you’ll never regret taking a ski lesson. You can book private lessons, group lessons, private family ski lessons, and even a “Teen Mountain Experience” for your 13-17 year-old. Find out all the info here at Big Sky’s Mountain Sports School.

Throughout the years, our daughters have loved the 1/2 day kid’s ski camps. You can enroll children ages 4-6 years old in a 1/2 day of “Mini Ski Camp” or “Kids Camp” for ages 7-14 is offered for a full day.

Sign up online for lessons in advance. Multi-day lessons are discounted. Note that the Teen Mountain Experience is only held at Mountain Village. The 4-6 Mini Kids Camp and the 7-14 Kid Camp can select either Madison Base in Moonlight Basin or Mountain Village. If you plan on enrolling your teens, you might want to book your lodging in Mountain Village for the convenience of pickups and dropoffs.

Note: Lift tickets are not included in the lesson price. $75 add-on when enrolling.

We have found the staff to be super friendly and will advise you on the best plan for your family. They also offer group lessons and private lessons for adults. We usually splurge for one day of lessons on the first day of skiing. 

Big Sky’s Lone Peak Playhouse offers childcare daily for children 6 months to 8 years at both the Mountain Village and Madison Base locations. You can coordinate time at Lone Peak Playhouse and Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Sports School for private lessons along with day care.

Parking

Parking is free (perhaps the only free add-on at Big Sky!), and Big Sky runs frequent open-air shuttle trailers to transport you from the parking areas to the base. In general, parking is hassle-free, but lots can fill up during peak weeks, especially on President’s Day weekend and also on weekends with fresh powder.

As in life, the key is to arrive early on those busy days. The Big Sky App also has parking info that gives the status of the lots (open, full, what % percentage full), so you can plan accordingly.

If you have 3 or more passengers in your car, you can park in the small carpool lot.

Where To Eat In Big Sky

Big Sky has a nice variety of restaurants to choose from both at the resort and in the Big Sky Town Center down the mountain. We don’t eat out every night as the resort restaurants are indeed expensive, and the 15 minute drive down Lone Mountain Trail to Town Center at night isn’t one of my favorites with tired kids who just want to chill out.

For that reason, most nights we are either heating up “to go” food from Hungry Moose or Roxy’s Market, picking up a pizza from Vista Food Hall in Mountain Village, or putting together an easy chili or soup in our rental.

For a quick lunch, we head to the Exchange Building at Mountain Village and get food from one of the various eateries at Vista Food Hall or grab a sandwich downstairs from Hungry Moose. Yeti Dogs is another good option for a quick bite in Mountain Village— look for the line out the door!

Montana Jack and Scissor Bills Saloon have been good for a casual beer and burger, and they have a kids menu as well. Westward Social has been good as well.

For more restaurant recommendations, see our blog “Where To Eat In Big Sky.”

Things To Do In Big Sky, MT In Winter (Besides Ski!)

When you check in to your lodging, you will receive a list of all activities taking place at the resort for the week. Be sure to check it out. Sometimes, they have fun movies playing or arts and crafts activities for when the kiddos are too tired or cold to ski. Yoga classes for after ski stretching are also available.

Here are some suggestions for activities for any non-skiers in your group or for your off ski day:

Snowshoeing

You can take a 2 hour guided snowshoe tour up Moose Track Trail ($50-$70). It’s a decent workout and offers good views of the Spanish Peaks on a clear day. Make reservations at Big Sky Base Camp in Mountain Village.

I have foud that the Moose Track Trail is used often enough that the surface is packed snow that you can navigate without snowshoes. I often just put on my YakTrax over my boots and hit the trail. To reach the trailhead, you’ll have to play “Frogger” with the skiers coming down the hill, but once you’re on the trail, it’s really quiet and beautiful. The trailhead is located at the trees to the left of Swift Current lift. You’ll see a trailhead sign.

Lone Mountain Ranch, which is located just 10 minutes down the mountain from Big Sky Resort, also offers guided and unguided snowshoe tours on 30km of trails outside of their Nordic Trail System. A day pass is $40 and snowshoe rentals are $25.

Cross Country Skiing

Big Sky Resort offers Nordic skiing down the mountain at their Big Sky Golf & Nordic Center in Meadow Village. A trail pass also includes access to Lone Mountain Ranch trails. 2 hour lessons are available as well as rentals.

Lone Mountain Ranch has been voted the #1 Nordic Ski Resort in North America by Cross Country Skier magazine. Their restaurant, Horn & Cantle, is also wonderful.

Enchanted Forest

From mid-December to the end of March, Big Sky’s lighted walk through the “Enchanted Forest” is a fun family activity. Bundle up after the sun goes down and take Ramcharger lift to reach the “forest” where you’ll walk along the lighted winter trail. Think holiday lights along a wintery trail with a fireplace to gather afterwards. Tickets are $20-40. The path is about 1km and it takes about 1 hour for the experience.

Big Sky Town Center

The Big Sky Town Center is located on Ousel Falls Road, a 10-15 minute drive down the mountain from Big Sky Resort. Big Sky Town Center offers a selection of shops, restaurants, a brewery, and the Wayside, which offers various events including movies, trivia night, karaoke, “dinner and movie Sundays,” and more.

While here, you can pick up groceries at Roxy Market or Hungry Moose, grab some Big Sky swag at East Slope Outdoors, sip a beer at Beehive Brewery, grab a pizza at Ousel & Spur Pizza Co., or browse the shops including Rocky Mountain Toy Company which is always a hit with our family. We always visit the one in Bozeman, and they have recently opened in Big Sky.

Note: Skyline Bus offers a free shuttle service up and down the mountain from Big Sky Resort to Town Center.

Ice Skating

An outdoor seasonal ice skating rink can also be found at Big Sky Town Center. You can rent ice skates ($10) at East Slope Outdoors in Town Center and walk over to the skating rink for a fun afternoon. Check the website for current hours for Open Skate.

Ousel Falls Trail

The Ousel Falls Trail is located near Big Sky’s Town Center. An easy 1.6 mile roundtrip hike to Ousel Falls in the winter leads you to a frozen wonderland. It is located two miles from the Town Center on Ousel Falls Rd, about 20 minutes from the resort.

The parking area is on the left, and the trailhead is at the backside of the parking lot. This is a heavily trafficked trail, so you will likely be able to hike it in your boots. Depending on the weather conditions, you may need crampons or snowshoes. The trail can get icy in spots.

Also near Big Sky Town Center, the Uplands Trail and Hummocks Trail are two more popular community trails that you can hike with crampons or Yaktrax. They share the same parking area on Aspen Leaf Drive.

Snowmobiling

We’ve never been snowmobiling, but the full day tours with a personal guide through Yellowstone with Two Top Snowmobile Tours (an authorized concessionaire of Yellowstone National Park) sounds quite amazing and gets great reviews.

If you want to stay a bit closer to Big Sky Resort, both Summitt ATR and Canyon Rentals offer snowmobile rentals to ride along 16 miles of groomed trails.

Snow Tubing At Montage

Feel like a kid again sledding down the snowy hill at the super swanky Montage Hotel. Tickets range from $30-50 depending on when you go, and riders must be 42” or taller to access the main tubing hill. Kiddie tubing is also available for the kiddos (32″-41″ tall). See their website for details.

Yellowstone National Park Day Trip

Yellowstone National Park is roughly one hour south of Big Sky. The resort can arrange transportation to the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park to take a snow coach tour to Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. During the winter, Yellowstone is only open to snowcoaches and snowmobiles from this entrance.

We took this trip several years ago, and it’s truly a unique and memorable way to experience the national park. This is a full day trip that you’ll remember forever. The steam from the geysers surrounded by snow is surreal!

Hope you enjoy your first time to Big Sky! We guarantee you’ll want to return! Happy Trails!

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