Americans are suddenly flocking to this Montana community. Here's why.
BIG SKY, Montana ― Cruising along Morningstar in Big Sky’s high alpine bowl, I had a moment where I thought to myself: This is incredible. The scenery, the openness, the snow, it was living up to all my expectations.
Big Sky is a place I’ve wanted to visit for years, and recently the resort has made a lot of upgrades to ensure first-time visitors and returning riders alike have access to all kinds of terrain across the resort. The varied trail options and the mountain's expansiveness are huge draws for snow-sports enthusiasts. Big Sky, by some metrics, is the largest ski resort in the U.S. Although Big Sky is the third-largest by skiable acreage of any ski resort in the country, it has more contiguous rideable terrain than its larger competitors.
The snowboarding absolutely lived up to my expectations as a lifelong snowboarder. It was a great mountain to cruise on, and the conditions were decent despite unseasonably warm highs near 50 degrees in early February. Big Sky also has serious steeps for adrenaline junkies and some terrain parks scattered around the mountain, but I’m a blue groomers guy myself – most of the time.
While the mountain was always going to be the main attraction for me, I came away with an appreciation for how much else Big Sky has to offer, too.
Its proximity to Yellowstone makes it a great gateway to the park, and Big Sky is also a place where excellent food meets laid-back Montana living. The resort and its surroundings offer something for everyone year-round.
Here’s why you need to check out this trendy spot, which, according to Expedia, has seen a 92% increase in interest from travelers year-over-year from 2024 to 2025.
What to do in Big Sky
I promise there’s more to Big Sky than the slopes, but winter is the peak season there for good reason.
The mountain offers three distinct base areas with terrain for all styles of skiing and riding. Going from one side of the resort to the other can take the better part of an hour, and whether you want to find a favorite run and stick to it or try a new route on every lap, you’ll have plenty of options.
Lift tickets start at $58, according to the mountain’s website, but to get prices that low, you’ll need to buy well in advance. Typical same-day prices are closer to $250 or more. The mountain is also part of the Ikon Pass network.
The resort has also invested heavily in new lifts in recent years, making lines manageable.
View from the upper station of Big Sky's Lone Peak Tram.
Beyond that, though, Big Sky is working to make sure non-skiers feel welcome in town and around the slopes year-round.
From the Mountain Village base area, skiers and people in street shoes alike can take the Explorer Gondola to the Lone Peak Tram, and take in the incredible views from 11,166 feet. On a clear day, visitors can see all the way into the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Most ski lift tickets include access to the Lone Peak Tram, but some will incur a surcharge starting at $20. For non-skiers, a day pass that includes access to the Explorer Gondola and Lone Peak Tram starts at $30.
My mountain guide, who has been living and working in Big Sky for more than a decade, said he’s thrilled to see more non-skiers take advantage of lift access to Lone Mountain’s peak all year.
Melanie Fish, vice president of global public relations at Expedia, agreed.
“Those gondolas up the mountain are just as beautiful and worthy of a ride in summer as they are in winter,” she said in an interview.
More beyond the mountain
Even if you don’t want to hit the slopes, Big Sky has plenty to offer.
“We are really developing a phenomenal product for non-skiers in the winter time,” Brad Niva, CEO of Visit Big Sky, said in an interview. “We have snowshoeing, we have Yellowstone tours in the winter, we have sleigh rides, we have dogsled rides.”
Sleigh rides? You don't say.
Yes. One of the coolest experiences I had was a sleigh ride dinner at Lone Mountain Ranch. A true horse-drawn sleigh takes you from the check-in location to a cabin in the woods lit only by gas lamps and heated by a huge traditional wood stove.
Guests loaded up for their sleigh ride to dinner at Lone Mountain Ranch.
The experience, which costs $240 per person, not including alcohol, features a hearty meal of prime rib and delicious sides (a vegetarian main course is also available) and is accompanied by live entertainment of country songs and cowboy stories.
On the way to and from the dinner, on a clear night, you can stargaze without any light pollution. It’s important to remember to bundle up, though. The sleigh ride lasts about 20 minutes and takes place regardless of temperature or snowfall.
Yellowstone National Park is about an hour from Big Sky, so the ski resort can be a great base camp for Yellowstone visitors year-round.
“The National Park Service needs help diverting traffic from the parks themselves, so Big Sky is creating lodging outside park boundaries. They’re providing recreation alternatives, not just skiing, (but also) hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and they’re creating the infrastructure to invite visitors to stay longer, reducing those drive-in, drive-out Yellowstone day trips,” Fish said. “I think they’re being really smart about how they’re addressing overcrowding in that area.”
Bison at Yellowstone National Park.
Niva added that while winter is currently Big Sky’s peak season, summer is becoming an increasingly popular time to visit. At the current pace, the resort may start to see more visitors in the summer than in the winter in the coming years.
“Summers here are absolutely spectacular. You’ve got spectacular mountain biking. I call it a three-sport day: You can mountain bike in the morning, golf in the afternoon, and fly fish into the evening,” he said. “Part of Montana living is being outside.”
But if you need a guide or don't have your own equipment, those activities may not come cheap. Excursions like an authorized Yellowstone Tour or snowshoeing with a guide are likely to cost $100 per person or more.
Where to stay
Big Sky definitely trends toward luxury, with five-star properties like the Montage Big Sky and One&Only attracting big spenders. The Summit Hotel and Huntley Lodge are among the most central, but can also be a little pricey. According to Expedia, prices average just under $600 to a little over $700 per night on weekends in March. There are options at different price points around the area, though, especially if you’re OK with staying a little off the mountain.
View from a slopeside suite at the Summit Hotel.
Niva said the town is working hard to build out its infrastructure to meet the surge of visitor demand in the meantime, and added that while lodging capacity is generally keeping up, it’s a good idea to secure your restaurant reservations early if you’re visiting during peak periods. I definitely heard from some fellow skiers on the lift that they were struggling to find restaurants with openings during the dinner rush if they didn’t have reservations.
Fish, from Expedia, noted that Big Sky has been working to expand its guest capacity thoughtfully without detracting from the experience. Big Sky is among the first destinations to be awarded Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check, a designation that denotes destinations that “offer meaningful travel experiences and proactively manage tourism in a sustainable way.”
Fish said that doesn’t necessarily mean a place has to limit visitors or what they can experience, either.
“I would not consider (Big Sky) an off-the-beaten-path or an undiscovered destination. They know the crowds are coming and they’re making sure that they can handle it,” she said.
How to get to Big Sky
The closest airport to Big Sky is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, about an hour away. It’s served by major U.S. airlines and some low-cost carriers. From there, shuttles are available to most locations in the resort, but Niva said it can be helpful to rent a car, especially if you’re planning to explore beyond the mountain.
“As we mature as a destination, we hope to have a number of shuttle options right from the airport to Big Sky,” he said.
Bozeman is also worth checking out if you have the time.
“It is a cute town with great restaurants, shopping, it’s walkable, and like a lot of these mountain destinations, there’s a nearby ski hill that’s less expensive than the big resorts, and attracts a lot of locals,” Fish said.
This story was updated to add new information.
The reporter on this story 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 you can reach him at [email protected].
