Aspen. Vail. Park City. Jackson Hole. Big Sky? Yes, Big Sky. This Montana ski resort about an hour from Bozeman, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this 2023-24 winter season, is finally ready to be included among U.S. ski resort royalty. In fact, it’s ready to give its new peers a run for their money.
Big Sky Resort, which is owned and operated by the family-run Boyne Resorts, debuted in 1973 with four lifts and less than 20 trails. Today, it boasts 38 lifts and more than 300 trails, but more than that, it has panache and vibe that’s helping it go toe-to-toe with legendary mountains thanks to new luxury accommodations, top-of-the-line lifts, bucket-list experiences, and pure Rocky Mountain snow power. The upgrade comes courtesy of a $150 million capital improvement plan launched by the resort in 2016, with completion of its infrastructure, sustainability, and community enhancements expected by 2025.
I experienced the resort’s renaissance first-hand on a family visit last February. We were greeted by the stunning northern Rockies bathed in several feet of soft, white powder. As soon as we got our gear, we dropped our oldest child at ski school and our youngest at the Mountain Village’s daycare—yes, there is a daycare at the base for those too small to hit the slopes, an incredible boon for parents.
The next thing I knew, I was gazing up at the peaks from the interior of Big Sky’s new Ramcharger 8, a heated, super-fast lift with chairs enclosed by a glass bubble. We ascended swiftly up the side of Andesite Mountain, and on reaching the top, found minimal crowds. 5,850 acres of skiable terrain were my oyster. But first, lunch at the stunning Everett’s 8800 chalet-style restaurant, perched at the top of the mountain, with epic views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Alpine-inspired dishes like morel mushrooms in a red wine cream sauce, elk chili, and a Swiss rosti with bacon and eggs mingle with luxe items like Osetra caviar with potato chips and a Wagyu burger.
Over four days, I barely scratched the skiable surface, but what I did swish down was memorable and thrilling—yet to my level. The mountain’s trails are so diverse, there are more than enough options for every skier and snowboarder to explore. In fact, the mountain is so revered among skiers that adjacent to Big Sky Resort on the same mountain range is the private, members-only luxury ski resort Yellowstone Club, where A-listers including Justine Timberlake and Jessica Biel and Bill Gates have mountain homes you can practically ski past from Big Sky.
I skipped skiing the triple-black-diamond covered centerpiece Lone Mountain Peak, but I still took the gondola up to the top for the panoramas of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. And this ski season, riders will get to head up there in style and comfort when the all-new Lone Peak Tram debuts this winter, traversing the iconic 11,166-foot summit at a record 22 miles per hour.
Still, our best day of the trip may not have been on the slopes at all: Big Sky’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park means you can easily visit one of the country’s most popular parks in the off-season. We saw about three other people in total, ogling wildlife like bison, moose, and bald eagles in relative seclusion. Yellowstone’s legendary geysers burst through the snow and ice.
As part of the improvement plan, Big Sky’s accommodation options have stepped up big-time in the last few years. There used to be zero luxury options; now there are two, with a third to come. Located in Mountain Village is the Summit Hotel, condo-style lodging that recently underwent a complete renovation to give it a luxurious upgrade. The Summit Hotel is an ideal option for families and larger groups, thanks to multi-room apartments and penthouses that include kitchens and living rooms. It’s also easily accessible to all of the base’s drinking and dining options, and of course the mountain, with direct ski-in/ski-out access.
For those looking for something away from the fray, Montage Big Sky opened at the end of 2021 and has hit its stride as a five-star ski resort with all the trimmings. There are six food and beverage outlets, including a grab-and-go café and bakery, an aprés-style bar with a cozy fireplace, Italian fine dining outlet Cortina, and a basement pub that houses a bowling alley and arcade. There’s also an awesome kids club (my son is obsessed) and a full-service spa and indoor pool for the ultimate post-ski restoration. Best of all, the property’s onsite Compass Sports has all the gear you need for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and more. They can also arrange those Yellowstone outings, along with dog sledding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, and fishing. And although the hotel is on the western edge of the ski resort, it has its own lift leading directly to the mountain, and a tubing hill that my family couldn’t get enough of.
Still to come is One&Only Moonlight Basin, opening on the opposite side of the mountain in 2025. It’s telling that the renowned luxury resort brand is opening its very first U.S. location in Big Sky, of all places.
It’s not only luxury and new lifts that the resort is investing in, though. Big Sky also recognizes the importance of preserving the very mountains that give it its purpose. Big Sky Resort has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, and is actively working toward that goal. For example, 100 percent of Big Sky’s electrical use has been carbon-free since 2021, and the resort is switching to renewable diesel this summer. The resort and its hotels have improved their HVAC systems to conserve energy. In April of this year, the first solar panels were installed.
So now, at 50 years young, Big Sky Resort is fully equipped to not only outlast, but outshine its competitors as one of America’s hottest ski spots.
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