Big Sky, Northern Rockies
Northern Rockies

Big Sky

Big Sky is the largest skiable terrain in the United States, a Montana giant where the iconic cone of Lone Peak rises to 3403 m and the new 2023 Lone Peak Tram, the costliest aerial cable car in North America, hauls you to its summit. Below, 350 km of piste and roughly one skier per 3.6 hectares.

Find a hotel β†’Snow report β†’big domaintram-accessexpertdiscreetpanoramic
Altitude
2073 - 3403 m
Vertical drop
1330 m
Pistes
350 km
Lifts
36
Snow score
92/100
Season
Nov 23 β†’ Apr 14

Big Sky is a ski resort with genuine ski-in/ski-out hotels in United States, in the Northern Rockies. The village sits at 2073 m and the lifts top out at 3403 m, with 350 km of pistes and 36 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 92/100, and the season usually runs Nov 23 β†’ Apr 14.

How we score and classify resorts

Pistes and lifts

What you can ski here
AlpineSnowboardFreeride
250 marked runs
Green
30
Blue
90
Red
70
Black
60
Average snow by month
145cm
Dec
210cm
Jan
265cm
Feb
250cm
Mar
160cm
Apr

Run counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.

Where to stay

A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Big Sky Resort
4.63.9k reviews
€270
β˜… Top pick

Big Sky Resort

Excellent Β· 3.9k reviews

Why we like it

A polished, high-end base for Big Sky when you want to be properly looked after after a day on the snow.

Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.6/5 from 3,944 reviews). It sits about 1.0 km from the slopes. A luxury option for Big Sky, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.

β‰ˆ 1.0 km to the slopesLuxury
From
€270/ night
Check availability β†’
Montage Big Sky
4.7475 reviews
€280

Montage Big Sky

Excellent Β· 475 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Big Sky, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

β‰ˆ 3.8 km to the slopesLuxury
From
€280/ night
Check availability β†’
Huntley Lodge
4.2413 reviews
€210

Huntley Lodge

Great Β· 413 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Big Sky, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

β‰ˆ 200 m to the slopesUpper-scale
From
€210/ night
Check availability β†’
The Summit Hotel
4.4227 reviews
€260

The Summit Hotel

Very good Β· 227 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Big Sky, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

β‰ˆ 100 m to the slopesLuxury
From
€260/ night
Check availability β†’

Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.

Ski-in/ski-out

Mountain Village delivers proper ski-in/ski-out at most of its slopeside lodges, with chairs leaving directly from terraces. Beware that the more characterful properties in Town Center or Meadow Village sit a shuttle ride below.

Get to know the resort

Big Sky is the resort that traded crowds for square miles. The skiable area covers more than 2347 hectares across four interconnected mountains, all on a single liftpass since the absorption of neighbouring Moonlight Basin, and the lift-to-acre ratio means you can spend a full week here without ever waiting in a queue worth photographing. The 2023 Lone Peak Tram changed the headline experience, replacing the old fifteen-passenger box with a sleek gondola-style cabin that climbs to the 3403 m summit in four minutes flat. Up there, the world drops away in every direction: Yellowstone to the south, the Spanish Peaks to the north, and beneath your boots a 50-degree headwall that is the steepest lift-served run in America. Below the tram, the terrain becomes more democratic, with mid-mountain blues winding through Lodgepole pines, intermediate cruising on the Andesite side, and family runs around Mountain Village base. The Mountain Village itself is purpose-built, comfortable rather than charming, with a respectable restaurant scene and ski schools that handle children with practised calm. Bozeman is one hour north for flights, the Yellowstone Club for billionaires sits unseen next door, and the snow keeps falling on a state that still feels frontier.

Good to know

  • The terrain is well balanced: 30 green, 90 blue, 70 red and 60 black runs, which suits a mixed group skiing together at different levels.
  • With a base at 2073 m climbing to 3403 m, snow reliability is among the best on our index (score 92/100).
  • It is one of the bigger domains here, 350 km of piste on 36 lifts, enough to ski a different sector every day of a week.
  • The lifts typically turn for about 20 weeks a season, planning around late January to late February tends to land the most reliable cover.
Big Sky, Northern Rockies
Big Sky, Northern Rockies

Hotels in Big Sky

Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Plan your trip

Keep exploring from here

Everything on our site connected to Big Sky: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.

Frequently asked questions

Is Big Sky good for beginners?+

Big Sky offers 350 km of pistes across 36 lifts, from 2073 m to 3403 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.

When is the best time to ski Big Sky?+

The season runs from Nov 23 to Apr 14, with a snow score of 92/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.

Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+

Mountain Village delivers proper ski-in/ski-out at most of its slopeside lodges, with chairs leaving directly from terraces. Beware that the more characterful properties in Town Center or Meadow Village sit a shuttle ride below.

How big is the Big Sky ski area?+

Big Sky has 350 km of marked pistes served by 36 lifts, between 2073 m and 3403 m of altitude.

Is Big Sky more for beginners or experts?+

Big Sky counts about 250 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.