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Big Sky offers one of the biggest lift-served vertical drops in the USA, and the area has won numerous awards for its uncrowded slopes and virtually non-existent lift lines. Big Sky features 3,812 acres of steeps, chutes, long cruisers and bowls and it's all buried under more than 33 feet of annual snowfall.
Big Sky's tram rises to the top of Lone Mountain and the Big Couloir run down from the tram has pitches of about 42 degrees. Even steeper is Castro's Shoulder, with a 50 degree pitch.
When you are done skiing Lone Mountain, relax in their cozy and friendly mountain village. There are numerous accommodation options for all tastes and budgets, including the slopeside Huntley Lodge, Shoshone and Snowcrest Lodge condominiums. Also, enjoy other outdoor exursions that include Sleigh Ride dinners and ice skating. Want some indoor comfort? Big Sky has several lounges and a spa to finish off any day.
Don't miss a day trip to Yellowstone National Park, only 18 miles from Big Sky. Explore the park on a snowmobile to see buffalo herds, elk, bald eagles and the famous geysers.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Lift Elevation | 6801 ' |
| Vertical drop | 2073 |
| Total trails | 1326 |
| Very Easy Trails | 75 |
| Intermediate Trails | 10 |
| Advanced Trails | 47 |
| Lifts | 21 |
| Surface lifts | 25000 |
| Chair lifts | 5 |
| Car lifts | 13 |
| Fixed quads | 0 |
| Detachable quads | 3 |
| Long Run | 10 |
| Six seaters | 1 |
| EasyTrails | 136 |
| Total terrain | 3 |
| Additional Info | |
| Snow making percent |
| Model Name/Type | MPN | EAN/UPC |
|---|
User Reviews: Big Sky
Average of 6 Reviews
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reviewed February 13, 2010 at 11:38 pm I took the Liberty Bowl off the Lone Peak tram every time. It was truely fun terrain, resembling Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole except it's triple the vertical. The ride up the Lone Peak Tram is awesome, especially when it's not foggy. Challenger lift is slow and creaky, but accesses some true double diamond runs. I think my favorite run of the whole hill is Highway, with an occasional shift over to 17 Greens.
The base was about 40" mid-hill; I'm not sure if that is that far below average for February. Most of the mogul troughs had rocky surprises, even higher up on the hill. There are some definate rock bands that seem to defy snow coverage, and you need to carefully scope the terrain from the lift whenever possible to identify their nature. I found myself looking less down the slope and closer to the front of my skis in order to minimize rock encounters.
The Dakota lift is a mystery to me. The lifties gave us the advice on how to find it, "keep going until you feel lost, then keep going some more." Other than the Dakota gully, I'm not sure what runs it really accesses. One shouldn't have to bushwack to get to a lift. On the other end of the resort, the Lone Moose lift is also a mystery - two sloppy black diamonds and a green cruiser are all it services (probably there more for condo access).
I had some good meals at lunchtime, and some decent dinners too. It seems that there is no central 'town' of Big Sky, with the base area and the Meadows seeming to be the only shopping zones. I would think with the amount of homes in the area, there'd be some big box stores, but I never came across one. The stores seem to have the size of their facade limited to small unobtrusive lettering, ala Park City. I guess the locals go shopping in Bozeman for the essentials.
I spent a day at Moonlight Basin before the week in Big Sky. I was never tempted to buy an all-resort ticket after my first day at Big Sky.
reviewed September 6, 2009 at 5:28 pm The lift system is truly heinous. There is great terrain, but it is very difficult to stay in one spot and run laps in one area. Many places you have to hit and run and it will take at least an hour to work you way back there. I spent alot of time wanking around on cat tracks trying to get back to where I was just a few minutes ago. Getting around the upper mountain is a real chore. From the main return you have to take 2 lifts to get back to the peak. If you go all the way down liberty bowl then its three. From the base you have to take 3 chairs to get to the peak. From Challenger, also, its 3. Weak sauce. It would be so much better if they just built the tram next to the bottom of the triple is. And it would be as good as jackson or the Bird if the tram was from the base.
The upper mountain must get really blown off because when I was there I was still hitting rocks all the time. It felt like early season in the Wasatch. Everyone I asked said this was the most coverage they have had in years and years.
Even with its drawbacks, which are more "quirks" than drawbacks, BIg Sky is one of the top ski destinations in the U.S.
We skied in March of 2010, and during the 8 days we were there, they had several feet of accumulation. Fresh pow pow everywhere!
Getting there can be a real adventure, particularly from the east coast. You must fly into Bozeman, (pretty much no such thing as a direct flight from anywhere but Denver, San Fran, or Minneapolis), and then it's a 45-50 minute drive to Big Sky, depending upon weather and road conditions. But unless the weather is prety nasty, the drive is fairly easy. We had a car service take us from the airport to the resort, and it was smooth.
At the suggestion of a Big Sky veteran, we stayed at the Summit, which is literally 10 steps to the main lift, and had a beautiful 2 BR suite on one of the top floors. The accomodations were very nice, service was efficient, and the staff was great. This is definitely a family friendly resort.
The food was fine. Don't expect the cuisine of Vail or Aspen or St. Moritz, but we had nice meals and the cost of dining relative to our other favorites in the U.S. and Europe was significantly less. Much better value than what you would get with comparable quality elsewhere.
Although it's not dead in the evenings, the night life is quiet, but that is not what Big Sky is about.
The runs are long, diverse, and when you combine Moonlight Basis, there is more terrain here than anywhere else in North America. You could park Vail -- (one of my favorite mountains) -- at Big Sky, and not even know it was there. The terrain offers something for everyone, and that is one of the great appeals.
The lift lines were practically non-existant, even with the crowds of spring break. Ski school and ski instructors were excellent, and they have a great child care center that our youngest (age 2 1/2) really enjoyed.
All in all, we had a woderful time, and I highly reccomend Big Sky.
