Montana's Premier Ski Resort Offers A Scenic Ride To One Of The Highest Skiable Peaks In The Country

Towering confidently over the legendary Yellowstone National Park, Lone Mountain boasts Big Sky Resort's skiable peak, measuring an impressive 11,166 feet. It is the star of Big Sky Resort, which at nearly 6,000 acres of skiable terrain is one of America's largest ski resorts with runs for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. With an average of 400 inches of snowfall per year, the ski season typically lasts from late November through late April. Big Sky Resort's magnificent landscape, ranging from easy beginners runs to triple-black diamond slopes, is a winter sports wonderland, but one of the resort's most exciting developments is its new Lone Peak Tram, which whisks 75 passengers to the Lone Mountain summit in just three minutes. 

Big Sky Resort is located about an hour's drive from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, right outside of the city of Bozeman, Montana's best college town. The best time to visit for ski season is between autumn and spring. However, Big Sky is still a destination after ski season, with mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, golfing, and lake activities come summer, making it one of the best things to do outside of Glacier National Park.

One of the perks of Big Sky is its updated Lone Mountain Tram, which opened in December 2023. It efficiently transports skiers up to the summit of Lone Mountain. From the Titanic Deck, visitors can see three states (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho), as well as both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. After ample admiration of the magnificent vistas, advanced skiers can tackle the black diamond run, while beginners and intermediates can return on the tram. To reach the base of Lone Mountain Tram, skiing a green slope is required. Access to Lone Mountain Tram is included in a Big Sky lift ticket, and if you are visiting on an IKON or another mountain pass, it is $25 for skiers and snowboarders and $10 for spectators. "Skiing is outrageous!" raved on Tripadvisor reviewer. "The views, the mountain is prestige. Always groomed in the morning! We went to Lone Peak.... Views are amazing!"

However, even after the snow melts and ski season concludes, the Lone Peak Tram still shuttles visitors to the top for expansive views of Yellowstone and Teton National Parks in the summer months. While under construction during 2025, for summer 2026, the Lone Peak Tram will be utilized for scenic gondola rides and Lone Peak Expeditions, a 1.5-hour adventure bringing travelers up to the summit.

Just a 10-minute drive from the gondolas of Big Sky Resort lies Lone Mountain Ranch, a historic ranch with rustic luxury just outside Yellowstone National Park. The sprawling, 150-acre property is dotted with 25 log cabins, each of which boasts cozy, Western-style interiors. The resort offers all-inclusive packages in both winter and summer, with meals and activities part of the deal. Upscale mountain cuisine is served at the ranch's acclaimed Horn & Cantle Restaurant and other unique dining experiences include sleigh rides to cabin dinner during the winter and rodeo BBQs in the summer. While the thrilling adventures of Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park beckon, the ranch is also home to the top Nordic skiing system in the country with over 50 miles of groomed trails right on property.

For ski in/ski out luxury,the Montage Big Sky is the region's premier five-star resort, built in the traditional ski lodge style with 139 gracious rooms and suites overlooking Lone Mountain's peak. The resort also boasts an outdoor swimming pool, convivial restaurants and bars, and access to a private 18-hole golf course. 

Opening in 2025 is another luxurious lodge: the One&Only Moonlight Basin, a sleek property tucked into pristine pine forests with multiple restaurants, a spa, and a private ski gondola. The resort's landscape even has a private beach next to an alpine lake and outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs.