Looking for a new mountain to explore this winter? Look no further than Big Sky, Montana! Located just an hour from the Bozeman airport with direct flights from 19 different cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as well as seasonal service from cities like New York, Boston, and Nashville, Big Sky Resort is easy to get to and well worth the visit.
As a mom of three boys aged 15-19, the winter holiday break is a time to connect and enjoy being together, but also to get out and explore! Chair lift chats and post-mountain hot tub soaks are one of the best ways to get conversations with my bunch of boys.
Big Sky Resort boasts 5,850 ski-able acres with 320 named runs to explore. A 50/50 split of beginner and advanced terrain provides something for riders of every level while 40 different lifts help you get where you want to go without running into crowds. Recent lift upgrades can be experienced on Ramcharger 8, Swift Current 6, Madison 8 and the Explorer Gondola including heated heats, the delightful weatherproof protection of the “Big Sky Blue Bubble” and improved speed and efficiency.
Add to that 400 inches of annual snowfall and it’s no surprise why SKI Magazine named Big Sky Resort the #1 ski resort in the West!
Our family had visited Big Sky twice before in the summer for mountain biking, but this was a our first time in the winter. Even though it was early in the season and only half the mountain was open, there were still plenty of runs to keep our crew happy. From powder runs (the hubs) and glorious groomers (me!) to park jumps, tree runs and technical terrain (my boys!), Big Sky Resort has runs for everyone.
Since we were planning to spend the whole time on the slopes, we opted not to get a car and instead booked a shuttle from the airport with Shuttle to Big Sky who were delightful to work with. Since we wouldn’t have a car to get around, we pre-ordered 5 days worth of food at Albertsons and picked it up on the way. Planning out three meals a day for five days for our party of six definitely took some time, but it was very nice to swing by the store and have it all loaded into the back of the shuttle – something we wouldn’t have been able to fit if we had rented our own car.
Although we’ve stayed at the Mountain Village in the past, this time we opted for a ski-in/ski-out condo in Moonlight Basin. The condo was steps away from the Iron Horse lift which made it convenient for getting on the mountain, midday lunch stops or waiting out the white-out conditions one afternoon. However it was pretty removed from anything else since there are no shops or restaurants in Moonlight Basin except for the members-only Moonlight Club (and yes, we still tried to go in for après-ski one afternoon and they will not take your money if you are not a club member. But still, it is beautiful.)
We did hire a Lone Peak Taxi one night to take us down to Montana Jack at Mountain Village to celebrate my middle son’s 18th birthday. The Village has a handful of restaurants at varying price points, shops for snacks or Big Sky swag and if you are staying nearby, the Solace Spa for some additional relaxation. Otherwise the condo in Moonlight Basin was perfect for all our cooking, sleeping, lounging and relaxing needs. From our balcony, we could see some other quite large ski-in/ski-out houses and heard that if you can get a group of friends or 2-3 families together to split them, they can offer the space a big group needs at a reasonable price point once the cost is divided.
Big Sky lift tickets can be found for as low as $58 (they claim…) if purchased online well in advance (and well in advance may mean Winter 2026), but you can also find deals by purchasing multi-day passes, late season tickets or using the military discount. Big Sky Resort is also on IKON pass if you have one.
Based on the average snowfall, number and variety of runs and ease to get to, Big Sky Resort definitely tops our family’s list of must-visit ski resorts. I have no doubt we’ll be back. 
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This is not a sponsored post. Opinions expressed are the author’s.
