The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Big Sky's summit reaches 11,165 feet, dropping 4,364 vertical feet to a base at 6,801 feet across 317 runs spread over 5,850 acres in Montana. Terrain splits 35 per cent advanced, 25 per cent intermediate, 22 per cent beginner and 18 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 400 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective access and markets itself as America's biggest skiing by acreage. Forty lifts, including an aerial tram, a gondola, seven quad chairs and nine triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside five double chairs, an eight-person chair, three six-person chairs, eight surface lifts and five t-bars.
Big Sky's 4,364-foot vertical drop and vast 5,850-acre terrain footprint place it among the largest ski resorts in North America, with the Lone Peak Tram providing access to some of the most dramatic expert terrain in the country. Its Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective access has transformed the resort from a Montana curiosity into a genuine national destination. The sheer scale of the lift network, forty lifts across the combined terrain, reflects decades of expansion since the resort's modest 1970s origins.
Big Sky was founded by Montana native Chet Huntley, the recently retired co-anchor of NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report, who returned to his home state to develop the resort after leaving broadcasting. Big Sky opened for its first winter season in 1973, but Huntley died of lung cancer on 20 March 1974, just three days before the resort's official dedication. Ski industry pioneer Everett Kircher, owner of Michigan-based Boyne Resorts, purchased Big Sky in 1976 for 8.5 million US dollars.
The resort's most significant recent expansion came in October 2013, when Boyne Resorts purchased neighbouring Moonlight Basin, including the terrain of Spanish Peaks, bringing the combined resort's total acreage to more than 5,850 acres. Adult daily tickets run from 98 to 222 US dollars using dynamic pricing, reflecting Big Sky's position as one of the premier destination resorts in the American West.
4,364ft
Vertical
317
Runs
5,850 acres
Skiable
33ft
Annual snow
Ikon / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
317 runs across 5,850 acres skiable
Big Sky spreads 317 runs across 5,850 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 35%, with 70 beginner runs to find your feet and 168 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
317
runs
317 runs across 4 grades
Beginner70 runs · 22%
Intermediate79 runs · 25%
Advanced111 runs · 35%
Expert57 runs · 18%
Time it right
When to visit Big Sky
The 2025-26 season at Big Sky ran from 28 November 2025 to 27 April 2026, a roughly twenty-two-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 400 inches. This substantial snowfall, combined with the resort's enormous 5,850-acre footprint, supports reliable conditions across a genuinely vast range of terrain throughout the season. Season dates can shift slightly depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions across Big Sky's varied terrain, from beginner slopes to the extreme runs accessed via the Lone Peak Tram. As an Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective destination, the resort draws substantial national and international visitor traffic, with holiday periods bringing the heaviest crowds, though the sheer scale of the terrain helps disperse visitors more effectively than at smaller resorts.
The resort's identity as America's biggest skiing by acreage continues to shape its marketing and visitor expectations each season. Boyne Resorts' ownership since 1976, and the transformative 2013 Moonlight Basin acquisition, have together built Big Sky into one of the premier destination resorts in the American West. School holiday periods bring particularly strong demand given the resort's national visibility.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Founder Chet Huntley's vision for the resort, realised only after his death just before its 1974 dedication, remains part of Big Sky's founding story referenced throughout its history. The resort's combination of vast scale and extreme terrain continues to define its position among North America's leading ski destinations each season.
Season 2025 - 2026
28 Nov 2025
Opens
27 Apr 2026
Closes
150
Days open
33 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Big Sky, and where to stay
Big Sky sits in southwestern Montana, with a base elevation of 6,801 feet and a summit at 11,165 feet across a 4,364-foot vertical drop over 5,850 acres. This puts the resort within reach of Yellowstone National Park and the broader Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, one of the most scenic settings of any major North American ski resort.
The town of Big Sky, developed largely around the resort, provides extensive lodging, dining and services close to the mountain, while Bozeman, roughly 45 minutes away, offers a larger regional city with its own airport and amenities. Yellowstone National Park's northern entrances lie within a reasonable drive, giving visitors an additional draw beyond skiing during shoulder seasons.
US Highway 191 connects Bozeman to Big Sky, providing the main route for visitors approaching from the north. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though it is well maintained given the resort's status as a major destination. Local shuttle and transit options within the Big Sky area reduce the need for a vehicle once visitors arrive.
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, roughly 45 minutes from the resort, offers direct flights from numerous major US cities, making Big Sky one of the more air-accessible destination resorts in the Rocky Mountain West. This convenient combination of a major airport and a relatively short drive has supported the resort's growth into a genuine national and international ski destination.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Big Sky, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Big Sky Webcams
6 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Big Sky's live webcams
Check live conditions across Big Sky with 6 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Lone Peak Tram9,045ft
- Experience the iconic Lone Peak Tram through this Big Sky webcam positioned at the tram base at 2757 meters elevation. This Big Sky live cam looks directly up the tram line to Montana's most dramatic summit, providing essential visibility updates before your 11,166-foot ascent. Advanced skiers use this live snow cam to assess conditions on the legendary steep chutes and couloirs that make Big Sky famous for extreme terrain.
- Everett's 88008,799ft
- Witness the glory of Lone Peak through this Big Sky webcam at Everett's positioned at 2682 meters elevation. This Big Sky live cam captures breathtaking views of the legendary summit towering above Montana's Madison Range. Essential for assessing weather and visibility, this Big Sky web cam showcases the dramatic vertical that defines America's biggest skiing destination.
- Big Sky Snow Stake8,799ft
- Track Montana Cold Smoke accumulation through this Big Sky webcam focused on the snow stake at 2682 meters elevation. This specialized Big Sky live cam reveals exactly how many inches of legendary powder have fallen in the past 24 hours. Powder hunters rely on this live snow cam to monitor fresh snowfall across Big Sky's 5,850 skiable acres before chasing untracked runs.
- Golf Course Cam8,799ft
- Monitor the snow-covered golf course through this Big Sky web cam at 2682 meters elevation. This Big Sky live cam captures the transformation of summer fairways into winter powder fields. Visitors use this live snow cam to check base area snow coverage and weather conditions in Montana's most famous mountain resort village.
- Lone Peak 24 Hours8,799ft
- Experience the past 24 hours through this Big Sky webcam featuring a time-lapse of Lone Peak at 2682 meters elevation. This unique Big Sky live cam compresses a full day of weather and snow conditions into minutes. Essential for tracking storm patterns, this Big Sky web cam helps skiers understand snowfall timing across Montana's biggest ski resort.
- Lone Peak8,799ft
- Watch a full day unfold through this Big Sky live cam offering 24-hour time-lapse coverage from another base area perspective at 2682 meters. This Big Sky webcam provides comprehensive views of changing conditions throughout the day. Locals use this live snow cam to track weather patterns before exploring Montana's legendary Cold Smoke powder.
Big Sky snow cams FAQ
How often do Big Sky snow cams update?
All Big Sky snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Big Sky.
Which Big Sky webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Lone Peak Tram webcam at 2,757m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Big Sky webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Big Sky lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Big Sky snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Big Sky snow cams?
Check Big Sky webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Big Sky lift tickets?
Use our Big Sky webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Big Sky webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Big Sky snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Big Sky intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.