Montana, Usa
Blacktail Mountain
1,000 acres, 27 runs above Flathead Lake. Affordable, family-friendly terrain, no expert runs.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
128
Annual snow
18ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Blacktail Mountain's summit reaches 6,680 feet, dropping 1,444 vertical feet to a base at 5,236 feet across 27 runs spread over 1,000 acres above the western shore of Flathead Lake, Montana. Terrain splits 65 per cent intermediate, 20 per cent advanced and 15 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs, and average annual snowfall of roughly 220 inches. The resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation. Four lifts, including two double chairs and one triple chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Blacktail Mountain was deliberately designed as a smaller, more affordable alternative to the larger Big Mountain resort in nearby Whitefish, and its intermediate-weighted, expert-free terrain reflects that founding vision. Its position above Flathead Lake gives skiers sweeping valley views uncommon among Montana's ski areas. The resort's comparatively lean lift count relative to its acreage keeps operations simple and costs manageable.
Blacktail Mountain opened in December 1998, notable as the first new ski area granted a special-use permit by the US Forest Service since 1978. A group of local enthusiasts, including Steve Spencer, Tom Sands, Dennis Carver and Jeff Sorg, founded the resort specifically to offer a smaller, more affordable option relative to Whitefish's Big Mountain.
In November 2021, the Spencer-led ownership group sold Blacktail Mountain to Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, a Washington-based operation owned by Larry Scrivanich, bringing the Montana resort under common ownership with the Washington mountain. Adult daily tickets run from 40 to 50 US dollars, among the more affordable pricing structures in the region, consistent with the resort's founding mission.
1,440ft
Vertical
27
Runs
1,000 acres
Skiable
18ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
27 runs across 1,000 acres skiable
Blacktail Mountain spreads 27 runs across 1,000 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 65%, with 4 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
27
runs
27 runs across 4 grades
Beginner4 runs · 15%
Intermediate18 runs · 65%
Advanced5 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Blacktail Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Blacktail Mountain ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 220 inches. This snowfall total supports reliable conditions across the resort's intermediate-weighted terrain throughout the season. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the mountain's approachable terrain. Given the resort's founding mission as an affordable alternative to Whitefish's Big Mountain, Blacktail draws primarily from the broader Flathead Valley region rather than national destination traffic, keeping crowds notably lighter than the area's larger resort.
As an independently operated resort without major pass affiliation, Blacktail's visitor base skews heavily toward local and regional skiers seeking straightforward, budget-friendly access. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial intermediate terrain and absence of expert-only zones. Weekend crowds draw primarily from the Flathead Lake area.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since the 2021 sale to Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort's ownership group, the resort has continued to operate consistent with its original founding mission of affordability and simplicity. Blacktail Mountain's views over Flathead Lake remain a defining seasonal backdrop for visitors throughout the winter.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
18 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Blacktail Mountain, and where to stay
Blacktail Mountain sits above the western shore of Flathead Lake near Lakeside, Montana, with a base elevation of 5,236 feet and a summit at 6,680 feet across a 1,444-foot vertical drop over 1,000 acres. This northwestern Montana setting places the resort within easy reach of Flathead Lake, one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States.
Lakeside and the broader Flathead Lake shoreline communities provide local lodging and dining, while Kalispell, a larger regional centre, offers more extensive services a further drive away. Whitefish, home to the larger Big Mountain resort, lies within the same broader Flathead Valley region, giving visitors a choice between the two mountains' distinct characters.
US Highway 93 provides direct access to the resort from the Flathead Valley, with the ski area easily reached from the highway along the lake's western shore. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled highway is regularly maintained given its role as a major regional corridor. There is no direct public transport service to the resort.
Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell is the nearest airport with commercial service, offering a practical option for visitors flying into the Flathead Valley region. Most Blacktail Mountain visitors, however, are local and regional skiers from the surrounding Flathead Lake communities rather than fly-in destination travellers.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Blacktail Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
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21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
27
runs
Beginner15%
Intermediate65%
Advanced20%
Expert0%
1,000 acres skiable405 hectares
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base5,236ft
Summit6,677ft
Annual snowfall
18ft
Season
2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
Trail coverage
27 runs
1,000 acres (405 ha)
About Blacktail Mountain's trail map
Explore Blacktail Mountain's full trail map with 27 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Blacktail Mountain intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.