The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Great Divide's summit reaches 7,330 feet, dropping 1,579 vertical feet to a base at 5,751 feet across 110 runs spread over 1,600 acres northwest of Helena, Montana. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 40 per cent advanced, 10 per cent beginner and 5 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 160 inches, among the lower totals of Montana's ski areas. The resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation and markets itself as Montana's sunniest ski area. Six lifts, including five double chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Great Divide's extensive night-skiing operation and reputation for the longest season in the Helena area distinguish it from the state's more remote resorts. Its hourly lift ticket option, priced from just 10 US dollars, reflects a deliberately accessible pricing philosophy aimed at maximising affordable access for Helena-area skiers. The comparatively lower snowfall total is offset by the resort's sunny, reliable conditions.
The mountain's first trail was built to host the 1942 Northern Rocky Mountain Ski Races, and the ski area opened that year as Belmont Ski Hill, operated by the nonprofit Belmont Ski Club with a rope tow and basic facilities. The nonprofit club ran the ski area from 1941 through much of 1985, when it sold the operation to the Taylor family, who developed and operated the resort from that point forward, installing the first chairlift, the Mt Belmont chair, to the summit in 1986.
In 2020, Great Divide began a new chapter when it was purchased by the Crawford and Moran families, both deeply rooted in the Helena community, continuing the resort's long tradition of locally invested ownership. Adult daily tickets run from 30 to 40 US dollars, with hourly tickets available from 10 dollars, reflecting the resort's identity as an accessible, affordable local mountain.
1,578ft
Vertical
110
Runs
1,600 acres
Skiable
13ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
110 runs across 1,600 acres skiable
Great Divide spreads 110 runs across 1,600 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 11 beginner runs to find your feet and 50 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
110
runs
110 runs across 4 grades
Beginner11 runs · 10%
Intermediate50 runs · 45%
Advanced44 runs · 40%
Expert6 runs · 5%
Time it right
When to visit Great Divide
The 2025-26 season at Great Divide ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season, among the longest in the Helena area, supported by average annual snowfall of around 160 inches. This snowfall total is more modest than at Montana's higher-elevation resorts, but the area's reputation for reliable sunshine helps offset this with generally stable conditions. 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 intermediate and advanced-weighted terrain. Night skiing is a defining seasonal feature, extending the useful ski day for Helena-area residents well beyond daylight hours throughout the season. The resort's hourly ticket option supports flexible, short visits alongside standard full-day skiing.
As an independently operated resort without major pass affiliation, Great Divide draws primarily from Helena and the surrounding capital region rather than national destination traffic. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's accessible pricing and substantial intermediate terrain. Weekday evenings see strong local demand given the extensive night-skiing infrastructure.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. Since the 2020 purchase by the Crawford and Moran families, the resort has continued its long tradition of locally invested ownership dating back to the nonprofit Belmont Ski Club's founding in 1941. Great Divide's identity as Montana's sunniest ski area, combined with its long season, remains central to its appeal each winter.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
13 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Great Divide, and where to stay
Great Divide sits northwest of Helena, Montana, roughly 22 miles from the city off Highway 279 and a further seven miles up Marysville Road near the small community of Marysville, with a base elevation of 5,751 feet and a summit at 7,330 feet across a 1,579-foot vertical drop over 1,600 acres. This places the resort within a historic mining region in the Montana capital's backyard.
Helena, Montana's state capital, provides the resort's primary lodging, dining and visitor base, with the ski area serving as the city's genuine local mountain. The small community of Marysville, near the resort itself, adds a historic mining-town character to the immediate surroundings. The broader region combines skiing with Montana's capital-city amenities.
Highway 279, known as Lincoln Road, connects Helena to the Marysville area, with Marysville Road then leading the final distance to the resort. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled road is regularly maintained given the resort's role as Helena's primary local ski destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Helena Regional Airport, within the city itself, is the nearest airport with commercial service, making Great Divide one of the more airport-accessible ski areas in Montana relative to its modest scale. Most visitors, however, are Helena-area locals driving up for day trips or evening night-skiing sessions rather than fly-in destination travellers.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Great Divide, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
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Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
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Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
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31 Aug 2026
Great Divide Lift System
Great Divide runs six lifts: five double chairs and one surface lift, serving 110 runs across 1,600 acres northwest of Helena. The five double chairs distribute skiers across the mountain's intermediate and advanced-weighted terrain, a network built up gradually since the resort's first chairlift installation in 1986.
That original Mt Belmont chair, installed by the Taylor family following their 1985 purchase from the nonprofit Belmont Ski Club, marked the resort's transition from rope-tow-only infrastructure dating to its 1941 founding into genuine chairlift-served skiing reaching the summit. Subsequent investment under Taylor family ownership expanded this network to the current five double chairs.
The double chairs provide even coverage across Great Divide's varied terrain, while the single surface lift supports beginner areas near the base. There is no quad, triple or high-speed chair, and no gondola, consistent with the resort's identity as an accessible, budget-focused community mountain rather than a high-throughput destination.
Since the 2020 purchase by the Crawford and Moran families, both with deep roots in the Helena community, investment has continued to support the existing six-lift network. Specific recent lift replacement or expansion projects beyond this configuration are not confirmed in available resort information. Great Divide's extensive night-skiing infrastructure across much of this lift network remains a defining operational feature for the resort's Helena-area visitor base.
6lifts across 2 types
5
Double Chairs
1
Surface Lift
Great Divide lift system
Great Divide is served by 6 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Great Divide intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.