Southwest Montana: Best Skiing In America

One of the greatest benefits of living in Montana, specifically in Southwest Montana, is that we are gifted with some of the best skiing in America. The Gallatin County sits in the middle of two world class resorts, Big Sky Resort and Bridger Bowl. These resorts are scheduled to open soon this season, with Big Sky Resort opening on November 24th and Bridger Bowl opening on December 9th. With ski season just around the corner, lets revisit some of the top reasons why living in Southwest Montana couldn’t get any better for winter enthusiasts.

Big Sky Resort is one of the biggest resorts in North 

America, providing 5,800 acres with 300​ named runs 

across 4 connected mountains. The size of 

this place is hard to wrap your mind around. I’ve personally skied here for several years, venturing through as many runs as I could, and I still end up finding runs I haven’t seen before. One secret about this resort, which some locals may not want you to know about, is that there are a number of hidden shacks and huts throughout the mountain. I found a few, but can never manage to remember where they were when trying to find my way back. 

You don’t even have to ride the terrain to appreciate these resorts. The communities built at the base of the mountains are worth visiting even if you don’t ride down their slopes. Beyond skiing, Big Sky Resort offers a plethora of activities for its visitors, including zip-line tours, snowshoe tours, snowmobile tours, dog sledding, sleigh rides, nordic skiing, a giant swing, and a high rope course. The village at the base of the mountain is also something worth experiencing as well. Big Sky Resort offers a shopping center with a number of restaurants and breweries with great tasting food and drinks. Big Sky also has set plans on really improving this village community, claiming that it will rival “the best of Europe” by 2025. If you want to find your own ski pad, click here.

​​Bridger Bowl is another one Montana’s cherished trophies. This ski resort is like the little brother its neighbor, Big Sky Resort, but with all the same qualities of great terrain. Being closer to Bozeman, Bridger Bowl is more popular among the locals and college students. This resort offers wide open terrain with a number of glades, chutes, and my personal favorite, gullies. With its steep chutes, snow fields, and abrupt cliffs, Bridger’s Ridge terrain offers some of the most challenging skiing in North America. 

Outside of the resort there is also opportunities to ski with the local community ski club, Bridger Ski Foundation. Based in Bozeman, this nonprofit organization offers an extensive network of Nordic ski trails around town. Bridger Ski Foundation is making progress in growing the club and expanding its trail system, while practicing its values in providing both an educational and charitable experience to its members. The club was just recognized in 2015 by the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association, awarding it as a Gold Certified Club. This club welcomes anyone who wants to participate and volunteer to join. The Bridger Ski Foundation is another example for why we are fortunate to be a part of such a proactive community that has been making a positive impact.

Our winter sports is just one of them many reasons to appreciate living in our area. If you enjoy the sight and feel of crisp white snow covered mountains, you wont regret buying a house here. So if you don’t live here already, we can surely help make that happen.  The mountains are not going anywhere, and neither will our beloved snow!