Top Things to Do at Big Sky Resort (besides skiing)

We love skiing Big Sky in Montana… its big, beautiful, with bountiful terrain, from steep and deep off Lone Peak, to blue-square boulevards of great grooming on Andesite and Moonlight, plus gorgeous glades. You could ski Big Sky for weeks and still be discovering great groomers, cool new tree runs, steep chutes of Headwaters on the Moonlight side, and stashes of fresh snow at Dakota and Shedhorn. See our review of skiing Big Sky.

But there’s also plenty to do off the ski slopes. Here are our favorite things to do at Big Sky besides skiing:

Go to Lone Mountain Ranch for Nordic skiing on their beautiful groomed ski slopes. 85 Kilometers of gorgeous trails meander past the horse coral (where elk are often seen stealing hay). You can glide on perfectly groomed trails and tracks up to Big Sky’s Lone Moose area or down to the golf course at Big Sky Meadows. The views are extraordinary, the sense of calm in the serene woods and fields is priceless, but Nordic tickets are just $20 (lessons and rental equipment available). Lone Mountain Ranch is a 1915 dude ranch, just 6 miles from Big Sky Resort.

Shop Big Sky Town Center offers a little retail therapy. Montana Supply is fantastic clothier with fun Montana themed gifts. Check out proprietor Josh’s beautiful 406 inspired graphic tees. Rhinestone Cowgirl is a wonderful western ladies store, beautiful clothing, jewelry, cool stuff and of course cowboy hats and boots. Pop into Ari O jeweler to see native Montana sapphires in cool hand-crafted settings in her inspiring work studio.

Big Sky Meadows is the place to be for a micro-brew at Lone Peak Brewery, and lunch at Olive Bees, great food, and views of Lone Peak. A few cool local shops in the Meadows plaza are worth visiting, Made in Big Sky and Willow Boutique, below the iconic mountain view chapel.

Visit Yellowstone National Park by snowcoach or guided snowmobile tour. Our nation’s first national park is most spectacular in winter (even though the majority of the 4 million visitors come in summer), with bubbling mud pots, blue and green geysers surrounded by snow, including Old Faithful. Seeking wildlife in the otherwise untracked snow is amazing too, leading to herds of bison, elk, even wolves. The bears are sleeping. The

entry at West Yellowstone is just an hour from Big Sky, and the park is open in winter December 15 – March 15.

Zipline at Big Sky – opt for the Adventure Zipline, a 3-hour tour, with four lines spanning up to 1500 feet long above the ski trails and the forest, there’s a Twin Zipline where you can race your fellow zippers. The zip line at the base from the Explorer Chair to the Summit Hotel is super tame, be sure to tuck it so you don’t get stuck dangling above the ski slopes.