Big Sky, Montana

The Best Ski Resorts in the U.S. and Canada: 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards
For our 32nd annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey—yes, more than three decades—a record 600,000 registered voters weighed in. They were hot to share their thoughts on the best hotels in the world and best cities in the world, but also on the best skiing. From Montana to New Hampshire, Nevada to Quebec, these ski resorts were picked by our readers as the best in the world for their trails, lifts and lines, and spots for après-ski. Whether you consider yourself an expert on the moguls or someone just there for the scene, these ski resorts ticked all the boxes for you.
23. Big Sky, Montana
It’s called “the biggest skiing in America” for good reason: The first thing you register when you buckle in at Big Sky is the complete lack of crowds. With 5,850 skiable acres (which adds up to about an acre per skier on the busiest day), you almost never see a lift line. The mountain has the most consistent powder dumps in the Northern Rockies, which blanket a drop of 4,350 vertical feet from Lone Peak (there are more than 2,300 acres of beginner and intermediate slopes, too); thanks to the $150 million Big Sky 2025 investment initiative, it also has some of the most technologically advanced chairlifts, with heated seats and weatherproof bubbles. The recent debut of Vista Hall delivers a much-needed upgrade to the base area dining scene with stations for sushi and ramen, tacos, and stone-fired pizza. It might not be the most happening place at night, but you’ll be too wiped from all of that shredding to care. And now it’s easier than ever to get to nearby Bozeman, with nonstop flights from 17 U.S. cities.
Where to stay: Huntley Lodge in Mountain Village is right by the lift area. The Wilson Hotel, Big Sky’s first branded hotel (Marriott) is walking distance to Big Sky’s growing Town Center shops & restaurants. New One&Only and Montage hotels are slated to open at neighboring Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks in the next couple of years.
Stats: 38 lifts for 300 named trails. One-day lift tickets range from $55 to $168; on the Mountain Collective Pass.

Giving Back in Big Sky
The pandemic was an accelerator, but at the feet of Lone Peak, it didn’t just drive real estate values and remote work—it supercharged a community safety net. So much of our workforce is struggling to make ends meet,” says Sarah Gaither Bivins, who as director of the Big Sky Community Food Bank has seen her […]

Montage To Bring First Ultra Luxury Resort And Residences To Big Sky Montana
Montage International, the hotel and resort management company behind the brand, Montage Hotels & Resorts, will open a resort with a hotel and residences in Big Sky, Montana. Currently under construction, Montage Big Sky will be the first ultra-luxury five-star resort in the entire state. Located at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, a private ski and golf course community set on more […]

A Trip to Montana With StreetLights Residential CEO Doug Chestnut
Have you ever traveled to a destination and instantly fallen in love? That’s what happened when I landed in Bozeman, Montana, and made the scenic, hour-long drive through the breathtaking Gallatin Canyon to the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club nestled in the Madison Mountain Range of southwest Montana. Designed for year-round luxury adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts, […]