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Ski USA - Montana

Big Sky Resort Reviews


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Visitor reviews for Big Sky Ski Resort

Big Sky Ratings

Overall: 4.2. Based on 18 votes and 8 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 4.9

  • Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
  • Is often closed due to a lack of snow
  • Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
  • Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
  • Big Sky is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 5.0

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Big Sky has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 4.8

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.6

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 4.1

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Big Sky

Public Transport: 4.1

  • There are no buses or taxis to Big Sky
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 4.5

  • No places to stay in/near Big Sky
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 3.5

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 4.0

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Big Sky

Ski in/Ski out: 5.0

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 4.2

  • There are no child care facilities at Big Sky
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.9

  • Big Sky relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 4.5

  • There are no snow groomers at Big Sky
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Big Sky are groomed daily

Shelter: 4.5

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Big Sky is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 2.8

  • If snow conditions are poor at Big Sky, it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 4.6

  • Big Sky usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 4.9

  • The staff at Big Sky are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Big Sky are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 4.9

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 4.6

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.9

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 4.6

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 4.6

  • No intermediate terrain at Big Sky
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 5.0

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 4.2

  • Not even a kicker at Big Sky
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 4.0

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Big Sky
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 1.6

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Big Sky has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 4.0

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 3.9

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 3.5

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 3.1

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 3.7

  • Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
  • The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
  • The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 3.7

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 4.6

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 4.2

  • Overall, Big Sky is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 4.0

  • Overall, Big Sky is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

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April 14, 2019
Montana Mel from Ski USA - California USA - California
In the past few years, Big Sky has been discovered. No longer a sleepy giant, there are now lift lines. Maybe because Montana had the best snow in the USA in 2018, and maybe due to the addition of the Ikon pass; either way there are now lots more people; don't count on powder lasting beyond noon, where in the past it might have lasted for days. Lines are much shorter or non-existent in April, when sunshine can be intense. If you enjoy dining out, plan on a few trips to Town Center or Highway 191 on the Skyline shuttle for the best food.
October 12, 2014
r.e.f.
Will be returning to Big Sky for the 8th time and tend to spend about a month at a time skiing all level of trails both on and off piste. Can only say don't go there as it's absolutely awful and that is why we keep returning, if you get my drift.
February 07, 2014
CG
Big Sky? Super stoked. Enormous mountain now that the merger with Moonlight has happened - and with a huge variety of terrain: trees, chutes and steeps, groomers. Enough to keep a group of 7 snowboarders with the full range of ability happy. What sets the place apart is the beauty of the terrain, and the real warm welcome from the locals. Great range of accommodation. Yup, buy your groceries in Bozeman first, but don't sweat it. It's really worth the trek. Our week here included some powder days and a few super cold days, so you get nose (freeze? editor) but it keeps the snow in great shape. And we didn't mind coming down to one of the base areas for a feed at lunch. We also had a great week in Jackson just before but I'd still rate this mountain above many of its North American competitors; friendliness, good infrastructure, complete lack of crowds and awesome terrain.
February 11, 2012
CB
Stayed at Beaverhead Lodge January 2012 - ski in / ski out and the hot tub was nice to relax in. The mountain is huge and there are not any crowds. Heaps of double blacks off the tram and it craps on Jackson Hole if you enjoy steep skiing. Food is ok but it's best to load up at Bozeman before you drive up the hill.
April 15, 2009
RB from Ski USA - California USA - California
Big Sky is truly a destination resort worth visiting. The mountain is huge and terrain is quite varied. Add on Moonlight Basin (which can be skied on one lift ticket) and you have one of the biggest and most diverse areas in the country. On-mountain accommodations are really quite good, particularly the Powder Ridge cabins, which offer luxury at a moderate price. Snowfall isn't quite as great here as Jackson Hole (a few dozen miles to the south), but it's still excellent. Plus, the mountain holds its snow very well due to the high altitude, cold temps, and north/east orientation. I have only one gripe with Big Sky: on mountain dining is far too limited. Hopefully, that will change with additional development.
February 18, 2008
Andrew B from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just back from a week in Feb 2008. In brief this is a big resort (for the US) with few visitors. Not at all sophisticated in either accommodation, mountain dining or apres-ski but if you want some varied slopes with no queues and good chance of fluffy powder it's a good bet. Couple it with Moonlight Basin (next door on a shared lift pass) for even bigger area (intermediate skiers here for a full week will need to explore here for 1 or 2 days). Steep blacks off Challenger and Lone Peak Tram are manageable for confident intermediates; chutes in the same area are for expert only; green & blues on Andesite were deserted, wide - ideal for beginners. Glades all over, some of which have been thinned for beginners. On mountain dining - Pinnacles at the top of Ramcharger has best food & good bar/wine list at a full service restaurant; the only other option is the Moonlight Lodge off the Iron Horse Lift - it has a "deli" restaurant (soups & hot or cold sandwiches) and full sit down table service - limited menu but incredible wine list. If you stay longer than a week or just want a day off skiing (why would you?) the trips to Yellowstone National Park are supposed to be good - hiking/snowmobiling/4x4. It's a long way to come from Blighty but worth it - expansion of accommodation is planned for next couple of seasons so get here before it is spoiled by too many beds than the mountain can handle.
February 09, 2006
Rick Lang from Ski USA - California USA - California
Well now.....my friends and I have decided this place is officially off limits to all other skiers.....just too nice. Spent a week here in early January and was skiing the same couple feet of dry fluffy powder that fell when I arrived, all damn week and never saw a liftline.......
November 22, 2005
Snow Forecast admin from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Big Sky is a growing resort community set midway between Bozeman and West Yellowstone, Montana. Still surrounded by Wild Montana (elk are usually in the neighborhood, bear are a little more shy), this is a place where the ranching world meets modern life. Big Sky guests can enjoy all the comforts they want, but golfers may notice moose wandering across the course, and wolves roam the spectacular mountain scenery. You may see snow flurries on the higher peaks any time during summer, but days are mostly warm and sunny. Fly into Bozeman's Gallatin Field, about an hour north, rent a car and head south through the Gallatin Valley, following Highway 191 through the Gallatin Canyon, following the Gallatin River. (Curiously, the Swiss-born Secretary of the Treasury who gave his name to all these places never visited the region.) Then turn west on a spur road and wind your way up to Big Sky Resort. The Big Sky community is home to one of the largest ski resorts in North America. It's young (just over 30 years old), and vibrant in winter. Something like 10 percent of the community's 1,000 residents are involved with real estate, but come summer it's a very peaceful place to visit or live. "Peaceful" doesn't mean there's nothing to do -it just indicates you have a lot of choices and not much competition. You'll find blue-ribbon fly-fishing on rivers and streams. Dominated by Lone Peak (11,166 feet), there's hiking in surrounding mountains (the Gallatins, Madisons and Spanish Peaks), where carpets of wildflowers can last well into July at higher elevations. You can go horseback riding (the area has several famous guest ranches), try mountain biking, take a sunrise balloon ride, enjoy whitewater sports on the Gallatin River, swim, rock climb, play tennis, or just kick back and reeelax. Most visitors venture into Yellowstone National Park at least briefly. It's an hour south of the resort along Highway 191, but try to avoid weekends and holidays, when crowding is pretty much inevitable. Big Sky gets quiet after Labor Day. Fall colors change the landscape with bursts of brilliant gold aspen. Days are crisp and clear; there's hunting and still fishing; and many mornings there's fresh snow creeping down from the higher reaches, a reminder that skiing often opens before Christmas.