BIG SKY // Area Intro & Highlights

BIG SKY

Many Montana towns grew up alongside the economy of the early 20th century: railroads, logging, mining, ranching, and even gold rushes. Big Sky is a different story—though some homesteaders moved into the area in the early 1900s, the community didn’t form until after Chet Huntley, the Montana-born NBC news anchor, started development of Big Sky Resort in the late 1960s.

At the base of Lone Peak and adjacent to the lifts of Big Sky Resort, Big Sky Mountain Village offers the lively mountain atmosphere synonymous with a world class ski resort: restaurants, bars, shops, and a variety of real estate for those wishing to be close to the winter slopes and the summer’s extensive hiking and mountain biking options.

The thriving heart of the year-round Big Sky community can be found in the Meadow, the town seven miles down the road from the ski resort that’s nestled between the surrounding peaks and the winding forks of the Gallatin River. The seasonal influx of visitors to the resort supports an outsize selection of restaurants, galleries, and amenities for a town of 3,000 year-round residents. Combined with the incredible variety of outdoor recreation, those who say you can’t have it all have clearly never been to Big Sky.

A MOUNTAIN RESORT TOWN WITH A THRIVING YEAR-ROUND COMMUNITY

GROWING TOGETHER

BIG SKY OPENS BASE, A FORWARD-THINKING FITNESS AND COMMUNITY CENTER

The residents of Big Sky are dedicated to ensuring that their picturesque mountain hideaway will always be a great place to live, work, and play. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the new BASE facility—Big Adventure, Safe Environment—a versatile community and fitness center that opened in March of 2022 in the heart of town.

Recognizing that Big Sky lacked indoor space accessible to the entire community—for either fitness or gatherings— the Big Sky Community Organization undertook an ambitious $20 million project to rectify both issues. The result: a two-story facility that offers a little bit of everything, from a light-filled gymnasium surrounded by a walking track to the new home for the Arts Council of Big Sky, including a classroom with six pottery wheels and a kiln.

The space was designed with the long-term needs of the entire community in mind, with thoughtful touches like a vestibule positioned near the bus stop, providing a warm place to wait for a ride. It has the expected gym amenities, including a two-story rock wall and spin classes, but also mental health and wellness services and an open lounge with ping pong and air hockey, achieving the organization’s goal of a community center that truly offers something for everyone.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

BIG SKY 2025

From the day the first eager skiers loaded onto the lifts in 1973, Big Sky Resort has never rested on its laurels. The decades in between have seen the addition of new terrain, chairlifts, and mountain amenities, keeping the resort one of the top skiing destinations in the country.

Now Big Sky Resort is in the final phase of Big Sky 2025, its ambitious 10-year plan to transform the entire Big Sky experience. Taking a holistic view of the ski area and its community, the plan addresses every aspect of the resort: improved air and ground transportation, new dining options, and additional workforce housing within walking distance of the slopes. The resort has upgraded five existing chairlifts with larger, faster models, including Swift Current 6, now the fastest lift in North America. Ramcharger 8 was installed in 2018 as the first 8-person chairlift on the continent, whisking 3,600 skiers per hour to the top of Andesite Mountain. These two lifts, as well as the 6-person Powder Seeker, feature ultra-wide heated seats and weatherproof bubbles for the ultimate mountain experience.

The resort will also be replacing the 25-year-old tram to the top of Lone Peak. A new two-stage gondola will connect from the village to a mid-mountain learning center, then continue on to the base of the tram, where a new food and beverage hub with multiple dining options and a panoramic look at Lone Peak will serve inspiration with a side of fries.