Where is Big Sky Montana?

Big Sky Ski Resort is 50 miles south (1 hour drive) of the city of Bozeman in the Northern Rockies of southwest Montana. The main village at Big Sky Resort is called Mountain Village, which is a few miles from the old Moonlight Basin ski area (Madison base). The “town” of Big Sky is located about 6.5 miles down the road from the ski resort.

The West Yellowstone entrance to the Yellowstone National Park is only 57 miles to the southeast of Big Sky Montana.

Flights

The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) is the main gateway for Big Sky Montana, which is 52 miles from the resort.

Direct flights originate from Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis and Chicago. You can look at flight options here but expect to pay more to get to Bozeman compared to various other western US ski gateway airports.

Driving to Big Sky

Having a car is ideal if you’re on a road trip of the Montana and Wyoming ski resorts, or a broader Epic Pass safari. If your only destination is Big Sky you’ll probably only need a car if you’re staying off the hill or in a housing estate away from one of the many bus routes.

You can rent a car at the Bozeman Airport and the drive along the canyon is very picturesque with its river and rock walls, and the drive doesn’t involve any tricky passes. Once you turn off Highway 191, the drive up Highway 64 to the resort is also reasonably easy.

Private Transport Providers

There are various shuttle companies that offer Bozeman Airport to Big Sky transfers. These range from economical scheduled transfers to private on-demand shuttles.

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Travel Around Big Sky

Big Sky has enjoyed a real estate explosion such that there is a myriad of sprawling neighbourhoods that snake around the slopes of the Big Sky Ski Resort (and the former Moonlight Basin ski area). The “downtown” areas have also rapidly grown, and there are lots of bus routes to connect many of these areas.

Here is a summary of some of the bus routes around Big Sky:

• Mountain Loop – connects Mountain Village to Madison base area and various upper condo areas
• The Link Express – Bozeman (Walmart) to Big Sky – a fare applies
• The Meadow Town Center Circulator – goes around the lower areas of Big Sky
• The Canyon-Mountain - connects Gallatin Canyon and Meadow Village Center and Town Center to Mountain Village Center. This bus continues into the evening so you can go down or up for dinner.

Other Ski Resorts Nearby

The Yellowstone Club is a private ski resort that borders Big Sky Ski Resort. If you’ve got a cool quarter of a million dollars to join the club plus the 5 to 20 million dollars for a house and extra dough for the annual fees, then Yellowstone Club is definitely worth joining. Most of the celebrities and wealthy folks that stay here don’t have much time to go skiing or snowboarding, so many are not that good at it and the powder amongst the trees and other off-piste areas can remain untracked for a long time. Although if you’re going to spend that much money on a ski vacation destination, I’d personally go on a heli skiing trip to a private lodge instead.

Bridger Bowl is 69 miles from Big Sky, northeast of Bozeman.

Grand Targhee is 161 miles to the south, whilst Jackson Hole Resort is 185 miles to the south. Lots of people like to compare Big Sky and Jackson Hole, which are two rather different bison on either side of Yellowstone. Big Sky’s pros include better terrain for all ability levels and fewer crowds, whilst Jackson Hole has better expert tree skiing, more snow, a great mountain village vibe and après scene, and a very colourful and vibrant town.