March 3, 2010
Montana's Big Sky is big on families
by Heather Burke/
Big Sky Resort in Montana has everything for a memorable ski trip. (photo: Greg Burke)
MORE IMAGES 
I am on the continual quest for the best family ski resorts. Montana now tops my list. Big Sky is big on families, with beautiful slopeside lodging in grand Western-themed hotels or comfy condos, a condensed mountain village, and plenty to do when the ski boots come off.
Not only do kids 10 and under ski and stay free with their parents at Big Sky Resort, the Kids Clubhouse is free each evening for kids to enjoy arts and crafts, games, and s’mores with mascot Freemont the Moose, so Mom and Dad can savor apres ski music, Moose Drool beer and a steamy hot tub.
If you haven’t skied in Montana you should make the trip, and bring the kids for a real eye opener. This is gorgeous ‘River runs through it’ country along the Gallatin River and while you won’t see Brad Pitt fly-fishing this time of year, the scenery and the snow on Big Sky’s slopes are “awesome,” so my kids say.
This southern Montana ski resort, 45 miles from Bozeman airport (driving past Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch), was started in 1973 by Chet Huntley, the famous news anchor. Huntley was no skier, but he saw the beauty of Lone Peak– at 11,166-foot, Montana’s version of the Matterhorn in Zermatt.
The skiing at Big Sky is huge with 3,812 acres on three mountains, 27 lifts and 150-plus marked runs (the longest at 6 miles from Lone Peak summit to the village plaza for a whopping 4,350 vertical). We found something for every member of the family – perfectly groomed boulevards, terrain parks for the teens, tree skiing, plus steep and deep accessed from Lone Peak’s 15-passenger experts-only Tram.
Our family has skied out West plenty, but nothing compared to the excitement of skiing from the Lone Peak summit ... stunning, steep, a little scary, and super rewarding.
The one thing we didn’t find at Big Sky is crowds. Montana is not on most skiers’ maps like Colorado or Utah– yet.
Big Sky is at big elevation so you’re bound to get a bit winded; the base is 7,500 feet.
A day off the slopes isn’t just down time, however. Take your family for an educational tour of Yellowstone National Park by snow coach, just an hour away.
The park, the nation’s first, is extraordinary in snow season (with far fewer tourists), the winter bonus is better wildlife tracking. Your guide will point out big horn sheep, elk, bison (aka: buffalo), coyotes, and eagles on your way to Old Faithful’s eruption. Yellowstone has over 10,000 hydro-thermals you can walk around. The contrast of mineral-colored steaming geysers and bubbling mud pots against the sparkling snow is spectacular.
Back at Big Sky, off slope activities include a zip line, tubing, and dog sledding. As if the skiing at Big Sky were not enough, the resort offers an interchangeable lift ticket with neighboring Moonlight Basin for the ‘Biggest Skiing in America’ with over 5,500 acres of uninterrupted terrain, more than you can ski in a week. If you are like my son, you will want to move to Montana.
Big Sky is a big treat for a family ski trip. Montanans are super friendly, the snow is great, and the scenery is splendid.
For more of Heather’s family ski tips and trips, go to www.familyskitrips.com.
