Skiing in Montana is particularly synonymous with one place: Big Sky. Just an hour from Bozeman, over 300 ski runs crawl all the way up to the summit of Lone Peak, just begging for fresh powder and thousands of skiers (or snowboarders!) to glide down them annually.
There’s only one problem for me: I don’t ski. I have skied – in fact, I learned how to ski in Big Sky, and I’ll admit I’m not very good at it – but I cannot fathom how one could argue that freezing your toes off in brutal temperatures compares in the slightest to this:
That’s summer in Big Sky. It’s all about wildflower fields, towering pine trees and gentle streams, and since Yellowstone National Park is only an hour away, a day trip there is also a must. Let me show you how to swap ski runs for hiking trails and visit before the first snow falls.
When to arrive: The earlier in the day you arrive, the better, because it is a journey to get here. I’d book an early morning flight (usually cheaper in summer than winter!) that lands in Bozeman mid-morning (Thursday, if this is a long weekend trip) so you can explore some before the hour-long drive to Big Sky.
Getting here from the airport: The most convenient option is a rental car. Driving to and from Big Sky and the numerous trailheads, as well as exploring nearby Yellowstone, will require a set of wheels that you can pick up at the airport. Disclaimer: this itinerary is very car-friendly. There’s also a zero-fare shuttle to Big Sky called the Skyline Bus, which leaves from the Bozeman Walmart. You’ll need to take a rideshare to the Walmart.
Getting around: If you don’t plan to rent a car and venture beyond Big Sky, the same shuttle from the airport operates local buses around Big Sky, 30 minutes to an hour apart at each stop on the schedule, which can be found on their website.
Where to stay: That depends on how much time you’ll spend in the room and how wedded you are to home comforts. If you only need a place to sleep and shower, book a budget-friendly cabin at Cinnamon Lodge, right on the Gallatin River. For all the amenities and more, splurge on a room at Montage Big Sky, or a rental in Moonlight Basin, where you’ll have access to their two lodges, pool, lake and golf course (depending on where you are staying). And for the authentic big sky country experience, camp!
What to pack: Big Sky is not a fashion show. Jeans are always acceptable for nicer dinners. Also, pack layers for hiking – yes, even in the summer.
Your hiking ‘fit should look something like: an outdoor backpack, a hat, hiking boots (not athletic sneakers), thick hiking socks, pants or shorts, a non-cotton base layer and a non-cotton mid-layer. Bring a raincoat and a light down jacket just in case of abnormal weather, and pick up some bear spray once you’ve landed – do not go anywhere outdoors without it!
Pack a sleep mask (the sun rises early here), plenty of sunscreen and a petroleum jelly ointment to stay moisturized in the higher elevation. Lastly, bring a reusable water bottle and use it often.
Leave at home: That oversized cowboy hat you’re debating wearing on the plane (as I have previously been warned).
Day 1
Morning: After you’ve landed at Bozeman Airport (one of the cutest, lodge-y airports you’ve ever seen), pick up your rental car and prep your appetite for brunch at Feed Café in Bozeman. I first tried their Monte Cristo sandwich in 2020, and it’s stayed in my top three sandwiches ever since. They also serve fabulous seasonally flavored lattes, like huckleberry, which grows all over the region.
How to spend the day: If you plan to buy any groceries, like trail snacks, for your trip, this is the time. Big Sky has a couple of markets, but costs climb as high as you will on the drive up the mountain.
Now, it’s time to do just that. It takes about an hour to get from Bozeman to Big Sky, but it hardly feels like a chore. The majority of the drive snakes along the Gallatin River, where you’ll spot plenty of fly fishers, trailheads and campervans.
Once you’ve arrived at your accommodations, do a necessary thing you won’t want to do: rest. Unpack. Enjoy the mountain views (there will be some no matter where you’re staying because they are unavoidable). Chug a bottle of water. You’ve made it.
Dinner: Drive to the banks of the Gallatin River for Texas-style BBQ at The Riverhouse. This is Montana, though – you can’t go wrong with brisket or chopped beef. Fill up on apps, like fried pickles and fried cheese curds, and save room for Texas sheet cake with vanilla ice cream with a few spoons for the table (it’s a hefty slice).
After dark: Most nights, you’ll be spent from the day’s activities, so your first night is the best one to linger out later. Big Sky doesn’t exactly have a thriving nightlife scene, but the good news is you probably won’t have to leave The Riverhouse to find a good time. Check their calendar for live music, bingo nights and line dancing events.
If you’re feeling tired from the journey and want to get a good night’s sleep, at least do some stargazing by their firepit or where you’re staying. I’ve encountered few places with such clear and grand (or Big, ha) skies. Tomorrow’s your earliest wake-up, so no judgment in getting enough shut-eye.
Day 2
Morning: It’s Yellowstone day! Montana’s home to two epic national parks, and one of them is in Big Sky’s backyard. The earlier you head out on your road trip, the better. Aim for 6:30-7am to beat the traffic heading into the park. You’ll also encounter significantly fewer crowds during the week, or even on a Friday, than on the weekend.
On your way out of town, fuel up on gas and caffeine at the Big Sky Conoco, which is in the same lot as the town’s only drive-in coffee shop, The Lone Perk. Sip your coffee and have a pastry or breakfast sandwich as you continue driving down Gallatin Rd. It’s a little over an hour’s journey to the park’s west entrance.
How to spend the day: Explore one of Yellowstone’s two loops, north or south. I’m going to say something controversial: you don’t have to see Old Faithful. Yes, the geyser reliably goes off roughly every hour, but it’s overcrowded, and frankly, you can see fascinating hydrothermal features all over the park. So, let’s talk about the lesser-trafficked (though still trafficked) northern loop.
Without stops, you could drive the loop in about 2.5 hours, but time slips away in this otherworldly place, and I encourage you to let it. Pull over and make the short hikes to notable stops like the Artist Paint Pots trail, which is packed with burbling, bubbling hydrothermal features; Mammoth Hot Springs, where minerals and geothermal activity have formed terrace structures out of limestone; and the Grand Canyon Falls. This waterfall is that girl, which you’ve probably seen plenty of pictures of all over the internet.
There are plenty of things visitors need to know about Yellowstone National Park, but above all: 1. Stay the required safe distance from bison, elk, bears, wolves, etc. (found on the pamphlet you’re given upon entering the park), and 2. Stay on the boardwalks.
Dinner: Nothing sounds better after a day of frolicking around in nature than a greasy pizza with beer. Drive back to Big Sky for dinner at Milkie’s, and stick around after dinner to play darts or pool.
Day 3
Morning: Take the morning to catch up on sleep (or catch the sunrise if you forgot your sleep mask), and mosey into town for some coffee and a breakfast burrito at Cowboy Coffee, which first opened on the other side of Yellowstone in Jackson, Wyoming, and now has a location in the Montana equivalent.
How to spend the day: Pick from two classic Big Sky hikes: Lemonknob Loop or Beehive Basin. They’re both moderately challenging and promise some of the most spectacular views in the area. The biggest difference is distance, so it depends on how much time you have. Lemonknob is almost four miles total, and Beehive is about seven miles round-trip (definitely pack a sandwich for that one). Beehive also passes a lake near the top of the trail.
And then, if you have time to spare before cleaning up for dinner, get to any body of water! Cold plunge it in the Gallatin River by jumping off Green Bridge, or if you’ve opted for ritzier accommodation, find a jacuzzi to relax your muscles after a day of strenuous movement.
Dinner: If there’s any place to go for a “nice” dinner in Big Sky (again, jeans are okay), it’s Michaelangelo’s, which specializes in Italian comfort food. My order: the spinach salad with fried pancetta, strawberries, walnuts and balsamic; the sacchetti al tartufo (ricotta and black truffle stuffed pasta under a blissful truffle cream sauce), which the waitstaff will recommend at least one person at the table orders; and crème brulée topped with fresh berries as the finale.
Day 4
How to spend the day: Pack up the car, check out of where you’re staying, and drive into town. Pick up a pastry and coffee from Hungry Moose, a market-deli-bakery combo. Drive a few minutes down Ousel Falls Rd (or walk on the roadside path for about half an hour) until you reach the Ousel Falls Trailhead for one of the best distance-to-view ratio hikes you’ve ever done.
The full loop to the stunning falls is not quite two miles, with plenty of places to stop off and enjoy the peaceful sounds of the rocky creek. This hike is more heavily trafficked as the day goes on, so the earlier you begin, the better.
With great sadness, it’s time to head back to Bozeman to catch your flight. On the way to the airport, stop at Roost, a fried chicken joint that coincidentally happens to be next door to Feed Café, where you had breakfast on your first day. Order a fried chicken sandwich or the Alabama chicken sandwich (this ‘Bama native was thrilled to see white sauce on the menu), and maybe some fried okra before heading to BZN.
Oh, and leave the bear spray behind if you want to impress TSA.