10 reasons Yellowstone County is the ultimate winter playground
- Originally published December 18, 2015 for iExplore
- Written by Reese Hanneman
- Photography by Gabrielle Naranja
It’s no secret that Montana attracts outdoor adventure enthusiasts year-round. But, if you like carving deep powder, laying fresh tracks, and off-piste shredding, you have got to experience Yellowstone County this winter.
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin interconnect, giving you access to more skiing than anywhere else in the United States. With the Biggest Skiing in America lift ticket. You can access 5,532 skiable acres and endless ways to navigate 4,350 feet of vertical drop. Lots of resorts have big peaks on the horizon. But the one here—Lone Peak—is actually on the trail map. The Lone Peak Tram takes you right up to the top. Where you’ll have some eight square miles of runs and 4,350 vertical feet laid before your wide eyes. A vast diversity of terrain—from greenhorn to grab-your-avalanche-beacon—means nobody in the family gets bored. Add in 400 inches of dry, light powder, and short lift lines, and you’ll begin to see why “big” applies to every turn on the hill.
Moonlight Basin
Moonlight Basin boasts a wide variety of sublime ski and snowboard terrain — 1,900 acres of pristine groomers, tree glades and challenging steeps with a huge terrain park. Located on the north side of Lone Mountain, which it shares with Big Sky Resort, Moonlight Basin is a collection of steep chutes and gullies, wide open bowls, long groomers, moguls, beginner runs, and tree skiing. One of America’s newest resorts, Moonlight Basin has not let youth stand in its way when it comes to high-end amenities, personalized service and Montana hospitality. Family-focused and friendly, the staff at Moonlight makes visitors feel welcome, while the surroundings make them feel privileged. From the gourmet trappings of Jack Creek Saloon to the pristine ruggedness of the Montana wilderness and the crowd-free slopes, vacationers will feel as if they’ve arrived at their own private ski resort, which, in a very real way, they have….
