Visiting Big Sky Country and Yellowstone National Park

We finished off our summer vacation with just over a week in Big Sky, Montana. We fell in love with the wide-open spaces and the beautiful topography, and we enjoyed the slow pace of this mountain destination. We had lots of adventures and tried some new things, but we also had plenty of time to sit back, relax, and read.

How to Get There…

Fly into Bozeman, Montana (for my Dallas readers, both American and Southwest offer direct flights) and rent a car. The drive to Big Sky is about an hour of easy driving and is very scenic. There are some shuttle services available, but I do recommend having a car while you’re in Big Sky.

Note that the lines for rental cars at the Bozeman airport were INSANE. We had a reservation and waited at the Hertz counter for more than 45 minutes. The Avis line was even longer, and all the lines looked even longer on our way home. Plan for that, book using status to skip the lines, or explore other options. Last summer I used Turo, and that was much quicker.

Where to Stay…

We enjoyed staying inside the Big Sky Resort. We stayed in the Shoshone Condominium Hotel because the room layout worked well for our family, and the pool seemed to be full of kids all the time. There are also several other lodging options in the Resort that looked nice and were very convenient. The Summit Hotel looks to be the newest and on the higher end of the lodging selections. I would probably choose that property for an adults’ only trip.

I stayed in a VRBO outside of the Resort when I went last year, and that was fine but less convenient, especially with kids in tow. I also recommend making sure tha
t your lodging offers air conditioning. The temperatures were in the 50s-70s for most of our trip this year, but last year when I was there during the same week, the temperatures got up into the 90s. I haven’t stayed in the town proper, but I definitely prefer the Resort area, as there is more to do.

What to Do…

There are a variety of outdoor adventures awaiting your family in Big Sky, including hiking, mountain biking, ziplining, white water rafting, kayaking and paddle boarding, archery, horseback riding, and fishing. We also enjoyed taking advantage of the activities in the Mountain Village at the Resort, which include a bungee trampoline, a giant swing, a rock-climbing wall, and gemstone mining. Having these activities right outside the hotel was a big plus for our family. Lake Levinski is also inside the Resort area and offers kayak, canoe, and paddle board rentals.

I love mountain vacations because they offer so many activity options that we would never be able to do at home in Dallas. Some of our favorite activities included: 

• Whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River. We did the Montana Whitewater, Gallatin River Classic Half Day Raft Trip (More Challenging) excursion through Montana Whitewater (montanawhitewater.com). The guides were great, and the outfitters offer water shoes, helmets, jackets, and wet suits at no extra charge. Apparently, the week before we arrived, everyone was rafting in swimsuits, but during our trip, most people borrowed wet suits. This adventure included lots of splashes, but we all stayed in the boat. This was hands down my daughter’s favorite part of the trip.
• Ziplining on the mountain. I did the Adventure Zipline last summer, and it was incredible. You take the chairlift up and zip back down the mountain. The activity takes about 2.5 hours. I think it would have been too intense for my 10-year-old daughter, and she didn’t quite meet the weight requirements, so we did the Nature Zipline this trip. This is a shorter, 1 hour experience and is better for kids. It only includes two zip lines though, so it’s a quick activity. You can book both of these at the Big Sky Resort. 
• Archery Lessons. We signed up for a family archery lesson, and this was probably my husband’s favorite activity. The archery range is at the top of the mountain, so the views are spectacular, and they had several different target options. You can also book this at the Big Sky Resort. 
• Hiking the Ousel Falls Park Trail. This is a 1.7-mile trail out and back and is good for any level. There are several places to have a picnic lunch or breakfast along the trail, and there’s also a place to have a swim early in the hike. The hike ends at a beautiful waterfall (pictured) and is very scenic along the way. There are plenty of other trails for varying experience levels, but this one is a must do!
• Riding the Gondolas! Purchase a day pass, and you can ride up and down the mountain as many times as you want and enjoy the views. There are some hiking trails at the top, so you can hop off and walk around. The views are beautiful, and my daughter asked to do this pretty much every day. If you are doing a resort activity (e.g., archery or ziplining), then you can add a chairlift pass for a significant discount.

Big Sky is also only an hour from Yellowstone National Park, so a visit to our country’s oldest national park is a definite must do on any trip to Big Sky! Most of the park is in the northwest corner of Wyoming, so we checked off two states on my daughter’s 50 state list while we are on this trip. We splurged and booked our trip to Yellowstone through Yellowstone Luxury Tours. Our private driver picked us up at our hotel and drove us to and from the park. He had a picnic lunch packed, a telescope for viewing the animals, knew all the best spots to stop and where to park, offered lots of interesting facts, and took great family photos. This was an expensive add on, but as the primary driver on family trips and the mom of a child who is not afraid to complain about too much walking, I was glad we did it. I will say though that I did Yellowstone on my own last summer, and it was very easy to get around, so if you prefer to save your splurge fund for something else, just drive yourself. Yellowstone is a can’t miss destination however you choose to see it. If you have animal lovers in your family, expect to see lots of buffalo and a variety of other animals. In addition to the buffalo (including some babies), we saw a bear family, elk, and an osprey. We also saw a bald eagle outside of the park. I suggest getting to the park as early as possible for less traffic and a quicker entrance. Early birds also have a better chance of seeing more animals before the crowds scare them away and the sun gets too hot. Make sure to grab a park map at the entrance. Roads are clearly labelled, and you can see most of the attractions at any fitness level or even if you have accessibility challenges. I also recommend bringing lots of water, layers, and snacks. Plan for a full 10–12-hour day (including drive times).

Where to Eat…

Riverhouse BBQ is an absolute must for any visit. This is casual and fun for any age. We had a mix of barbeque and fried chicken, and everything was delicious. The restaurant is about 15 minutes from the Resort area and looks out on the Gallatin River. We went for an early dinner after river rafting, and that worked out great. Get there early to avoid a wait (no reservations), and then stay for live music in the outdoor area.

Horn and Cantle at Lone Mountain Ranch is my very favorite restaurant in Big Sky. My only regret is we didn’t go twice on this trip. The restaurant books way in advance, so I would book reservations a few weeks ahead of your trip. Ask for a table on the patio where they have heaters and blankets and a beautiful view. There are lots of wild game options on the menu if you are into that. We had bison and elk, but there are plenty of other options as well. And make sure to save room for dessert! This is one of the pricier restaurants in the area, so check out menu prices before you go if you are on a budget.

Bucks T-4 Lodge was also a great dinner option. We went for my husband’s birthday. This is one of the older spots in Big Sky and had great steak and seafood options. The interior is a bit dark and a bit more casual. We really enjoyed our meal here, but I think I would opt for two nights at Horn and Cantle if I went back and skip Bucks T-4.

There are also plenty of perfectly good dining options in the Resort area. We had a nice dinner at Carabiner one evening and enjoyed drinks and a family game in the lounge area before we ate. Westward Social and Chet’s were more casual options, and Vista Hall is a great quick option with various options in more of a cafeteria style setting. You can find all of these spots on the Resort website linked above. 

If you plan to buy groceries, do it in Bozeman. Big Sky has some stores, but a box of cereal was running around $9 per box. Bozeman prices seemed much more in line with what we are used to. We stocked up on coffee, wine, sandwich fixings, snacks, and breakfast items. We did picnics multiple days, which was nice with the weather and scenery.

A Comment About the Weather…

Montana weather is totally unpredictable. I went the same week in August two years in a row and the delta in temperatures was about 30 degrees. My husband and I also use the same phone service, and both have iPhones, and our weather apps predicted wildly different forecasts every day that we were there even when we were sitting right next to each other on the couch. My point is, you don’t know what you will get, so pack lots of layers, bring a rain jacket, and keep your wardrobe casual.

What to Read While You’re There…

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is one of my all-time favorite books, and I have been saving it for this post! I am so excited to recommend this book. Follow Gus and Cal from Texas to Montana, as they drive cattle across the country lead by rumors of a beautiful and mostly untouched Montana. This is an adventure story, a love story, and a rich story of one of our country’s last frontiers. McMurtry is a beautiful writer, and he has created a rich cast of characters which includes former Texas Rangers, cowboys, prostitutes, struggling settlers, outlaws, and native Americans. At 960 pages, I know the length is a bit intimidating, but there’s absolutely nothing that drags about this story. I love it so much I have read it twice! Unequivocally five-stars from me on Goodreads and essential American Literature reading.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead is the exciting story of a fictional female aviator, Marian Graves, who disappeared in 1950 while attempting a north-south circumnavigation of the earth. Marian’s story spans prohibition era Montana, a world war, and a series of personal hardships. The book has a dual timeline with Marian’s story running parallel to the story of a young actress, Hadley, who has been cast to play Marian in an upcoming Hollywood movie. Some reviewers complained about the length (just over 600 pages), but I didn’t find this overly long at all. The Hadley part could have arguably been cut (though I still enjoyed that part), but I really loved this book.  I gave this a four star rating on Goodreads.

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean is perfect for any fishing lovers or those who plan to spend time on the rivers. This is a novella but a bit of a slow burn. There’s not a lot of action, but it captures the sense of space in Montana and the beauty of the land and the waterways. This is also a heartfelt examination of the relationships between two sons and their father and the two brothers. These men have trouble connecting in an emotional way, but they connect through fishing and show their love for each other on the river. If I had read this at home, I probably would have rated it three stars, but in Montana it was a four-star read.