Shoulder-Season Guide to Enjoying Big Sky

Well the snow is melting, and the town has started to slow down… what a great time to come enjoy Big Sky like a local. 

Things to do Around Town 

With a slower pace it’s a perfect time to explore the places you may have missed. 

• Brewery tour-Visit the two breweries in town, Lone Peak & Beehive Basin . Head to Lone Peak for a lunch beer and finish off at Beehive for a card game or good old-fashioned cribbage match and stay for three of their tasty beers.

• Catch a Show-Did you know there is a cinema in town center? At Lone Peak Cinema watch the latest hits in their comfy leather seats with your favorite adult beverage.  

• Trivia-Come back to the cinema each Friday for TRIVA at its finest. Grab your crew, pick a good team name, & hope that you have spread your knowledge far & wide. 

• BINGO-Tuesday at the Gallatin Riverhouse Grill, supporting our local American Legion Post 99. The BINGO game starts at 6:15pm but go early and get a bite and beverage. All the proceeds go towards supporting our community and scholarships for our local youth. 

• Fly Fish- Big Sky, Montana is surrounded by blue ribbon trout fishing, with rivers, alpine lakes and mountain streams, making the area a fly-fishing paradise. Gallatin River Guides(just across the highway from Buck’s will get you all set up)

• Yellowstone National Park- Check out all the sites before summer hits, located just 45 min from our front door. Watch the animals come out of hibernation and Old Faithful erupt with no one around.

• Whitewater Raft- Pop next door to Geyser Whitewaterto take on the wild and scenic Gallatin River, which travels through the spectacular Gallatin Canyon and the Big Sky area. Experienced river guides will take you on some exciting and challenging whitewater sections (the spring run-off means raging waters with a whole lot of excitement).

Places to HIKE

• Porcupine Creek- Just left out of our property enjoy the forest setting in the 2.3 mile loop.

• Storm Castle- a 4.7 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. Don’t forget to catch the view from the top and the prized picture from the top. 

• Ousel Falls- 1.5 miles round trip Ousel Falls is probably the most popular hike in all of Big Sky. This mellow hike follows the South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River to a stunning waterfall. It’s easy access and appropriate for all ages.

• Lava Lake- 6 miles round trip Lava Lake is a popular hiking trail that is accessed near the 35 MPH bridge on Highway 191 in the Gallatin Canyon. The Lava Lake Trail parallels Cascade Creek and ends at Lava Lake – the only non-glacially carved lake in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

For more information on trails in Big Sky, click HERE.

Where to EAT

Our favorite in house restaurant is closed until May 24^th, so it’s a great time to get out and explore. Start the day with our complementary hot buffet breakfast and then start your next adventure stopping at all the favorites. Click here for the full list of open restaurants.

Enjoy the PROPERTY

During the shoulder season our property turns into a place of your own. Enjoy the Patio with river rock fireplace, steaming hot tubs, or grab a book and read it in the outdoor wedding garden or on those colder days take it inside to our hotel lobby enjoying the fire. 

If the slower pace and local feel is what you are after, come visit us during the early spring and late fall.