Mountain Info
Learn about the on-mountain experience at Big Sky Resort, including lifts, terrain parks, mountain stats, and more.
5,850
acres of skiable terrain
50/50
beginner-advanced terrain split
400
inches of snowfall annually
40
chairlifts & surface lifts
320 Named Runs
- 21% Beginner
- 15% Intermediate
- 14% Advanced-Intermediate
- 31% Advanced
- 11% Expert
- 8% Extreme
4,350 Vertical Feet
Lone Peak Summit
11,166’
Mountain Village Base Area
7,500’
Madison Base Area
7,400’
6 Terrain Parks
Our mission is to offer a fun, diverse space for skiers and riders of all levels to progress safely. Start at Wolf Pup, Cowpoke, and the Explorer parks to warm up or build skills. Move to The Cache and Plain Jane for more challenges, and tackle Swifty, our largest park, for big jumps and complex features. With six parks, there’s ample opportunity to discover and push your limits.
40 Lifts
42,000 uphill capacity per hour
1,800 chairs
13 surface lifts
2 gondolas
1 tram
Our Investment in Lift Technology
Big Sky Resort has partnered with Doppelmayr to bring the best in lift technology to North America. Their series of D-Line ropeways combines elegant design, efficiency, and comfort for a seamless on-mountain experience.
From the features of your ride, like ergonomic heated seats and spacious, weatherproof bubbles and cabins, to the direct drive that quietly and efficiently powers each lift behind the scenes with less downtime, these features come together to make our lifts reliable, comfortable, and fast—creating a better experience for you on the mountain.
Doppelmayr Direct Drive
The Doppelmayr Direct Drive is a gearless drive concept, as opposed to a traditional gearbox. The direct drive reduces maintenance requirements, operates more efficiently, and is extremely quiet. The benefits of the direct drive mean more reliable lifts, cleaner operations, and a more comfortable ride.
Fatzer Performa-DT Haul Rope
Constructed with plastic threads between the rope strands, the Fatzer Performa-DT rope brings a new level of comfort to ropeways. The plastic helps dampen vibrations and smooths the rope's profile, allowing it to run seamlessly over the towers. This results in less wear and tear on the lift machinery and a more comfortable, quieter ride for guests.
Explorer Gondola
Extending from Mountain Village to the Bowl, the new two-stage gondola connects to the lower terminal of the Lone Peak Tram, allowing for full pedestrian access from the base area to the summit of Lone Peak, and a mid-station terminal for improved access to beginner terrain.
- The Explorer Gondola is the fastest gondola in the world, traveling at 7.1 meters/second for a 9-minute ride time to the Bowl
- 10-person cabins with ergonomic heated seats, floor-to-ceiling windows, and exterior and interior ski and snowboard holders
- Fatzer Performa-DT haul rope reduces vibration for a smoother, more comfortable ride
Madison 8
Madison 8, which replaced the Six Shooter lift, nearly doubled uphill capacity and reduced ride time by 30%. Enjoy the 8-minute ride on the world’s longest 8-place lift with heated seats, weatherproof Big Sky Blue Bubbles, and a whisper-quiet ride.
- Operates at 6 meters/second, the fastest chairlift speed in North America
- Ergonomic heated seats with individual headrests & footrests
- Weatherproof Big Sky Blue bubbles
- Auto-lowering and locking safety bars
- Fatzer Performa-DT haul rope reduces vibration for a smoother, more comfortable ride
Lone Peak Tram
Installed 50 years after Big Sky Resort’s inaugural opening day in 1973, the new Lone Peak Tram is an engineering marvel that serves as a gateway to experience one of North America’s most spectacular summits on Lone Mountain.
The new tram is a complete replacement of the original jig-back gondola built in 1995 and the first new tram to be built in North America since 2008.
- Unrivaled speed, traveling at 10 meters/second for a ride time of just under 4 minutes
- Two tram cabins, each with up to 75-passenger capacity and configurable seating
- Glass floor panels installed in the summer allow guests to look down under the cabin as high as 300 feet above the ground
Swift Current 6
Replacing the Swift Current high-speed quad, Swift Current 6 increases uphill capacity out of the Mountain Village base area by up to 50%. On the hill, the 90-degree unload faces skiers toward the Bowl on Jay Walk, creating a smoother skier flow.
- Operates at 6 meters/second, the fastest chairlift speed in North America
- Ergonomic heated seats with individual headrests & footrests
- Weatherproof Big Sky Blue bubbles
- Auto-locking safety bars
Ramcharger 8
As the first 8-place chair and first Doppelmayr Direct Drive installation in North America, Ramcharger 8 launched lift technology into a new era. Equipped with a weatherproof Big Sky Blue Bubble and ultra-wide ergonomic heated seats, guest comfort is optimized while the improved technology eases maintenance.
- Ergonomic heated seats with individual headrests & footrests
- Weatherproof Big Sky Blue bubbles
- Auto-locking safety bars
Big Sky Resort Lift Stats
| Lift | Features | Capacity | Vertical | Length | Ride Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Peak Tram | High Speed | 75 | 2,142 ft | 4.612 ft | 4 min |
| Explorer Gondola | High Speed, D-Line Technology, Heated seats | 10 | 1,499 ft | 8,236 ft | 9 min |
| One&Only Gondola | High Speed, D-Line Technology, Heated seats | 8 | 36 ft | 3,987 ft | 6 min |
| Ramcharger | High Speed, D-Line Technology, Heated seats, Big Sky Blue Bubbles | 8 | 1,160 ft | 4,578 ft | 4.5 min |
| Madison | High Speed, D-Line Technology, Heated seats, Big Sky Blue Bubbles | 8 | 1,846 ft | 8,631 ft | 8 min |
| Swift Current | High Speed, D-Line Technology, Heated seats, Big Sky Blue Bubbles | 6 | 1,647 ft | 8,555 ft | 7 min |
| Powder Seeker | High Speed, Heated seats, Big Sky Blue Bubbles | 6 | 833 ft | 2,920 ft | 3 min |
| Thunder Wolf | High Speed | 4 | 1,728 ft | 5,966 ft | 6 min |
| Shedhorn | High Speed | 4 | 1,484 ft | 4,623 ft | 4 min |
| Southern Comfort | High Speed | 4 | 1,250 ft | 6,055 ft | 6 min |
| Lewis and Clark | High Speed | 4 | 715 ft | 4,182 ft | 4 min |
| Iron Horse | Fixed Grip | 4 | 874 ft | 3,370 ft | 7.5 min |
| Lone Tree | Fixed Grip | 4 | 650 ft | 1,540 ft | 3.5 min |
| Derringer | Fixed Grip | 4 | 429 ft | 2,481 ft | 5.5 min |
| Challenger | Fixed Grip | 3 | 1,672 ft | 4,756 ft | 9.5 min |
| Lone Moose | Fixed Grip | 3 | 1,292 ft | 4,131 ft | 8.5 min |
| Dakota | Fixed Grip | 3 | 1,210 ft | 3,100 ft | 6 min |
| Pony Express | Fixed Grip | 3 | 560 ft | 3,100 ft | 6 min |
| Sacajawea | Fixed Grip | 3 | 544 ft | 2,562 ft | 5 min |
| Cascade* | Fixed Grip | 3 | 448 ft | 3,295 ft | 6.5 min |
| Cabin* | Fixed Grip | 3 | 136 ft | 1,614 ft | 3 min |
| Highlands* | Fixed Grip | 3 | 951 ft | 3,845 ft | 8 min |
| Jayhawk* | Fixed Grip | 3 | 207 ft | 2,552 ft | 5 min |
| Headwaters | Fixed Grip | 2 | 686 ft | 1,500 ft | 3 min |
| White Otter* | Fixed Grip | 2 | 210 ft | 2,200 | 4.5 min |
| Little Thunder* | Fixed Grip | 2 | 71 ft | 922 ft | 2 min |
| Stagecoach* | Fixed Grip | 2 | 191 ft | 2,170 ft | 4.5 min |
Big Sky Resort also has 13 surface lifts.
*Primarily real estate access only.
NONSTOP FLIGHTS TO BIG SKY
Big Sky is the most well-connected ski destination in the country, with direct flights from 19 unique cities and 21 airports to BZN. Bozeman now offers more flights from the Northeast than any other ski destination and arrivals before noon from all over the country for same-day skiing.
Big Sky is the Destination of the Year
Big Sky is making headlines as SKI Magazine's #1 resort in the West, Expedia's top destination for 2026, and Condé Nast Traveler's #2 ski resort in the U.S. Whether you're a first-timer or a season regular, now's the time to experience the destination everyone's talking about.
