25 Things to Do in Big Sky Montana: Best Activities (2026)

Big Sky, Montana has a new way to stand on top of the world.

This summer, for the first time, guests can ride the gondola and Lone Peak Tram to the summit of Lone Mountain — 11,166 feet — and step into Kircliff: a two-story glass observatory built at the summit, delivering 360-degree views across some of the most extraordinary terrain in the American West. The Yellowstone plateau to the south. The Teton Range beyond. Over ten mountain ranges visible on a clear day, from a glass room at the top of Montana.

Kircliff is brand new for summer 2026. No travel blog has covered it yet. And it’s only one of the things about Big Sky that the major travel guides are missing.

Quick Answer — Things to Do in Big Sky Montana

Big Sky’s essential experiences: ride to Kircliff — the new summer 2026 glass observatory at 11,166 feet on Lone Peak (360-degree views of Yellowstone, the Tetons, and 10+ mountain ranges), hike Ousel Falls Trail (Big Sky’s most beloved hike, family-friendly), tackle Beehive Basin Trail (glacial cirque, crystalline lake, Lone Peak backdrop), raft or fish the Gallatin River, attend Music in the Mountains (free Thursday evening concerts all summer), ski Big Sky Resort in winter (America’s largest skiable terrain with Moonlight Basin), and day-trip to Yellowstone National Park (50 miles south). Budget 3–5 days.

Big Sky: More Than the Biggest Ski Resort

The ski numbers are the headline: 5,800+ skiable acres, 4,350 vertical feet, 400 inches of annual snowfall, 300 days of sunshine, and the unique claim that combined with Moonlight Basin, Big Sky Resort represents the largest skiable terrain in the United States.

But Big Sky in summer is its own argument. The same mountain that holds ski runs in winter holds 40+ miles of hiking trails in summer, an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, lift-serviced mountain biking, a new glass observatory at the summit, and the specific beauty of the Gallatin River canyon at elevation.

And Big Sky’s position at the edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the geographic advantage that makes it more than a resort. Yellowstone’s north entrance is 50 miles south via US-191 — a route that follows the Gallatin River through one of Montana’s most scenic canyon drives. The Lamar Valley, the finest wildlife viewing corridor in the continental United States, is accessible as a day trip from Big Sky.

For lodging and RV traveler planning, see my Big Sky city guide and Big Sky RV parks guide.

For the full sweep of Montana outdoor adventures beyond Big Sky, see our things to do in Montana guide.

All 25 Things to Do in Big Sky Montana

New in 2026:

1. Kircliff — glass observatory at 11,166 feet (BRAND NEW SUMMER 2026) ⭐

Hiking (Summer’s Core): 2. Ousel Falls Trail — Big Sky’s most beloved hike, TripAdvisor #1 ⭐ 3. Beehive Basin Trail — glacial cirque, crystalline lake, Lone Peak ⭐ 4. Custer Gallatin National Forest trails

Big Sky Resort (Summer Activities): 5. Scenic lift rides + naturalist guide tours 6. Lift-serviced mountain biking 7. Ziplining through Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 8. Arnold Palmer golf course 9. ATV / Side-by-Side tours

History (What No Guide Covers): 10. Historic Crail Ranch (1902 homestead, free weekend tours) ⭐ 11. Historic Karst Camp (1901 ghost town) ⭐ 12. Big Sky Chapel and Soldiers Chapel ⭐

Water Activities: 13. Gallatin River whitewater rafting ⭐ 14. Fly fishing — blue-ribbon Gallatin River 15. Kayaking and scenic floats

Events (Summer 2026): 16. Music in the Mountains — FREE Thursday concerts ⭐ 17. Big Sky Farmers Market — Wednesday evenings, 90+ vendors ⭐

Wildlife and Nature: 18. Dark sky stargazing ⭐ 19. Horseback riding (Jake’s Horses + area outfitters) 20. Scenic air tours (Bozeman Valley + Big Sky)

Food, Drink, and Social: 21. Beehive Basin Brewery, The Waypoint, Tips Up bar 22. Caliber Coffee + Cowboy Coffee Co. + Hero Snow Coffee

Winter (The Defining Season): 23. Big Sky Resort + Moonlight Basin skiing (largest in US) ⭐ 24. Cross-country skiing + snowshoeing at Lone Mountain Ranch 25. Snowmobiling + winter Yellowstone wildlife safaris

Day Trips:

• Yellowstone National Park (50 miles south)
• Lamar Valley wildlife watching
• Bozeman (48 miles north)

Kircliff — Big Sky’s Brand-New 2026 Summer Attraction ⭐

Every summer, there is one new attraction that no travel guide has covered yet. For summer 2026, at Big Sky Resort, that attraction is Kircliff.

Big Sky Resort describes it directly: “Kircliff is Big Sky’s glass observatory at 11,166 feet, accessible to every guest by gondola and tram, delivering 360-degree views across some of the most extraordinary terrain in the American West.”

Here’s the specific experience: ride the Explorer Gondola up the mountain, then transfer to the Lone Peak Tram for the final ascent to 11,166 feet — the summit of Lone Mountain. Step into a two-story glass structure. Look in every direction.

What you see: the Yellowstone plateau to the south, the Teton Range rising beyond it, the Gallatin Valley to the north, and over ten mountain ranges simultaneously on a clear day.

The observatory is accessible to every guest — you don’t need skiing ability, mountaineering experience, or prior fitness training. The gondola and tram do the climbing. The glass does the rest.

Kircliff operates with summer resort hours: June 13–September 13, 2026. A Kircliff & Scenic Lift Ticket includes all-day access to the gondola, tram, and Ramcharger 8 chairlift, with scenic rides running 9 AM–5 PM.

Zero travel blogs have covered this as of 2026. It is the most significant new attraction at any Montana resort in recent memory, and this post is where it gets the attention it deserves.

Hiking: Big Sky’s Summer Foundation

Ousel Falls Trail — Big Sky’s #1 ⭐

Ousel Falls Trail is Big Sky’s most beloved hike and consistently appears as the highest-rated attraction on both TripAdvisor (4.8 stars, 581 reviews) and Expedia’s Big Sky guide.

The trail follows the South Fork of the West Fork Gallatin River through pine forest to Ousel Falls — a multi-tiered waterfall dropping into a canyon. The round trip is approximately 1.5–2 miles with minimal elevation gain, making it accessible to virtually all fitness levels and appropriate for young children.

The falls themselves are genuinely beautiful — a stepped cascade in a rocky canyon, photogenic from multiple angles, with the surrounding forest providing context that connects the waterfall to the broader Gallatin landscape.

The proximity to Big Sky’s Town Center (trailhead parking minutes from the resort area) makes Ousel Falls the default first-day hike for nearly every Big Sky visitor.

Distance: 1.5–2 miles round trip. Difficulty: Easy. Cost: Free. Best time: June–October.

Beehive Basin Trail — Glacial Drama ⭐

For visitors with more time, fitness, and ambition, Beehive Basin Trail provides a fundamentally different experience from Ousel Falls.

The trail climbs approximately 1,500 feet over 3+ miles to reach Beehive Basin — a glacial cirque at elevation, with a crystalline alpine lake sitting in a bowl beneath Lone Peak’s imposing summit face.

The geology is specific: Beehive Basin is a glacially carved amphitheater, the lake is glacially fed, and the views across the basin to Lone Peak’s rocky crown are the kind that make hikers stop talking mid-sentence.

wanderlustchloe.com describes it well: “For something more strenuous, head along the iconic Beehive Basin Trail, for breathtaking views of a stunning glacial cirque and crystalline lake, overlooking Lone Peak.”

TripAdvisor: “Take your time and it will be worth it! It is over 3 miles to get to the basin and about 1500 feet climb but if you…” (multiple reviews complete this sentence enthusiastically).

Distance: 6+ miles round trip. Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous. Cost: Free. Best time: July–September (snow-free at the basin).

Custer Gallatin National Forest

Big Sky sits within the Custer Gallatin National Forest — 1.8 million acres covering six mountain ranges with hundreds of miles of trail, trout streams, and high-country wilderness.

The forest provides the trail infrastructure that makes Big Sky’s hiking reputation possible; virtually every hike accessible from the resort is within national forest boundaries.

For the complete Montana outdoor adventure picture beyond Big Sky, see our things to do in Montana guide.

PIN IT

Big Sky Resort Summer Activities

Beyond Kircliff, Big Sky Resort operates a full summer activity menu from June 13 through September 13, 2026:

Guided Scenic Lift Rides — Ride with a naturalist guide who explains local flora, fauna, geology, and the broader Yellowstone ecosystem visible from the mountain. The interpretive dimension makes these more than a chairlift ride.

Ziplining — Adrenaline-fueled tours through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. TripAdvisor tour reviews are emphatic: “Ziplining across the Beautiful Gallatin River” receives 4.9 stars from 250 reviews.

Lift-Serviced Mountain Biking — Beginner flow trails to expert technical descents, with bike rentals available from the resort. Lift access makes downhill biking accessible to riders who aren’t fit enough for climbed trails.

Arnold Palmer Golf Course — Big Sky Resort’s award-winning public golf course, designed by Arnold Palmer, with mountain backdrop views that make 18 holes a genuine scenic experience regardless of scorecard.

ATV and Side-by-Side Tours — Guided exploration of the backcountry roads and ridgelines surrounding the resort. Family-friendly at the guided level; more technical options available for experienced off-road riders.

For the full Montana ski resort comparison in winter, see my Montana ski resorts guide.

Big Sky History: What No Travel Guide Covers

Historic Crail Ranch (1902) ⭐

Here is the Big Sky attraction that bigskymontananet.com covers and no travel blog has developed: the Historic Crail Ranch is a 1902 homestead that still stands in The Meadow area of Big Sky, offering free historic weekend tours during summer.

The Crail Ranch provides the specific visual and historical connection to what the Big Sky area looked like before the resort — when this was a working ranch in the Gallatin Valley, not a world-class mountain destination. The preserved 1902 structures stand against the Lone Mountain backdrop in a way that compresses 120 years of Montana history into a single frame.

Free tours on summer weekends make this one of the most accessible and completely overlooked Big Sky experiences. Ask at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce or visitbigsky.com for current tour schedule.

Cost: Free. Season: Summer weekends (verify current schedule).

Historic Karst Camp (1901) ⭐

Here is Big Sky’s ghost town — and zero travel blogs have mentioned it.

Historic Karst Camp preserves the original 1901 cabins and asbestos mine of homesteader Pete Karst, one of the Gallatin Valley’s earliest European settlers. The site is described by bigskymontananet.com as a “Montana ghost town” — the earliest homesteading infrastructure of the Big Sky area, preserved in situ.

The combination of original 1901 cabins and a historic asbestos mine in a resort mountain community is a specific historical juxtaposition that no travel guide for Big Sky has ever covered. The site provides context for what the Gallatin Canyon area was doing in 1901, 67 years before Big Sky Resort opened.

[Verify current access and interpretation with the Big Sky Chamber or visitbigsky.com.]

Big Sky Chapel and The Soldiers Chapel ⭐

Two chapels in Big Sky consistently earn 4.9-star ratings on TripAdvisor — one of the highest-rated attraction categories in the area — and no travel blog has covered either one as a visitor experience.

The Soldiers Chapel is the more architecturally distinctive: “The window behind the altar in this chapel frames Lone Mountain, so as you listen to the service, you have the wonder of the entire mountain behind the pastor.” A designed-in sightline that places the liturgy within the Montana mountain landscape — an architectural choice that’s genuinely specific to this place.

Big Sky Chapel similarly earns 4.9 stars. Both chapels offer open-door access for visitors outside of service times and are worth a quiet visit for the architecture and the specific mountain views they’ve been designed to include.

Water Activities: The Gallatin River

Whitewater Rafting ⭐

The Gallatin River flows through the canyon alongside US-191 between Big Sky and Bozeman — one of Montana’s most frequently photographed rivers, its clear water running over boulders in a canyon with canyon walls pressing in on both sides.

Multiple outfitters offer Gallatin River rafting from the Big Sky/Bozeman corridor. TripAdvisor’s “Family Friendly Gallatin River Whitewater Rafting” tour receives 4.9 stars from 313 reviews — the second highest-reviewed activity in Big Sky on the platform.

Gallatin Zipline is also accessible from this corridor: “Our Gallatin River ZipLine is located on Highway 191 between Bozeman and Big Sky, Montana” — providing a combination activity option for visitors who want both the rafting experience and the aerial perspective.

For guided outdoor options across Montana, see my Montana guided tours guide.

Fly Fishing

The Gallatin River carries blue-ribbon trout designation through the canyon section, with brown and rainbow trout accessible from dozens of public access points between Big Sky and Bozeman. Guided fly fishing operations depart from Big Sky with access to the Gallatin’s most productive sections.

Big Sky Resort specifically offers fly fishing guiding: “Learn to cast or have a local guide help you experience the best fly fishing among Southwestern Montana’s blue-ribbon trout streams.”

Events: Big Sky’s Summer 2026 Calendar

Music in the Mountains — Free, Every Thursday ⭐

This is Big Sky’s most significant regular summer event — and no major travel blog has covered it for 2026.

Music in the Mountains runs every Thursday, June 25–September 3, 2026 at Len Hill Park in Town Center. The format: the park opens at 6 PM, an emerging artist performs at 6:30 PM, and the headliner takes the stage at 8 PM.

visitbigsky.com calls it “Big Sky’s most beloved summer tradition” and “Montana’s finest free outdoor concert series.” Free admission.

The combination of a mountain park setting, free evening concerts, local food options nearby, and the lingering summer light of Montana evenings creates one of the most genuinely enjoyable community experiences available in Big Sky — and it costs nothing.

2026 dates: Thursday evenings, June 25–September 3. Location: Len Hill Park, Town Center. Admission: Free.

Big Sky Farmers Market — Wednesdays with Huckleberry Snow Cones ⭐

Every Wednesday evening, 5–8 PM, June through September 2026, the Big Sky Farmers Market transforms Town Center into a community gathering with 90+ vendors offering fresh regional produce, handcrafted goods, food vendors, and live music.

The specific call-out from visitbigsky.com: “Free admission — and don’t miss the legendary huckleberry snow cones!” In a resort town that runs excellent food options year-round, a summer farmers market with 90 vendors and the specific Montana authenticity of the huckleberry snow cone is worth planning a Wednesday evening around.

2026 dates: Wednesdays, 5–8 PM, June–September. Location: Town Center. Admission: Free.

Food, Drink, and Big Sky’s Social Scene

Beehive Basin Brewery

Big Sky’s local craft brewery — a 7-barrel brewing system in Town Center — producing handcrafted beers with the specific intimacy of a small-batch brewing operation in a resort community. visitbigsky.com/24-hours covers it specifically as an after-activity social anchor.

The Waypoint, Tips Up, and Town Center Life

The Waypoint — specialty cocktails and outdoor seating in Town Center. Tips Up — casual bar and restaurant with live music and games, described as “a fun, casual bar and restaurant in the heart of Town Center.” Both provide the après-ski and après-hike social experience that Big Sky’s growing off-mountain scene offers.

Coffee Scene

Three specifically named coffee operations in visitbigsky.com’s guide:

• Caliber Coffee: roasts own beans in-house, hearty breakfast burritos, pastries
• Cowboy Coffee Co.: Town Center staple, famous for cinnamon rolls, grab-and-go sandwiches
• Hero Snow Coffee: specialty drinks, excellent pastries, “warm, welcoming community vibe”

Riverhouse BBQ and Buck’s

Riverhouse BBQ — described as “Authentic Texas-style BBQ on the banks of the Gallatin River, opens at 3 PM daily.” The Gallatin River context makes this more than a standard BBQ stop.

Buck’s — a “historic Montana landmark offering hand-cut steaks to wild game specialties.” In the context of a resort community built on mountain terrain adjacent to Yellowstone wildlife country, wild game specialties carry a specific authenticity.

Dark Sky Stargazing ⭐

Big Sky sits at the edge of the Greater Yellowstone dark-sky corridor — the combination of the Gallatin Canyon’s depth, the surrounding national forest, and the limited development density of the area produces night skies that are dramatically different from what most Americans experience near cities.

wanderlustchloe.com: “The region is known for its expansive skies, and they offer some of the best stargazing you’ll find anywhere in the United States… With very little light pollution you’ll get views of the night sky as you’ve never seen it before.”

Guided stargazing experiences are available through area outfitters. The unguided version requires only a clear night, a dark location away from Town Center’s lights, and a willingness to lie in a meadow for an hour.

PIN IT

Winter: The Skiing Argument

Big Sky Resort + Moonlight Basin — America’s Largest ⭐

The claim is specific: Big Sky Resort combined with Moonlight Basin represents the largest skiable terrain in the United States.

Big Sky Resort alone: 5,800+ acres, 4,350 vertical feet, 400 inches of annual snowfall. Moonlight Basin adds 1,900 skiable acres and 4,150 vertical feet on an interconnected mountain. The combined 7,700+ acres and the unified access represent a scale of skiing available at no other single destination in America.

The 300 days of sunshine and the specific Lone Mountain snowpack — consistent, dry, deep — produce the specific skiing experience that has made Big Sky the destination for serious skiers who find Aspen too social and Vail too crowded.

bigskymontananet.com: “3,812 skiable acres, 4,350 vertical feet, and 400 inches of annual snowfall. Big Sky Resort is known for endless powder and crowdless skiing. Moonlight’s 1,900 skiable acres and 4,150 vertical feet join with Big Sky Resort to form the largest skiing terrain in America.”

Lone Mountain Ranch — Nordic and Cross-Country

Lone Mountain Ranch operates an extensive Nordic ski and snowshoe trail network through the Gallatin Valley meadows surrounding the resort. A quieter alternative to downhill skiing that provides Yellowstone ecosystem access in winter on a human scale.

Snowmobiling and Winter Yellowstone Safaris

Winter snowmobiling through the Gallatin National Forest and into the park corridor is a distinctly Big Sky experience. The TripAdvisor tour section lists: “Big Sky Winter Wildlife Safari Lamar Valley Breakfast and Lunch” — a guided winter tour specifically reaching the Lamar Valley from Big Sky, rated 5.0 stars from 3 reviews.

For the Lamar Valley wildlife strategy (best accessed from Big Sky via the northeast Yellowstone entrance in winter), see my Lamar Valley guide and Yellowstone wolf watching guide.

Day Trips from Big Sky

Yellowstone National Park (50 miles south)

Big Sky Resort’s own website frames it correctly: “Big Sky Resort is the perfect basecamp to Yellowstone National Park.” The 50-mile drive south on US-191 through the Gallatin Canyon — one of Montana’s most scenic highway corridors — reaches the park’s west entrance near West Yellowstone.

Full-day Yellowstone tours depart from Big Sky with guides: “Full Day Best Of Yellowstone National Park Tour From Big Sky” earns 5.0 stars on TripAdvisor.

Lamar Valley Wolf Watching

The Lamar Valley is accessible from Big Sky via Yellowstone’s road network — approximately 2.5–3 hours from Town Center via the west entrance and the park’s internal road system. Winter, when the Lamar wolves are most active in open terrain, is the premium season. For the wolf watching strategy, see my Yellowstone wolf watching guide.

Bozeman (48 miles north)

Bozeman is 48 miles north via US-191 — one of Montana’s most photographed highway drives, following the Gallatin River through the canyon. The Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, and downtown Bozeman’s restaurant and brewery scene are all accessible as a half-day trip from Big Sky.

Things to Do in Big Sky by Traveler Type

For Hikers

Ousel Falls Trail (easy, family, TripAdvisor #1), Beehive Basin Trail (moderate-strenuous, glacial terrain, crystalline lake), Custer Gallatin National Forest trails (hundreds of miles), Kircliff summit gondola+tram (no hiking required — gondola does the climbing).

For Skiers

Big Sky Resort in winter — 5,800+ acres, 4,350 vertical feet, 400 inches annual snow. Combined with Moonlight Basin: 7,700+ acres, largest in US. Lone Peak Tram for experts. Lone Mountain Ranch Nordic for quieter skiing. See my Montana ski resorts guide for the full comparison.

For Families

Ousel Falls Trail (accessible, 30-minute walk to falls), Kircliff gondola+tram ride (no hiking), Big Sky Community Park, Music in the Mountains Thursday evenings (free), Big Sky Farmers Market huckleberry snow cones, Big Sky Resort summer chairlift rides, ATV tours.

For History Lovers

Historic Crail Ranch (1902 homestead, free weekend tours), Historic Karst Camp (1901 ghost town with original cabins), Soldiers Chapel (Lone Mountain framed through the altar window), Big Sky Chapel.

For Wildlife Enthusiasts

Yellowstone National Park day trip (50 miles south), winter wildlife safari to Lamar Valley (guided, 5.0 stars), Gallatin River wildlife along US-191, dark sky stargazing in the Gallatin Canyon.

Free Activities

Ousel Falls Trail, Beehive Basin Trail, Soldiers Chapel + Big Sky Chapel, Music in the Mountains (Thursday evenings, free), Big Sky Farmers Market (Wednesday evenings, free), dark sky stargazing, Historic Crail Ranch weekend tours (free).

For seasonal planning across Montana, see my best time to visit Montana guide.

What Competitors Miss About Big Sky

After reviewing every travel guide for this keyword, these are the consistently missed angles:

Kircliff — A glass observatory at 11,166 feet, opening summer 2026, with 360-degree views of Yellowstone, the Tetons, and ten mountain ranges. The biggest new attraction at any Montana resort in years. Zero travel blogs have covered it.

Music in the Mountains — Montana’s finest free outdoor concert series, every Thursday evening from June 25–September 3, 2026 at Len Hill Park. Free admission. Headliner at 8 PM. No travel blog has built this out as a 2026 visitor experience.

Big Sky Farmers Market 2026 — 90+ vendors, Wednesday evenings June–September, huckleberry snow cones. The specific community character of Big Sky’s summer market is completely absent from travel blogs.

Historic Crail Ranch — A 1902 homestead standing in The Meadow area with free weekend historic tours. No travel blog covering Big Sky has mentioned it.

Historic Karst Camp — A 1901 ghost town with original Pete Karst cabins and an asbestos mine, accessible from Big Sky. Zero travel blog coverage.

The Soldiers Chapel altar window — Lone Mountain framed through the chapel window behind the altar. A designed architectural experience rated 4.9 on TripAdvisor. No travel blog covers either chapel.

The Moonlight Basin merger — The combined 7,700+ acres make Big Sky the largest ski terrain in the United States. This fact exists in marketing materials; no travel blog has explained what it means for a skier’s actual experience.

Beehive Basin geology — The glacial cirque, the crystalline lake, the specific landscape formed by glacial action at this elevation. wanderlustchloe.com covers the trail generally; nobody explains what visitors are actually looking at.

PIN IT

Final Thoughts

Big Sky earns its reputation on the skiing numbers alone — 5,800+ acres, 4,350 feet of vertical, the claim to America’s largest ski terrain. But the summer version of Big Sky, which fewer visitors know, is the one I find myself recommending more often.

Kircliff at 11,166 feet is genuinely extraordinary — a glass room at the summit of Lone Mountain with Yellowstone and the Tetons visible on the horizon. Ousel Falls is 1.5 miles from the trailhead to a waterfall in a pine canyon. The Beehive Basin glacier carved a lake at altitude that still looks completely untouched. The Thursday evening concerts are free and played under the Montana sky in a mountain town with the light lasting until 10 PM.

And 50 miles south, Yellowstone is doing whatever Yellowstone does — geysers erupting, bison crossing the road, wolves hunting in the Lamar Valley in winter.

Big Sky is the most versatile resort in Montana. It works in every season and at every ambition level — from the Kircliff gondola to the Beehive Basin summit, from the Music in the Mountains lawn to the Lone Peak Tram to the Yellowstone safari at dawn.

Plan more than three days. You’ll want them.

Questions about Big Sky? Drop them in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions