Experience
November 27th, 2024 - April
Lone Mountain Ranch is located just ten minutes from some of the most phenomenal skiing in North America, at Big Sky Resort. Skiers travel from all over for an easy-to-access mountain with lots of snow and plenty of runs, and they find it here. Big Sky is 11,166 feet up, has 5,700 skiable acres, 4,350 feet of vertical drop, 22 chairs, 300 runs, and an average of 400-plus inches of annual snowfall. Plus, even the most well-traveled skiers are excited by Big Sky’s newest superlative: the fastest tram in North America, which takes up to 75 passengers right to the summit of Lone Peak.
We shuttle guests to and from the resort. We can outfit you at The Outpost and even arrange for a ski butler to transport your equipment back after your ski day. When you get to the bottom, the Ranch is the perfect place to unwind.
December 1st – Mid April
We’d venture to say there’s no more magical experience than traversing acres of glistening pristine snow in this part of the Yellowstone area. Lone Mountain Ranch carefully maintains over two dozen woodland trails along 85 kilometers of mountain terrain for Nordic skiing. There’s a trail for everyone from first timers to hardcore athletes. In fact, Cross Country Skier magazine has rated Lone Mountain the No. 1 Nordic ski destination in North America, and a recent reader poll in USA Today rated our Nordic skiing among the country’s ten best.
A team of knowledgeable guides will outfit you for your perfect snow day and ensure you find the right trails. We hold daily clinics for groups of all sizes.
Lone Mountain Ranch carefully maintains over two dozen woodland trails along 85 kilometers of mountain terrain. Our knowledgeable guides offer ski clinics to ensure you’ll be ready for the trails.
December - March
Lone Mountain Ranch is situated among thousands of acres of rugged wilderness, and backcountry skiing is an incredible way to see it. After a short shuttle ride with a naturalist guide to the Gallatin National Forest, you will have access to tours, ranging from easy rolling trails to more advanced glides. All backcountry skiing is guided.
December – April
The Sleigh Ride Dinner, a Big Sky classic, sweeps you off through the snow for a 20-minute ride under a starlit sky to our historic North Fork Cabin. You’ll be greeted with a shot of honey moonshine and enjoy a classic Montana prime rib meal cooked over a century-old railroad stove. Our cowboy singer storytellers entertain you as you dine by oil lamp on rosemary popovers, crème fraiche mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and huckleberry cobbler. You’ll return by sleigh to the barn.
December - March
Mushing a team of Alaskan huskies from your own sled is a truly unique way to experience this part of the West. The ranch partners with Yellowstone Dog Sled Adventures and Spirit of the North to offer these special excursions. Around every bend there’s more to see: majestic peaks, unobstructed views of Fan Mountain, and pristine snow. Once you’ve taken your hands-on instruction from experienced guides, sit back and glide quietly along in the majestic beauty of this area.
Mid-December – mid-March
Lone Mountain Ranch is deeply interconnected with Yellowstone Park. For over a century, we have shared land, air, resources and guides with a national treasure, and there is nothing more awe-inspiring than the grandeur of the park in winter.
Lone Mountain Ranch operates shuttles to and from the park. And we work with trained and certified Yellowstone National Park guides, ready to take you to parts of the park inaccessible to other visitors. Cross-country ski or snowshoe into the backcountry or simply ride in and be transported to stand in awe of the landscape that inspired great photographers like Ansel Adams and William Henry Jackson. In the winter, the only transportation that can access the park’s interior are commercial over-snow vehicles. You can take a snowcoach—a heated, enclosed sleigh driven by a knowledgeable guide—to explore the most iconic scenery. This time of year, you can see bison, elk, wolves, eagles, and dramatic steaming geysers in the park.
All-year
Lone Mountain Ranch sits right next to the Gallatin River’s north fork and just an hour south of the Madison River—both famous rivers in Montana for year-round fly fishing. Our guides can help first-timers and long-timers discover the perfect spots to cast for rainbow, brown and brook trout. The winter offers a special kind of serenity, with no crowds and large, healthy fish. Access remote blue-ribbon streams by snowshoe, or pair a half-day wade with a few hours of skiing.
The fortress-like Sphinx Mountain, dramatic Spanish Peaks, Taylor Peak, and our namesake Lone Mountain, all in the Madison Range of the Rockies, are just a few of the breathtaking sights you’ll see on a snowmobiling trip from the ranch. Once you’ll get to the top of Buck Creek Ridge, looking out at peaks to the north, west, and south from what feels like the top of the world, you’ll be glad you brought a camera.
Magnificent Ousel Falls, just two miles outside Big Sky’s town center, is a great place for an introduction to ice climbing. We partner with Montana Alpine Guides, a team of expert guides whose accomplishments include first ascents and some of the world’s most significant climbs, to guide you. Choose from four climbs that vary in difficulty from beginner to more advanced. Ousel sits in a flat creek bottom alongside a frequented pedestrian trail. The approach is roughly 15 minutes on hard, snow-packed trails.
Continue your mind, body, and spirit practice while on vacation and loosen up after a few days of adventure in one of our yoga classes at Santosha Wellness Center in Big Sky. We partner with Santosha to offer complimentary yoga classes for our guests. We’ll transport you to and from the center.
The Big Sky community’s ice rink is a fixture in town and a great way to experience classic ice skating in the great outdoors. We’ll fit you with ice skates from The Outpost and take you from the ranch into the town center. When you’re ready to return—maybe to warm up with a hot chocolate by a roaring fire at the ranch—we’ll be there to pick you up.
Indulge in individualized in-cabin massage therapy by one of our partner massage therapists. We also take guests into town, five minutes away, to Santosha Wellness Spa, which has options such as therapeutic and Swedish massage and craniosacral therapy. You can take as active a role in your relaxation as you like here: Relax into a customized therapeutic massage, or take part in energy work, reiki, pranic healing and chakra balancing. The healing center’s offerings range from Ayurvedic consultations to beauty treatments like lash lifts and tints.
We partner with Lone Mountain Helicopters to offer helicopter photo flights over Yellowstone National Park and the region. They’ll pick you up at the top of our Ridge then whisk you up to get a literal bird’s-eye view of this magnificent country. Yellowstone is often called “the Serengeti of North America,” so look down: you just may see some elk, bison, and wolves. *weather dependant, additional fee applies, must be booked in advance
Blizzard Buddies is a fun-filled winter day camp for kids, running every from 1 to 3 p.m. at the ranch. Campers can dive into all kinds of frosty adventures, including sledding, snowman building, snowshoe hikes, arts and crafts, ice rink outings, and an introduction to cross-country skiing. Designed for kids ages 6 to 12, this day camp is the perfect way to make the most of winter fun!
Come meet and mingle with our famous Pygmy goats! These adorable and friendly animals love attention and are always excited to meet new visitors. You’ll have the chance to feed them and spend some quality time in their company, making for a fun and memorable experience for all ages.
