Guide & images by Emma Heller
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Looking down on Beehive Basin, with Lone Mountain and Big Sky, MT in the distance.
We love sharing Yellowstone National Park and Montana with people visiting from all over the world. When you book a tour with us, it’s a given that we will share our expertise about Yellowstone. Frequently, we are asked for recommendations on what to do in the surrounding areas. Primarily, our clientele are lodging in Big Sky, Montana and West Yellowstone, Montana while visiting Yellowstone National Park. To make sure you don’t miss out on some of our favorite restaurants and activities, we hope our guide for Big Sky and the surrounding area helps you plan the best trip ever!
Big Sky, Montana is nestled in the Gallatin National Forest and surrounded by the Madison Mountain Range. Views of the Spanish Peaks Mountains and Lone Mountain offer breathtaking views. It is not uncommon to see moose and elk in town that are close enough to pet. BUT, DON’T DO IT! These are wild and dangerous animals. In the spring and fall, grizzly bear sightings are higher. All summer there is the chance to see black bears. As you make your way into Big Sky, be on the lookout for the local bighorn sheep herd!
For decades Big Sky was only busy during ski season, but over the last couple of years it has become an increasingly popular spot to visit in the summer. Big Sky offers amazing outdoor recreation, fun activities for all ages, and is a gateway community to Yellowstone National Park, which is only 45 minutes away. The town of Big Sky is divided into three areas - the Canyon, Meadow, and Mountain Village. These are terms you might hear on your visit and will help you navigate the area. You’ll also hear people refer to the Mountain Village as “up top”. In the Meadow, the town center is where the stop light is and where many of the restaurants and businesses are located.
Overview of Big Sky, MT and where the Canyon, Meadow and Mountain neighborhoods are located.
From Visit Big Sky.
Places to Stay
First, it is important to figure out where you’ll be staying! Big Sky offers many great hotel options and houses you can rent for your stay.
The Wilson Hotel - Right in the Meadow area of Big Sky, shops and restaurants are just outside your door!
Big Sky Resort - If you are looking to be right at the base of Big Sky Resort, with the ability to walk directly to all of the fun activities and outdoor recreation, this is your spot.
Headwaters Hosting - Headwaters hosting offers vacation rentals in the area and is locally owned and operated.
Big Sky Vacation Rentals - Offers vacation rentals in the area.
Stay Montana - Offers vacation rentals in the area.
Vacasa Vacation Rentals - Offers vacation rentals in the area.
Inspirato - Offers vacation rentals in the area.
320 Guest Ranch - If you are looking for a dude ranch experience, look no further! The ranch is located along the Gallatin River about 20 minutes south of Big Sky. On property is McGill’s Steakhouse and they offer fly fishing, horse rides, and nearby are some great hikes.
Rainbow Ranch - This is a beautiful option right by the Gallatin River. It is just outside of Big Sky, has a restaurant on property, and there are two other dining options not far away.
Food & Drink
While some of the guides no longer live in Big Sky, we have all lived in Big Sky at some point and spend a lot of time in the area. Just like most people, we love eating. It was easy to make a list of our favorite places to eat in Big Sky.
Best Way to Start Your Day
Caliber Coffee – Talk to any local and they’ll mention this spot. They roast their coffee on-site and have great and quick breakfast options. We recommend the breakfast burritos. Yum!
Blue Moon Bakery – This place actually can accommodate your taste buds from breakfast to dessert. For breakfast, you can get your caffeine fix and the town favorite, the Benny.
Hungry Moose – This is another spot that can feed you throughout the day. In the morning, it’s a quick spot to grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich or burrito. They also have a deli with delicious sandwiches and salads. The Moose is one of the grocery stores in town as well.
Lunch
Yeti Dogs – Located up at the Mountain Village, Yeti Dogs serves hot dogs with all of your favorite toppings and some you never thought of putting on a hot dog. They also serve Montana made Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream.
The Cabin - This is another great spot “up top” for lunch and dinner.
The Rocks - Located in the Meadow Village, at the town square. If you are looking for a sit-down lunch after hiking Ousel Falls, this is a great option.
Hungry Moose Deli – You can grab a delicious sandwich here for a quick lunch and take it over to Len Hill Park just across the street.
Pinky G’s – This is your local pizzeria that can serve you a slice or whole pie. Nothing fancy here, just pizza!
By Word of Mouth or BYWOM – I think of their food as upscale pub food. It’s good and a great spot to get the local vibe. Open for both lunch and dinner.
Après
Beehive Basin Brewery – This is our favorite local brewery! They have a fun atmosphere, a patio to soak up the sun and serve a tasty beer. Grab a refreshing beer after your Beehive Basin Hike. You deserve it!
Horn & Cantle Saloon – Located at Lone Mountain Ranch, the cowboy après includes excellent drinks, live music and the saloon menu.
The Perch at the Independent – Right in the town center, enjoy one of their great cocktails or a local beer. Take your drink and food to the movie theatre located in the same space.
Gallatin River House – If you like good drinks and excellent views of the Gallatin River, not to mention bomb BBQ, go here. Located in the Canyon.
Dinner
This list got long! That’s because there are some great restaurants in Big Sky that we hope you enjoy as much as we do.
Michaelangelo's – My mouth is water thinking of some of the dishes here. Carbo load and treat your taste buds to some seriously good Italian food. They also have an excellent wine selection. We suggest making a reservation here.
Buck’s T-4 – If you have a large group, Buck’s T-4 can accommodate them! If you are looking for more local cuisine, like bison and trout, they have a lot of Montana game on their menu. It’s best to make a reservation.
Horn and Cantle – This is another excellent spot if you are interested in Montana game like elk, bison and trout. You should definitely make a reservation here.
Gallatin River House – The River House opens at 3 p.m., get there early! They do not take reservations and it gets packed. It has an awesome atmosphere with a deck, outdoor seating with amazing views and tasty BBQ.
Ousel & Spur – This is the gourmet pizza place in Big Sky. They have some really tasty options. It gets busy here, for good reason, so make a reservation!
Olive B’s – Tucked away over by the golf course, this has been a go-to for date night or special occasions for locals. They have a lot of Montana game on the menu if you are curious about how elk or bison tastes.
McGill’s Steakhouse at the 320 Guest Ranch – The ranch is located about 20 minutes south of Big Sky so you really feel like you are “on the ranch”. Their steakhouse has a lot of Montana game on the menu and if you’ve ever wanted to try Rocky Mountain Oysters, this is your opportunity. They also have a Chuckwagon BBQ, yeehaw!
Grocery Stores
All three of these grocery stores are good and they each have their specialties. If you have specific needs or a large grocery list, stop in Bozeman at one of the grocery stores before driving to Big Sky.
Hungry Moose – Located both at the Mountain Village and Meadow Village
Roxy’s Market – Meadow area
Country Market – Meadow area
Things To Do
Farmer’s Market – Local produce, arts and crafts and food trucks! Definitely check out the farmer’s market on your trip. Tentatively scheduled Wednesdays from June to September from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Warren Miller Performing Arts Center – The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center brings a variety of musicians, dancers, comedy acts and many other types of arts to Big Sky.
BASE – This is our new community center. We’ve waited a long time for this and are so excited to have it! There are a lot of great activities for adults and kids. Day passes are $25 and it’s $35 to rock climb, including equipment rental.
Movie Theatre
The Independent – Want to catch a movie while you are in town? Head to the Independent!
For the Kids
Big Sky Sitters – Looking for a date night without the kids? Big Sky Sitters has a great team of sitters to watch the kiddos.
BASE – BASE offers a lot of fun kid activities.
Arts Council of Big Sky – In conjunction with BASE, the Arts Council of Big Sky has fun art projects for kids.
Camp Big Sky – This is a fun day camp for elementary school kids.
Outdoor activities
There are a lot of options for recreation around Big Sky! These are our recommendations for guide services and a list of everything you can do in the area.
Yellowstone National Park Tours - Yellowstone Scenic Tours of course!
Big Sky Resort offers:
Mountain biking
Zipline tours
Scenic lift rides
Hiking
Outdoor Escape Room
Archery
Disc golf
Fishing
Hiking
Make sure you have bear spray, water, layers, a rain jacket (it can rain at any point in the summer, weather rolls in fast) and snacks for all of these hikes.
Ousel Falls – This is a 1.6-mile round trip, easy hike. It is a great hike to start with to get acclimated to the high elevation. The trail is well maintained, there isn’t a ton of elevation gain, and Ousel Falls are beautiful!
Uplands – Located in the Meadow, this is an easy to get to hike that is 2 miles round trip and a moderate hike. This hike or Hummocks would be great to check off next after Ousel Falls.
Hummocks – Located in the Meadow, this is an easy to get to hike that is 3 miles round trip and moderate with some elevation gain. This hike or Uplands would be great to check off next after Ousel Falls.
Porcupine Creek – We’ve already raved about Gallatin Riverhouse and this hike is located close-by. Making it easy to reward yourself after your hike! It is a 2.3-mile easy loop.
Beehive Basin – This is a more challenging hike, but it is worth it. Take lunch or a nice snack and reward yourself at the end of the hike that ends in a beautiful basin with a mountain pond. It is 6.6 miles round trip and a moderate to hard hike with elevation gain at the end of the hike.
Lava Lake – This is another hike where you should bring something to reward yourself at the top. There is a beautiful alpine lake and an opportunity to take a dip in the chilly water. Polar plunge anyone?! It is 6 miles round trip and a moderate to hard hike.
Mountain biking
Download the Trail Forks App! There is a lot of great mountain biking. If you haven’t done much mountain biking, take a lesson at Big Sky Resort. You can rent a mountain bike from Gallatin Alpine Sports or Grizzly Outfitters and check out some of the local trails. Uplands, Hummocks and Michener are great beginner trails. A favorite shuttle that you can take the free Skyline Bus to, is Mountain to Meadow. The gear shops can give you a lot of great information about mountain biking in the area.
Horse Trail Rides
Rock Climbing
Rodeo
West Yellowstone Rodeo – Heads up! This is about an hour drive from Big Sky.
Big Sky PBR – A three-day bull riding rodeo in July. Get your cowboy or cowgirl boots on and that new Stetson!
Rafting
Golfing
Ziplining
Geyser Whitewater – Heads up! Their zip lining is about an hour away in West Yellowstone.
Health & Wellness
Santosha Wellness Center – Spa and yoga studio located in the Meadow. Relax and enjoy!
Solace Spa & Salon – This spa and salon are located up at the Mountain.
Outdoor Gear Shops
Did you forget some gear? Maybe you got caught in an afternoon rain storm and you don’t have a rain jacket. These are all great gear stores in Big Sky to check out. All three are located in the Meadow.
Events Calendars
Area Resources
We love sharing information about Big Sky! While on a tour with us, we would love to give suggestions. Often, we find that people are missing out on some of our favorite restaurants or activities because a lot on this list require reservations. Please reach out to us with any questions and we hope this helps you plan the best trip ever!
