Back to News

Big Sky, Montana: Where to Stay for a Wild West Getaway

Conde Nast TravelerThursday, October 29, 2026
Big Sky, Montana: Where to Stay for a Wild West Getaway

Big Sky, Montana, about 45 miles south of Bozeman, suits whatever kind of mountain trip you have in mind. Winter means skiing beneath Lone Peak; summer brings rafting and fly-fishing on the Gallatin River; fall is for horseback rides across ranchlands, and spring for hikes through wildflower meadows. Yellowstone National Park sits roughly an hour south, close enough for a day trip.

The town itself is a quaint but lively cluster of restaurants, shops, and bars, and its hospitality scene has been expanding with new hotels and mountain retreats. Options range from luxury resorts with peak views to authentic dude ranches and design-forward rentals with fireplaces.

Among the standout stays is One&Only Moonlight Basin, the brand's 2025 American debut and its first outdoor-adventure property. Set on 240 secluded acres within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, it links two sections of protected wilderness and offers a gondola to the slopes, gear rentals, fly-fishing, an on-site observatory, and a 17,000-square-foot spa.

Montage Big Sky, the area's first five-star resort, brought an 11,000-square-foot spa and a buzzy bar scene; most of its 139 rooms, suites, and residences have terraces with mountain views. Lone Mountain Ranch, one of Montana's longest-standing dude ranches, has 25 restored historic cabins on 150 acres and wranglers who work with riders of all levels, all less than 10 minutes from town.

Rentals round out the list: a ski-in/ski-out cabin in Cowboy Heaven sleeping five, a three-floor Moonlight Basin home sleeping six, a modern Gallatin Valley retreat sleeping eight about 45 minutes from Yellowstone's West Yellowstone entrance, a home in the Aspects village with shared saunas and firepits, a solar-powered Earthship on 20 private acres near Big Sky Resort, and a walkable Meadow Village condo with shared pool, hot tub, and sauna.

Share this article

Find activity partners on your next vacation

Connect with fellow travelers at resorts, hotels, and cruise ships.

Get Started Free