Summary
I went to Big Sky, Montana during the summer of 2023 in July for my dad’s 70th birthday trip with my wife and our two young children (8 son, 5 daughter) along with our broader family. Along with places like Jackson Hole, Big Sky is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been to in the US. While I always felt it was more well-known as a winter destination for skiing, the summer activities, surroundings and weather are beautiful and welcoming. We had an incredibly memorable visit filled with outdoor activities that were family friendly, great dining and everything felt safe and simple. We rented a car for our stay which was very helpful because we needed to drive between our hotel and various activities/dinners/excursions. The weather in this part of the country is perfect this time of year – 70s/80s, no humidity, mountain breezes and the great outdoors. The motto we heard all weekend was that if you are in a rush, you shouldn’t come to Montana – this was a perfect way to live differently for all of us for a few days.
Accommodations
During our trip, we stayed in the Spanish Peaks at the Montage Big Sky (Alex and Cameron are amazing concierges!) The destination is a wonderful little community with activities (biking, horseback riding, walking trails etc.), several restaurants and is at the base of very popular ski slopes when the season is right. The slopes turn into biking trails, gondola rides and the best walking trails. The Spanish Peaks also a short drive from Big Sky downtown – providing both a nice distance from the town while also being in close proximity. It is also just on the border of Yellowstone National Park which was the focus of one of our coveted days in the region.
Select Favorites
- Dining
- In Big Sky town, we loved Alberto’s Mexican Cuisine (very casual Mexican .. no reservations and no frills … get the burritos vs. the enchiladas), Lotus Pad (for great thai food), Michaelangelo’s Big Sky (amazing Italian food, no pizza) and next time we will get to Perch.
- At the hotel itself, given our group was mostly vegetarian, we found the best restaurant for our family was the casual, comfort food spot with a bowling alley and game room – Beartooth Pub and Rec. The daily brunch at Cortina was always a big hit as well. The group’s favorite was the Daily S’mores (from 630-830 by the pool everyday)
- Activities:
- There is so much to do in the area – our favorites included daily trips to the pool and hot tubs, a Guided Adventure Hike to Ousel Falls, Horseback Riding (with our awesome lead guide Drew), Whitewater Rafting on the Gallatin River (with our amazing captain Stevie at Geyser Whitewater Expeditions) and a full day Yellowstone Wonders National Park Tour (with our amazing guide Gabrielle); the Montage has everything figured out and you can do basically any Montage Experience through their concierge team.
Recommendation
We would highly recommend Big Sky for a future visit and would love to come back. We loved everything about the visit and everything was as wonderful as advertised. Make reservations everywhere early because the town is small and dining fills up especially for big groups! I can see us returning possibly as part of an expanded trip to experience the many activities we didn’t get to and to different parts of Yellowstone in the future. Enjoy!
