Backcountry Skiing in Montana

Matt Kirkland amid the famous spring storm of '06.

Cooke City

If you’re craving pillow lines, cliff drops, tree skiing, and deep snow, Cooke City is for you. The backwoods town is dotted with snowmobilers—and the town lets you park your sled right at your hotel. Use a sled to get deep in the backcountry, and then hike and skin to the lines you’d like to ski.

Bridger Range

Located in Northwest Montana near the town of Bozeman, the north-south running range offers multiple peaks that beg to be climbed. Sacajawea Peak, Saddle Peak, and Baldy Mountain are all accessed by convenient trailheads, and you’ll encounter mountain lakes and alpine terrain along the way.

Bitterroot National Forest

These peaks provide varied tree and glade skiing, as well as wide-open slopes with chute skiing. Sweeny Peak, St. Mary’s Peak, and the surrounding terrain are good places to start. Start early and ski north-facing slopes for the best snow.

reviews of Backcountry Skiing in Montana Write a comment

from denison on 9.29.11.

Hi, An interesting short synopsis of the opportunities available in the Montana backcountry. You neglected to mention half the rest of the state, and Glacier NP, and the solitude. Up here in MT there is nobody else at the trailhead when you get there, all the tracks for the day are yours and yours alone. You forgot to mention that there are a number of backcountry yurts and cabins that are available to rent, offering more terrain, better access and more privacy than anything that you will find anywhere in Colorado. Yurt Ski - Missoula MT Downing Mountain Lodge - Hamilton MT Altoona Ridge Lodge - Maxville MT Hellroaring Ski Adventures - Harrison MT Bell Lake Yurt - Bozeman MT And last but not least you left out all the side country that exists just off our ski areas where there are no ropes with no sheriffs waiting to bust you at the bottom of the hill. Ski it to believe it. Happy Trails Denison

from mnben on 10.20.11.

There is a new book out on places to go backcountry skiing in the Bozeman/Big Sky area and in Yellowstone. http://bozemanskiguide.com/

from thelambdre on 11.06.11.

Pimping luxurious sponsors > Repping one of the best kept secrets in america. I guess vacationeers care a lot less about spending a week in Gods country and more about where they can buy 6 Carmel Macchiatos; so it makes sense. Still makes me sad though. No one mentions bozeman has one of the greatest ice climbing areas in the world, or that Cody, WY is one of the best backcountry access points in the west. Lets keep the list going, Red Lodge, MT. Sleezy little small town with a main street full of bars, and a tiny resort. Also has access to the beartooths(highest/longest alpine plateaus in the lower 48), which in turn has the ONLY road to Cooke City (open from memorial day to late Sept). Bile access only most of the year. Jackson/Wisdom, MT.

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