Montana Overview

Montana is a massive state that stretches some 650 miles (1040 km) from the flat prairie-lands in the east to the towering Rockies in the west. The resorts in Montana are relatively uncrowded and you rarely wait in lift lines. The smaller resorts of Montana tend to get mostly local town traffic whereas the big resorts get the majority of interstate destination travellers.

Considered to be in the middle of nowhere for so long, wealthy city slickers are setting up second homes in the state to try and escape from the urban grind.

The resorts scattered around Bozeman such as Big Sky and Bridger Bowl enjoy good snowfalls during winter with seasons being long and powder being plentiful. Just remember to bring your long johns when you ride in Montana because the mercury often sits below 20 F (-7 C) in the winter months. This ensures the powder is dry and stays fresh many days after a dump.

Snow and Weather Conditions in Montana

Montana is such a huge state with terrain that is incredibly large and diverse that weather and climate varies significantly across the state. The biggest snowfalls occur on the eastern end of the state where the Rocky Mountains meet the sky. Most storms travel east from the Pacific or south-west over eastern Oregon and Idaho. Be wary, the conditions in Montana can be exceptionally cold thanks to the state being so far from the Pacific, so make sure you bring your "long johns".

Transport

America is a big place, and there are a lot of resorts to visit. Once you have established what sort of a trip you are going to do (ie, stay put or move around) then you can decide what sort of transport you need. Let us say that the car is a part of the American way of life, you need one to get everywhere - but the pay off is that they are cheap.

In our transport section, we look at how to get the best deal on a car, be it hiring or buying. We also look at using trains, buses and airplanes to get yourself around.

Getting to Montana

By Air: Bozeman is the main capital city that is close to Big Sky and Bridger Bowl. The main airports are located in Billings which is very far from the resorts or Helena which is closer to the resorts than Billings but still far.

Last updated on 01 November 2004.