Powder Season: Frost, Firelight, and Big Sky at Its Peak
Winter, Turned All the Way Up: Powder Season in Big Sky
Big Sky in winter is a dreamy alpine escape that feels plucked from a storybook, where snowcapped peaks shimmer in the crisp mountain light and nature puts on its most dramatic show. Staying at The Wilson Hotel immerses you in the magic, between the powder and acoustic sets, gondola lines and fondue courses, huskies and hot toddies.
Welcome to winter, turned all the way up.
Powder Days & Peak Views
Let’s start at the top. This December marks the debut of the new Explorer Gondola and Kircliff, a glass-enclosed observatory perched 11,166 feet in the sky. For the first time ever, skiers and non-skiers alike can ride from base to the summit of Lone Peak—no boots required. Those jaw-dropping, 360-degree alpine views? They’re now just a scenic, 15-minute ride away. And if you’re lacing up, the runs are as sprawling and varied as you’ll find anywhere in the Rockies.
Not into heights? There are countless ways to explore the outdoors in Big Sky. Snowshoe through whisper-quiet forests, glide on cross-country skis along Gallatin trails, or hop on a snowmobile for a self-guided adventure on groomed terrain unspooling through the backcountry.
Or, for a true bucket list moment, learn to mush. A forested course, a real sled team, and you, steering like you’re in a Jack London novel.
Après, Elevated
Winter appetites are a special kind of hunger. The kind that needs more than a granola bar and a hot chocolate. Big Sky delivers, and The Wilson’s saved you a seat.
Block 3 is your go-to for slow-cooked indulgence: Montana Wagyu, seared elk, bone marrow, and bordelaise. It’s elegant, fire-kissed, and unmistakably local.
Just want to loosen your boots and laugh with friends? Tips Up is your jam. Pool cues cracking, burgers piled high, and live music drifting under a ceiling of skis.
If you’re chasing that Christmas-movie feeling, a sleigh ride dinner is pure winter romance. Bundle up and glide twenty minutes through snow-laced trails to an amber-lit log cabin, where prime rib roasts over a century-old stove and Western ballads echo like folklore. .
And then there’s the kind of dinner you ride a snowcat to, where stars bloom over frosted treetops and a woodstove yurt glows warm against the cold. Inside the Montana Dinner Yurt: live music and a three-course prix fixe of baked French onion soup, peppercorn filet mignon, and Toblerone fondue, all served fireside. A snow-dusted fairytale brought to life.
Where Winter Puts on a Show
Winter in Big Sky comes dressed for the occasion, and it sure knows how to make an entrance.
The Christmas Stroll lights up Town Center like a snow globe. Caroling, wagon rides, fireworks, and storefronts adorned with pine and peppermint.
Come January, Winter Pride splashes the slopes in rainbow colors with alpine parades, DJ sets, drag brunches, and dance parties that keep the energy sky-high.
February arrives with the thundering hooves and flying snow of the Best in the West Skijoring Showdown. It’s a full spectacle: skiers towed behind galloping horses in a blur of adrenaline and cowboy grit.
The Wilson: Your Snow-Day Basecamp
After the slopes and sleigh rides, The Wilson is where you warm up and settle in. And in December, the holidays show up in full with a festive lineup:
- Hot Cocoa Bar: Steaming mugs, sweet toppings, and fireside vibes, starting on December 20th.
- Sip & Paint (December 20): Wine, a paintbrush, and low-pressure creativity.
- Gingerbread House Making (December 21): Sugar-covered creations and lobby bragging rights.
- Christmas Movie Night (December 22): Pajamas optional, nostalgia guaranteed.
- Bingo Night (December 23): Classic, cozy, and just a little competitive.
- Christmas Eve Dinner at Block 3 (December 24): A spirited feast with a tomahawk steak at the center.
- Photos With Santa, Mrs. Claus, and The Grinch (December 24): The full crew, right in the lobby.
- Family Night (December 25): Games, movies, and s’mores by the fire.
- Ugly Sweater + DJ Night (December 26): Music, merriment, and your most questionable knitwear.
- Holiday Pub Crawl (December 27): Kicking off at The Wilson, weaving through Town Center.
- New Year’s Eve Dinner at Block 3 (December 31): A celebratory sendoff with elk tenderloin and winter-warmed flavors.
Winter here isn’t merely the skiing (though, let's be honest, the powder’s ridiculous), or Lone Peak rising like it’s holding court over the season. It’s the feeling. The kind that sticks with you long after the boots are packed, the snow’s melted, and you’ve begun to fantasize next season’s turns.
Book early, and that feeling comes with a few extras: welcome drinks, beanies, and hand warmers to stash in your pocket. It’s all part of our Après All Day package, built for those who know that unwinding is just as important as gearing up.
Need gear? Our Ski Butler Bundle includes a $200 rental credit when you stay three nights or more, perfect for getting slope-ready without the hassle.
And if you’ve got an Ikon Pass in your pocket? You’ll save a little more, too. Passholders get up to 15% off select stays all season long.
Big Sky’s calling, and The Wilson is ready to welcome you home.