Big Sky: The Responsibility to do it Right

by Geoffrey Ravoire, Travel and Marketing Director

I recently came back from my first trip to Big Sky, MT. What was meant to be “just” a ski trip ended up being a vision of what sustainable planning and thoughtful travel can mean to an ecosystem, and to the local community.

With an outstanding ski area, unspoiled nature to enjoy year-round, and luxurious accommodations, Big Sky has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The word is out. What fascinated me was to learn how this “new” resort is building itself with a sustainable future in mind. When asked about responsible development, Matt Kidd, Managing Director of Lone Mountain Land Company (the leading developer in the area), explains: “The trick is viewing growth not as a problem, but as a means to address longstanding challenges the community has dealt with since its inception. Instead of squabbling and infighting, all the major stakeholders—landowners, resort operators, developers, and community advocates—are aligned to protect what we have. We can take a holistic approach to community building. That’s incredibly unique.”

From the low point of the Great Recession in 2009 that shattered Big Sky, like so many small resorts, came opportunity, not just for business, but for a more secure and sustainable future. With forces joining around transforming Big Sky, it was suddenly possible to envision growth that wasn’t fractured but whole. Your tourism dollars, in part, helped the town open a high school, full grocery store, hospital, and, most recently, a community center. The local resort tax grew from less than $3 million in annual collections to over $18 million today, providing significant resources for the local community. A number that keeps on growing thanks to travelers coming to experience Big Sky’s four-season beauty. With any luck, the future is to bring a library, more childcare facilities, expanded arts and recreation facilities, and a transit hub. All the while the social safety net continues to grow, with philanthropy supplementing resort taxes as a catalyzer. If the community is to thrive, Big Sky needs to welcome, cater to, and lodge the visitors who stimulate the local economy. And welcoming visitors means welcoming new residents—and a larger workforce. And so the cycle continues.

“We’ve needed more hotels for a long time,” says Kidd. The ski-in ski-out Montage Big Sky added 139 guestrooms, suites, and residences, enough to be lively, but not enough to feel big or out of place. In 2025, One&Only is set to open in the stunning Moonlight Basin, bringing their international hora to the destination, fantastic hospitality, and, again, contributing to Big Sky’s virtuous circle.

Any discussion of growth and future in Big Sky addresses how to preserve and protect the natural features that draw visitors here in the first place. ForeverProject, an initiative by Big Sky, is committed to sustainable business practices, and 100% of the energy used for lifts and facilities was carbon-free as of January 2021. “Protecting and enhancing the surrounding natural environment is also one of our core values,” says Kidd. “We will preserve open space and add park space and trails, reduce energy use, and protect water resources.”

Big Sky boasts an even more famous neighbor: Yellowstone National Park, with iconic residents such as bears and wolves. All development in Big Sky entails identifying, mapping, and monitoring wildlife corridors and habitats to keep development out of those areas. In 2019, Moonlight Basin recorded a conservation easement protecting 2,500 acres of land along the Jack Creek Road connecting Big Sky to Ennis and the Madison Valley. This easement prevents any further development of this important wildlife connector. Similarly, our dear friends at the Yellowstone Club have jointly agreed to put 1,500 acres into permanent conservation easements; an additional 3,500 acres are under consideration. Uniting private owners and communities to protect over 22,000 aces of (very) expensive land is no small feat. It’s a story as big as Montana. It’s a shared vision of enjoying this land while ensuring that future generations will too.

The big secret: responsible development and tourism don’t mean diminished experience. The seat on my chairlift was heated, the outdoor jacuzzi at the hotel was perfectly hot, and the food everywhere was delicious. It just takes a thoughtful approach to procuring these luxuries – and recognizing them as luxuries.

To our friends and clients thinking of Big Sky, know this: it’s a work in progress and one that will grow out of Big Sky’s commitment to listen to and serve this exceptional ecosystem. Go out there. Check it out. I guarantee that, just like me, you’ll come home a Big Sky advocate yourself.