Summer skiing in Beartooth Basin

Among one of the highest mountain ranges in Montana, a small summertime ski resort lies at the top of Beartooth Pass. Established in the late 1960s, Beartooth Basin starts spinning in late May and runs until the snow melts away at the top of Highway 212 — otherwise known as Beartooth Highway. 

Tickets, merchandise, ski patrol and food are all serviced out of trailers and campers parked at the top of the resort. There are a limited number of skiers  — 80 per day — allowed on the hill to keep lift lines at a minimum. A day pass is $50 and the season pass sells for $395. Tickets generally go on sale in late April and can be found on their website. Last year, the resort opened on May 26 and the lifts spun until the middle of June. 

The resort offers 600 lift-served skiable acres ranging in steepness from 15° to 50°. For reference, one of the hardest runs at Big Sky Resort is the Big Couloir, and it ranges from 40° to 50°. 

Beartooth maxes out at 10,900 feet and offers 1,000 feet of skiable vertical. The surrounding area has over 3,000 skiable acres which is accessible via a shuttle or hitchhiking. 

The resort is located between Cooke City and Red Lodge. Along this 68-mile stretch of road, there is a nearly unlimited amount of backcountry skiing opportunities as well. Although the actual resort lies in Wyoming, most of the Beartooth Highway is in Montana. Just north of the resort is Granite Peak, the tallest peak in Montana, topping out at 12,799 feet of elevation. 

The Cooke City area is known for its world-class backcountry skiing terrain, and the Beartooth Basin area falls into that realm. With no lodge or warming hut, the conditions at 10,000 feet can change quickly. But with a stoke level that high, you shouldn’t get too chilly. Oh, and it’s skiing in June. Beartooth Basin gives skiers the feeling of backcountry while providing two T-Bars for fast laps. The resort also offers jumps and rails along with ski racing and freestyle camps. 

As there’s no place to stay overnight at the resort, many riders camp nearby. There are many public campgrounds along the highway along with lodges in the closeby towns of Cooke City and Red Lodge, not to mention Yellowstone National Park. 

Regardless of where you stay, what you like to ride or how far of a drive it is to get to Highway 212, Beartooth Basin is one place to check off the bucket list. If you can get a ticket, this resort provides great summer skiing conditions, a mom-and-pop vibe, a gut-wrenching T-Bar ride and stoke levels that reach an all-time high. 

For more information, check out beartoothbasin.com or their Instagram, @beartoothbasin.