Nature's Playground: Big Sky and Bozeman, MT

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Big Sky and Bozeman are tucked-away communities in the Rocky Mountains of southern Montana located at the foothills of the Bridger Mountains. Either city offers iconic landscapes and opportunities for year-round backcountry exploration.

Big Sky is known for amazing resorts, alpine skiing, and downhill mountain bike trails. The park in Ousel Falls (located southwest of Bozeman) has a waterfall, picnic areas, gorgeous views, wildlife, hot springs, and gushing geysers. The clear blue water of the Gallatin River cuts through the rugged Gallatin Canyon to the northeast and is notorious for trout fishing and wildlife.

Bozeman is just a short drive (31.43 miles) from Big Sky Resort. The Museum of the Rockies, located at Montana State University, traces the area’s history and offers world-class exhibits. The Siebel Dinosaur Complex, located at the museum, has a notable collection of T. Rex specimens and a planetarium. Skiing, biking, and hiking trails can be found at the Bridger Range north and the Spanish Peaks south.

CLIMATE AND SEASONS IN BIG SKY/BOZEMAN, MT

The year’s busiest seasons are the winter ski season and the climate-friendly summer months. Both seasons are vastly different but are equally inspiring with various outdoor activities. Sluggish tourist months are April and May due to warming spring temperatures and the thaw that brings in the muddy season. Visitor traffic is also slower between October through early December, with colorful autumn and early winter landscapes.

Why visit Big Sky and Bozeman?

The area is home to a rugged wilderness, flowing rivers, a healthy wildlife population, geologic wonders, diverse vegetation, stunning lakes, and endless adventures. Big Sky delivers if you’re looking for nature at its finest. Abundant activities can stimulate a group seeking an environment to bond and collaborate. There are different adventures for each season.

Average Temperature:
52.3℉

Seasonal Temperatures:

- 31.3℉ – Winter (Dec- Feb)
- 50.6℉ – Spring (Mar-May)
- 74.3℉ – Summer (June-Aug)
- 53.3℉ – Fall (Sept-Nov)

MORE TO LEARN AND EXPLORE

Known for famous skiing and easy access to Yellowstone National Park, there are multiple ways to enjoy Big Sky by immersing yourself in the great outdoors. If you enjoy being in the solitude of the back wilderness, you can get there on horseback or on foot. Canyon adventures include exploring the ravines or paddling on idyllic rivers. You will not be bored during your visit as there are several ways to spend a day in Big Sky during the summer and winter. Year-round, the Big Sky community offers a variety of unique events, family-friendly activities, and more!

Outdoor Activities – Big Sky, Montana, is surrounded by blue ribbon trout fishing, with rivers, alpine lakes, and mountain streams, making the area a fly-fishing paradise.

An excellent way to see Yellowstone’s natural beauty up close and personal is to take a ten to12 hour tour. As you experience nature’s beauty, you can make a personal connection. If you would like to forget the bus, there’s nothing like exploring Big Sky Country on the back of a horse. You will see Big Sky from a new viewpoint. You’ll see bears, wolves, birds, deer, moose, and all kinds of tiny creatures on the forest floor. There may even be a bug or two.

Along with Lone Mountain Ranch’s groomed trails, there are many backcountry trails to explore throughout the Gallatin National Forest, ranging from mellow gliding to more rigorous terrain. Some popular trails include Porcupine Creek, Teepee Creek, and Beehive Basin, among many others. Area outdoor shops can recommend trails with the best ski conditions.

ARTS & CULTURE LOCATED IN BIG SKY

As you shop and explore the town of Bozeman, there are many activities to enjoy. Among them are:

The historic Crail Ranch Museum allows you to explore the Crail family’s homestead, where there is a preserved cabin from 1902. As you visit, you can see what life was like for the first families in the region. The preserved log cabin displays a rich collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents relating to the area’s history, dating back to fur trappers and Indigenous peoples.

Summer Concerts in the mountains are a favored pastime of the locals. The Music in the Mountains Series are concerts performed at Town Center Park. The concerts take place on Thursday evenings from June to August. They are sponsored by the local arts council of Big Sky, and the musical acts include classical, country, and everything in between. The concerts are free.

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is in Big Sky’s Gallatin Canyon and is a state-of-the-art facility. The winter season at the center has National and International acts. In addition, the center is ground zero for many performing artists and local arts organizations.

Big Sky of Montana Golf Course, located in Big Sky, is an 18-hole regulation course. The course is a daily fee golf course with a ‘Call for Playing Privileges’ guest policy.

Shopping in Big Sky can be an adventure all on its own. There are diverse stores that offer locally made products. You can find handcrafted jewelry, visit an art gallery, buy outdoor gear, find novelty knick-knacks, and rustic, shanty chic decor. So if you forget your base layer or sandals or want something new, you’ll find a piece that matches your taste! As a bonus, Montana has no sales tax.

Visit Big Sky and have dinner atop a mountain restaurant at the Horn and Cantle (at Lone Mountain Ranch). Along with the excellent food, Lone Mountain Ranch offers a variety of activities all year round, which can be customized to include snowshoeing, dogsledding, or a sleigh ride during the winter months.

WHY IS BIG SKY APPEALING FOR A MEETING?

Holding a meeting in Big Sky gives you access to lodging, meeting rooms, a ton of amenities, and activities too many to count. The natural surroundings offer exciting adventures and places to roam for quiet exploration. The lure of Big Sky and the surrounding forests will give your group memories that will last forever. You can walk or ski in the natural wonders of Big Sky and enjoy fantastic views, exciting trails, and beauty beyond measure. Groups and meetings at a Big Sky resort are granted exceptional amenities and perks. Explore the different year-round and seasonal amenities.

Some things to consider when planning your meeting in Big Sky:

Before arriving, check the status of where you are headed. Some areas may be closed due to heavy snow, wind damage, the potential for flooding, etc. It is wise to have an alternate plan if the activity is canceled or closed, has exceeded capacity, or there is a detour with heavy traffic.
Check the local regulations for the latest safety measures, including traffic/detours, weather conditions, travel advisories, fire bans, and the risk of forest fires. Meeting planners may want to consider options for box lunches, collaborating with local vendors to provide food delivery services, and taking necessary survival items such as extra water, food/snacks, bug spray, and a first aid kit.
Be aware that Montana’s weather and terrain can change rapidly. Onsite meeting travel staff should be appraised regularly and work with attendees to ensure comfort and wellness.
- Specify the correct type of shoes for the day’s activities—for example, hiking boots, shoes suitable for horseback riding, thermal or winter boots, etc.
- Indicate clothing and other attire that will be best for the activities planned. For example, brimmed hats, sunglasses, long pants, and riding boots are best for horseback riding. However, other attire may be better suited for activities such as shopping, golfing, fishing, skiing, or hiking.
- Utilize clothing layers to add or remove as weather changes. This may include eye protection from wind and sun, socks, hats, gloves, long pants, thermal layers, boots (instead of athletic shoes or sandals), etc.
All attendees should be educated about the responsible use of fire, including cigarettes. Regardless of the time of year, fire and nature don’t mix. When lack of rain and dry underbrush are more common in the summer months, the fire risk is higher. Onsite coordinators should be prepared to address fire bans (including no smoking areas and safe campfire zones) to ensure fire safety, and prevent forest damage and animal habitat disruption.
Respect for animal habitats, public lands and waters, as well as indigenous and local communities, is essential. If overnight camping is planned, do so where vegetation is absent. Stay on clearly marked trails. Obey signs such as private property, restricted area, no fishing, no swimming, don’t feed the animals, etc.
Remove trash and clean up after using any area. In busy months, public trash cans can become full quickly. Don’t leave any garbage outside marked trash bins, as animals can become sick and even die from waste, including leftover food. While it may be inconvenient, take all trash with you until it can be appropriately disposed of in a closed trash container.

What are your meeting objectives? Some examples:

Many company retreats are designed to improve productivity and refocus employees’ efforts. Big Sky provides an ideal destination to break away from the confines of an office and allows employees to socialize with people beyond their departments and relax. This can be extremely helpful for meetings where fresh ideas, new perspectives, and networking opportunities are essential for high-priority initiatives.
Leadership retreats are also popular as this destination offers exclusive luxury where leaders can recharge and connect.
Teambuilding can also happen through a trip into the outback. Camping, fishing, and hunting combined with conversation around a campfire provide bonding opportunities. It’s not for everyone, but it will make the team cohesive and create a memory that is not soon forgotten.
Incentive travel and meetings can be valuable for companies, key stakeholders, and top performers. Big Sky provides unique, memorable experiences and an outstanding destination for exchanging information that improves growth, solves problems and engages change-makers.

Big Sky and Bozeman offer stunning natural beauty, unique venues, exciting music, and memorable activities. They also provide opportunities to inspire innovation, networking, and communication outside of office environments.

Do you need help planning a corporate meeting or incentive travel reward to Big Sky? Contact Gavel International for more information.

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John George

As an experienced meeting professional, John employs his 32 years of industry experience to pour individual care into creating customized meetings and travel programs. Prior to his time at Gavel, John worked tirelessly to create a diverse knowledge of all aspects of destination travel and the hotel industry. Additionally, he worked for a major pharmaceutical company as their corporate meeting manager, and spent several years in hotel sales management at both Hyatt and Westin Hotels. He uses his specialized destination and product knowledge to guide clients toward the perfect location to achieve their goals. Employing his expert negotiation skills, he ensures optimal value while helping clients stay on or under budget. From start to finish, clients can enjoy stress-free meeting planning, knowing both big-picture and small details will run smoothly under John’s watchful eye. For the past 23 years he has been lending his expert knowledge to Gavel as an Account Manager.