Featured Image: Jordan Grant-Krenz
Summer skiing is alive and well on the border of Montana and Wyoming. The Beartooth Highway, easily one of the most scenic roadways in the world, runs from Red Lodge to Cooke City, Montana, and at the highway's summit, you'll find Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area.
The Basin opened for Summer 2026 on Memorial Day, May 25, with great conditions after a cold spring swept through the high peaks of the Beartooth Absaroka Mountains. Locals poured in to celebrate another season on the roof of the world.
The parking lot is small, the people are kind and the skiing is damn near as good as you could ask for. At full steam, the ski area operates two Poma lifts that service a large bowl, several small chutes, the iconic headwall, and flatter laps near the bottom lift terminals. The official map lists 9 total runs, with a potential park above the lower poma that has been known to make appearances in the past.
There's no beginner skiing, so if you're looking to find easy turns, you'd best point your gaze elsewhere. But if you're up to the challenge, there's no better spot. It's an experience that every skier should seek out once in their life... or maybe a few more times just for good measure.
Tickets are $50, with a season pass running $395, and day tickets usually sell out on the weekends, so it's good to plan ahead if you're heading to Beartooth Basin! Plus, the weather at 10,000 feet can be quite temperamental, with road closures occurring unannounced at any time, so be sure to check up-to-date information even the day of your arrival.
Massive shoutout to everyone on the Beartooth crew who makes this incredible operation possible. We'll see you up there this summer!
