The Big Sky community is privileged to be in a prime recreational setting, surrounded by towering mountains, evergreen forests, and world-class rivers. The trails managed by the Big Sky Community Corporation alone amount to nearly 20 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding accessible from the Meadow Village and Town Center. Here’s a short run down of BSCC’s trails...

  • Little Willow Way starts at the entrance to the Community Park and continues to travel east along the river’s edge for another 0.8 miles. Black Diamond Trail starts at the end of Little Willow Way and loops around, turning into a less developed, scenic trail that takes you on a mile-long tour through the disc golf course and emerges at the skate park. Making a loop out of these three trails is a great option for a hike with plenty of views of the area and relaxing sounds of the river.
  • Crail Ranch Trail also has a trailhead in the Community Park, taking hikers and bikers on a leisurely path westward across the historic Crail Ranch meadow. Enjoy the views of the meadow and surrounding peaks, and check out the Crail Ranch Museum just down Spotted Elk Road from the trailhead.
  • HWY 191 Trail is a 2.5 mile paved asphalt trail along the west side of Highway 191, stretching from Ophir School to the Conoco intersection. At the intersection, the 3 mile paved asphalt Spur Road Trail connects the highway to the Meadow Village and Town Center, paralleling Lone Mountain Trail up until Ousel Falls Road. The Kircher Park trailhead lies across from the Little Coyote Road intersection on Spur Road Trail, which has a short trail leading down to an open picnic area by the river—a great spot to hang out with prime fishing access.
  • Ousel Falls Road (and Park Trail) picks up where the Spur Road Trail leaves off, following the road for 2+ miles from the Town Center to the parking lot at Ousel Falls. This trail is also serves as a connecting piece between the lower meadow trails and Ousel Falls Park, the most popular trail managed by the BSCC. This well-built trail descends into the South Fork ravine over a length of about .75 miles, leading to amazing views of the river and its falls. Before the trail reaches the falls, you’ll spot the trailhead for First Yellow Mule Trail (FS 162) forking off to the left. First Yellow Mule follows the south bank of the river, providing more views of the river and falls before turning to follow First Yellow Mule Creek for several miles.
Photo by user hikeology, caption reads “it’s impossible to walk in the woods and be in a bad mood at the same time” - not sure where that saying originated, but i know it’s 💯 percent true. this trip was not perfect by any means, from flight delays, to car trouble, to wildfires and thunderstorms 😑 i’ll admit, there were moments when we thought this trip was cursed. but when life gives you low visibility and skies raining ash - hike to a waterfall 🤷🏼‍♀️ amiright? the beautiful hike to ousel falls was a wonderful distraction to all our travel woes and a great reminder to stop worrying and live in the moment ✨
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if you happen to find yourself in big sky this is a great 1.6 mile hike with a big reward for fairly little effort. if you head out on the trail, pack some snacks (and remember to pack out your trash!) - the trail is very well maintained and sprinkled with picnic tables along the way.
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“it’s impossible to walk in the woods and be in a bad mood at the same time” - not sure where that saying originated, but i know it’s 💯 percent true. ...

The South Fork Loop’s trailhead is just past the bridge over the South Fork on Aspen Leaf Drive. It’s a pleasant 1.7 mile loop through evergreen forest along the river. Look forward to the addition of two new trails not far beyond the South Fork Loop, coming soon!

There are numerous trails around the area, including the North Fork Loop and Beehive Basin trails which skirt and even extend into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area. Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin also have trail systems on and around the mountain, providing for even more trail recreation opportunities. Pick up a Big Sky Trails brochure for a map and guide, available at most businesses in the Town Center and Meadow Village as well as at https://bscomt.org/!

For more information, contact Big Sky Community Corporation at (406)-993-2112 or visit https://bscomt.org/

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