Moonlight Basin... Pick Your Adventure

written By Leigh Ripley | Photos Courtesy of MoonLight Basin

There are many ways to spend a day at Moonlight: ski or snowboard 1,900 acres of uncrowded pristine terrain, snowshoe, sled, dogsled, hit the spa, dine, lounge or catch some live music après ski. Any way you choose to mix it up its guaranteed to be fun.

So where does one start? From the bottom, starting with the youngest members of your group.

*Baby on board:

Option 1: The Moonlight KidsDaycare, located in the Madison Village Base Area, offers childcare for children from six months to six years old. From a parent’s perspective, the facility is safe, clean and looks fun. From a kid’s perspective, the colorful room screams kid utopia.

Option 2: Can’t leave your kid? No problem, both the Madison Village Base area and Moonlight Lodge offer dining, a warm fire, comfortable lounging and gorgeous decks. Madison Village is ideal for short walkabouts and play in the snow – added bonus, après ski live entertainment. Moonlight Lodge brings its own attractions: shopping, the Moonlight Spa and a lodge so beautiful even little babies delight.

*Toddler, not yet ready to ski:

Option 1: The Moonlight Kids Daycare welcomes drop-ins but reservations are highly recommended.

Option 2: Check out the Blazing Saddles sledding hill or strap your little one to your back and go for a snowshoe. Toddlers love running around the lodge and good ol’ playing in the snow is available everywhere.

*Kids, ready to hit the slopes:

Option 1: Kids ages three and four years old can take private lessons in conjunction with childcare. For kids ages 4-14, ski lessons are available and for those ages 7-14, snowboard lessons are an option. Choose from half or full day with guaranteed small class ratios.

Option 2: See Option 1.

*The entire group will be skiing:

Option 1: If you have a mixed bag of ability in the group, consider splitting into two groups, lower- and upper-mountain skiers. Kids 10 and under are free but you can save money by purchasing a Derringer Ticket (accessing easy runs from the Derringer Lift) for $25. Have the group meet at the Madison Village Base Area twice during the day and again at the end of the day for après ski fun.

Option 2: Everyone is on board to tear up the mountain. Moonlight Basin offers 1,900 acres of groomers, tree glades and challenging steeps. Kids love taking on the Zero Gravity Terrain Park, Pony Park and Freestyle Forest while endurance lovers go for the Headwaters, known for its steep in-bound terrain.

Option 3: Go big for the Biggest Skiing in America® pass, connecting Moonlight Basin to Big Sky Resort for 5,532 acres of downhill terrain, 4,350 feet of vertical, 27 lifts and more than 220 trails.

*Looking for something different:

Options 1-3: Dogsled with Spirit of the North, go snowshoeing on Moonlight’s trails, or hit the Blazing Saddles sledding hill.

Option 4: Spend an entire day at the Moonlight Lodge. Start with coffee in the morning from the North Slope Deli, curled up with a good book by the fire. A little spa treatment followed by a workout and a soak in the heated outdoor pool. Browse the shop Moonlight Mercantile, watch the game at the Jack Creek Grill bar and when the sun shines its brightest, warm your skin with some Vitamin D on the deck and absorb the stunning views we are all so graced to share.