Big Sky & Yellowstone // Travel Guide

Big Sky is a place that exudes serenity. It's hard not to slow down and to take in the 360 degree views of mountains, pines, and you guessed it--a sky as blue and beautiful as it is big. We scooted away for the Labor Day weekend, and were able to drive an hour down to Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons as well! It's a road trip that EVERYONE must do. These national parks are as good as it gets!

Montana Essentials

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Partly due to the sheer weather variability in Montana, you have to pack wisely! One day it was 90 degrees, and two days later it was only a mere 25 degree and snowing. Even on the days where this wasn't the case, the high would hover around 75 and the low around 40. Montana also possesses an incredible PNW meets SW vibe, and one must pack the attire to match the mood.

Ty's Montana Essentials:

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Downtown Big Sky

Big Sky is a one hour drive up the mountain from Bozeman, Montana. One of the cutest shopping/eating areas in all of America is Big Sky Village. Montana Supply, a flagship store with a vibe that will make you want to go 110% Montanan, features outdoor gear from trendy brands such as Fjallraven, Danner, Filson etc., and it's attached to Toast Cafe. Toast is a breakfast and coffee spot that we frequented.

Yellowstone National Park

I won't waste my time with trite anecdotes about the splendor of Yellowstone, as they are many, but I will provide a list of our absolute MUST SEE places from our Yellowstone adventure! (Be prepared for traffic at any sighting of any given animal...)

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Grand Prismatic
Upper and Lower Falls
Old Faithful
Hayden Valley (Wildlife area)
Lamar Valley (Wildlife area)

Grand Tetons National Park

Just south of Yellowstone lie the Grand Tetons...and are they ever grand! While Yellowstone possesses more variety than GTNP, the mountain range and Jackson Lake are incredibly beautiful. You can drive through GTNP and seemingly get closer and closer to the 14,000 square foot beauties! It's definitely worth your time and it's only about an hour drive south of the last stop on Yellowstone.

Hike in Big Sky

This trip, we did not embark on any hikes in Big Sky (due to all of our time in the National Parks, and few long walks around our neighborhood). Last time we visited Big Sky, we hiked Palisade Falls and Ousel Falls (pictured below), which were gorgeous! (More on that in this blog post).

Gallatin Riverhouse BBQ

We mostly cooked at the Airbnb during this trip. However, we cannot allow anyone to visit Big Sky without stopping by the Gallatin Riverhouse Grill! Hannah's cousins took us here last time we visited Bozeman. We had been daydreaming of it since. It was even better than we remembered!

Our Cabin

And what you have all been waiting for....a link to our Airbnb. This modern danish cabin was an absolute dream. Hannah was in heaven. The cabin was beautifully designed, complete with a wood burning fireplace, which was perfect for our last day in Big Sky as we got 4" of SNOW (yes, in September!). Even more wonderful than the inside of the cabin, was the location. This cabin (and it's hot tub!) had a front row view of Lone Mountain (the tallest peak in Big Sky), and Ulerys Lake. Hannah loved this cabin so much that she now has her heart set on procuring a Montanan Airbnb...what did I get myself into when I booked this place?! Ok, I want to buy one, too.