In phase two, we will upgrade the racket courts and athletic fields. Our new racket courts will have eight pickleball courts and two tennis courts and one of the softball fields will be converted to an artificial turf multi-purpose field. This new field will serve softball, baseball, soccer, flag football and other field sports. The existing soccer fields will be converted to artificial turf, and expanded to meet the needs of our growing community. The conversion to artificial turf allows for more competitive play with longer seasons.

The final phase will include improvements to our beloved Camp big Sky. This expansion will include two new sand volleyball courts, a new basketball court and a new recreation area by the Riverside Pavilion.

Community Park Re-Design Concept Plans

Our wonderful community continues to grow and new neighborhoods create needs and opportunities for new public places where all across Big Sky can gather and play. Thanks to the generosity of Lone Mountain Land Company and the Southfork HOA, BSCO has the ability to create a six acre park in the Southfork area that will ensure easy access and bring wonderful new outdoor amenities for the benefit of all who live, play and serve in this special place.

Southfork Area Park Plan

BSCO’s goal with this new land acquisition is to ensure continued access to Beehive Basin, provide long-term stewardship of the land and that the trailhead and surrounding area is developed to meet the level of use the trailhead sees on a daily basis with consistent maintenance and upkeep. The BSCO plans to turn the 7.5 acres into an open space parkland and partner with the USFS on the trailhead to make significant improvements for additional parking, improved informational kiosk, a pit toilet and a bear-proof trash receptacle.

In 2018, BSCO began the replacement of bridges and boardwalks leading into the park to better accommodate families and strollers.  Look for the final replacement of the wetland boardwalk in summer of 2019.  Thanks to continued support of the Rotary Club of Big Sky.  

The new Tree Fort will create an exciting gathering place for children of all ages to play and enjoy this wonderful stretch of river the park sits on was completed in the fall of 2017. Big Sky’s newest playground is a ship inspired structure that is sure to invigorate the imagination of anyone that visits. The BSCO and Rotary Club of Big Sky worked together last summer to make several improvements to Kircher Park with the goal of providing a more inviting atmosphere for park and trail visitors. Improvements included: building a loop trail, tree clearing, trail repairs, and a new park entrance sign was installed October of 2017.

The increased recreational use and rapid growth of our community prompted the BSCO, in partnership with the Big Sky Area Parks, Trails & Recreation District, to hire Peaks to Plains Consulting out of Billings, MT to lead a master park planning process for our community. With progressive and sustainable planning in place we can ensure abundant and diverse recreational amenities are available for all.  The plan was completed in 2018 and can be viewed below. BSCO will continue to work on a variety of park projects as outlined in the master plan.

More below:

Parks & Open Space Plan

Master Park Plan

Community Survey Results

Funded through the Big Sky Area Resort Tax District and individual donors, this project improved safety throughout the park and trail with the installation of new hand rails and safety barriers as well as the restoration of several bare/compacted areas that were been damaged by user traffic. The restoration component of the project included seeding, planting native trees and shrubs, and decommissioning several user created paths. Overall, the project brought the Ousel Falls Trail back to it’s native state while providing a safer experience for all visitors.

BSCO purchased 3.3 acres of green open space in the heart of Town Center in 2018 and has transformed this space into a multi-use park which is home to the Marty Pavelich Ice Rink and Music in the Mountains put on by the Arts Council of Big Sky. 

In 2022 BSCO worked with Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association to acquire easements and build the first part of Tanner’s Way connecting Town Center to the North Fork. In 2023, we will work to finish the connection to Town Center by working with BSOA and their open space on HWY 64. 

BSCO has partnered with Lone Mountain Land Company, private property owners, and Terraflow Trails to build the Coldsmoke trail. This trail will take you from Hummocks trail to Mud Creek trail without having to travel down MT64. Construction began on this in fall of 2023 with plans to complete the trail in 2024. 

BSCO has partnered with Big Sky Resort and Terraflow Trails to build the yet to be named trail by the Cascade lift. This trail will be a “loop” style trail giving an alternate way to access Beehive Basin. Construction for this trail will begin Spring 2024 

BSCO is working with Wheelie Creative to update all trail and trailhead signage. Updated signage will aid in the navigation of the BSCO trail network and provide educational and etiquette resources. This overhaul began in fall 2023 and is expected to be completed spring 2024. This project is made possible with support from Resort Tax and the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation.

Summer of 2024 will see some updated safety features for the Ousel Falls trail with focus on the falls area while keeping the beauty of the area. 

Ralph’s Pass is a natural surface multi-use trail approximately 2.7 miles in length which serves as an important connector between the Hummocks and Uplands Trails and Ousel Falls Trail. A connecting spur, Ralph’s Pass Extension, will also route bikers to the Yellow Mule Trailhead. A significant portion of the trail easements fall within dedicated subdivision open space and through areas of natural beauty ranging from steep and heavily forested mountains to open grassy meadows. The trail enable users to enjoy views of several Big Sky peaks including Lone Mountain and Pioneer Mountain. Completed in the fall 2016, the trail is open June 15 – October 16th.

BSCO worked with Lone Mountain Ranch and other partners to begin grooming winter trails in the winter of 2019. BSCO is now grooming Little Willow Way, Crail Trails, South Fork Loop and 7km of the Town Center Trails during the winter though the acquisition of a snowmobile and grooming equipment. All the trails are free and are groomed for the enjoyment of all including cross country skiers, walkers, snowshoes, fat bikers and dogs.

BSCO completed construction of the Hummocks and Uplands Trails and Trailhead, in August 2014. The two natural surface trails added 5 miles of moderate terrain easily accessible from Big Sky Town Center and several residential neighborhoods. Funding for the project was granted from Big Sky Area Resort Tax District and the Recreational Trails Program.

BSCO is in the engineering phase of a project that will create safe pedestrian access across Highway 64 to the Big Sky Community Park. The project includes a pedestrian underpass at the intersection of Lone Mountain Trail (HWY 64) and Little Coyote Road, a paved trail along Little Coyote Road, and a pedestrian bridge across the Middle Fork of the South Fork of the Gallatin River. The project is part of the organization’s pedestrian safety and connectivity goal in the Big Sky Trails Master Plan. Recently Big Sky received funding through a federal TIGER grant in coordination with the Big Sky Meadow Trails, Recreation, and Parks Special District where $10 million was awarded for Hwy. 64 road improvements. The tunnel and pathway were included in the grant request. Construction is anticipated for the summer of 2020.

• View Pedestrian Underpass Rendering
• View Map of Proposed Community Park Trail

Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety improved in the summer of 2017 in the Big Sky Meadow area with the installation of a traffic control signal at the intersection of Lone Mountain Trail (HWY 64) and Ousel Falls Road. Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) determined that the intersection met warrant criterial for the installation of a traffic control signal. The project was funded in collaboration with local developers (50%) and the Big Sky Area Resort Tax District (50%). BSCO’s role in the project was focused on connecting the recreational opportunities of parks and trails, to neighborhoods, businesses and essential services that are located on both the north and south side of HWY 64.

View the traffic signal site plan here.

With the purchase of the parcel on which the Upper Beehive Basin trailhead is located, BSCO is designing improvements to add additional parking and needed trailhead amenities such bear proof trash cans, a toilet facility and updated trailhead kiosks. The project is funded in part by a Recreational Trails Program grant. These improvements will improve the existing trailhead facilities and safety by reducing the number of vehicles parking on the roadway and allowing better access for emergency services and homeowners.  The project will result in the dedication of the entire parcel as RT & Ralph’s Beehive Preserve.

Additionally, the Ousel Falls trailhead is in the process of a redesign to allow for the initiation of service by the Skyline Bus. The parking lot will include a second entrance/exit to allow for the busses to pull through the parking lot efficiently and safely. The service will allow for the ability to hike to Ousel Falls from Town Center via Uplands and Ralph’s Pass and catch a ride back to town.

BSCO installed trail and vehicle counters to help us better understand and manage our parks and trails. The data will be used when planning future park and trail projects and while applying for grant and funding opportunities.

in 2022, BSCO completed the first half of Huff’s Trek, an easy multi-use public trail that would connects Big Sky Resort to Big Sky Town Center. The second half of this project will be completed in 2023 which includes creating a gravel path leading from the bottom of Mountain to Meadow up to the 2022 constructed Huff’s Trek. This trail will also include a trailhead and parking area at the bottom.