Great Divide ski area, Lewis Range, Montana, Management Description <<< Back to Great Divide ski area main page   Great Divide ski area Management Says: Montana's sunniest ski area, Great Divide is located on the Continental Divide in west central Montana between Helena & Great Falls. The mountain is large & diverse with 140 trails, bowls & glades on 3 mountain peaks and three different valleys covering more than 1500 acres of terrain. From atop The Continental Divide several other mountain ranges, lakes, and valleys are displayed in vistas stretching for nearly 100     miles. Helena is just 23 miles and Great Falls only 95 miles via I-15 Exit #200. For a ''local'' ski area, Great Divide is enormous. Finding powder three days after a storm is not uncommon. The management's prominent signage stating ''DO NOT SKI ALONE....IF YOU BECOME INJURED OR ILL WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND YOU'' Bears ominous testimony to the complex network of trails and the seemingly endless glades that coined the local phrase ''ski-all terrain''. The BACKYARD beginner's area is FREE to anyone. The MEADOW MOUNTAIN Chairlift serves a separate minor peak designed specifically for new skiers & riders, little kids and young families. The GOOD LUCK Chairlift provides access to the   intensely used lower mountain with 100% snowmaking coverage and night lighting. These trails are home to numerous lesson groups, the popular Great Divide Ski Team, and Montana's dominant Terrain Park Scene... RASCAL Park..Easy air for beginners , little kids and adults giving the jumps a first try..In full view of the Lodge & deck. RODEO Park..The BIG Air. Monster jumps, long rails, always something new, interesting, and challenging. The home park of The Montana State Snowboard Championships. WILDWOOD Park..A totally new concept..All features made of wood in a park located INSIDE a forest..WOW How Cool! The MOUNT BELMONT Chairlift to the summit opens up over 80 trails suitable to more advanced enthusiasts. Some of these trails have been here for more than fifty years. Big drifts and sudden drops make the main mountain a perfect playground on the snow. Traditional tree lined trails for turning left and right are rare. RAWHIDE GULCH is the remote side of the mountain featuring cliffs, cornices, chutes, and glades......and the tremendous expanse of THE BIG OPEN. When you venture into RAWHIDE GULCH often the only other people you see are the ones that came here with you. The RAWHIDE GULCH Chairlift quickly returns you to the main mountain at the end of your expedition. The WILD WEST ADVENTURE AREA is unlike any place at other ski areas. Over 500 acres of uniquely designed narrow interwoven trails and endless glades feel like friendly backcountry skiing with the benefit of a mile long lift to take you back you the top and do it all over again! Great Divide does not typically receive huge dumps of snow (That's why they call it ''Montana's Sunniest Ski Area''). They compensate with an incredibly effective modern snowmaking system that traditionally provides one of Montana's earliest openings and produces monster terrain parks. The other antidote to low snow is enormous terrain. With so many trails, glades and open bowls skier densities on the upper mountain and outer valleys resemble a backcountry skiing experience. Mark Hoy has directed the Ski & Snowboard School for nearly 2 decades. His enthusiastic instructors provide FREE lessons all day long to anyone who tells us they've never skied or snowboarded before! Advancing skiers and riders progress quickly with private lessons at just $30/hour. Our Learn-To-Ski-In 3! self-paced three-day learn to ski or ride program is a huge success and includes lessons, lift tickets and equipment for three days of your choice for a very low price. More than 150 young area skiers join the Great Divide Ski Team each season. Several dozen compete in ski races throughout Montana, but the majority enjoy fast-paced non-competitive coaching every weekend on every acre of this huge winter playground as members of the ALL MOUNTAIN TEAM....its the cool evolution of weekend ski school. Great Divide sits just a mile above the ''lively'' ghost town of Marysville....a former gold mining boom town that once boasted more than 23 saloons! The Marysville House is the sole saloon these days and does its best to keep the legacy alive. Raucous good times are fairly frequent following a famous steak or seafood dinner that attracts a large number of patrons from a wide area. Montana's Capital City of Helena is just 23 miles from the mountain. A full array of lodging options suit any demand from bargain chains near the airport to luxurious downtown convention centers. All Helena hotels provide guest with coupons that earn a 20% DISCOUNT ON Great Divide lift tickets. Two local brewpubs and numerous nightspots provide entertainment well into the evening after a memorable meal at one of many local restaurants. You'll find many of these establishments conveniently clustered in the historic ''Last Chance Gulch'' downtown or the trendy new Great Northern Town Center. Helena is one of the best small cities in the U.S. for the arts. Museums, galleries and theaters provide an amazing array of cultural diversions for a city of less than 100,000 friendly folks. You'll enjoy an extended stay in the Helena Area! Great Divide is friendly and affordable. Kevin & Nyla Taylor bought the area from the Belmont Ski Club in 1985 and rapidly expanded the lifts, trails, lights and snowmaking. Their 3 daughters Emily, Betsy and Adrienne assist in all phases of the operation. A weekend adult lift ticket tops out at just $34, with rate reductions each hour of the afternoon. Lower rates are offered to students, children, weekday visitors, hotel guests, and even $7/hour tickets are available. Nine dollar ''Friday Nights Under the Lights!'' are a huge hit. Great Divide is absolutely different than any other ski area. Visit with an open mind, a spirit of adventure and a readiness to have an big fun day on the snow. You'll leave laughing!   Trailmap Bigger Trailmap Pictures of Great Divide ski area Bigger Picture Bigger Picture Bigger Picture Bigger Picture Bigger Picture Stats Detailed Stats Contact Info Phone, Email, Address, GPS coordinates Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Great Divide ski area.   Ski Areas Near Great Divide ski area: Teton Pass, Montana , 65 miles away    1010 foot drop, 2 lifts, 26 runs    30% Expert & Adv.    40% Intermediate    30% Beginner Discovery Ski, Montana , 68 miles away    1670 foot drop, 6 lifts, 48 runs    55% Expert & Adv.    25% Intermediate    20% Beginner Moonlight Basin, Montana , 91 miles away    4166 foot drop, 7 lifts, 97 runs    53% Expert & Adv.    26% Intermediate    21% Beginner Big Sky, Montana , 94 miles away    4350 foot drop, 17 lifts, 150 runs    58% Expert & Adv.    25% Intermediate    17% Beginner   Whitewater Near Great Divide ski area: Whitewater Outfitter - Montana River Outfitters, Lewis And Clark County , 21 miles away, Whitewater outfitter Boulder River, Jefferson County , 23 miles away, Class II - 61 miles long (Bison Creek to Jefferson River) Dearborn River, Lewis & Clark County , 26 miles away, Class II-III - 16 miles long (Highway 287 Bridge to Missouri River)   Trails Near Great Divide ski area: Sweeney Creek Ecology Trail, Lewis and Clark , 9 miles away Bear Gulch Trail, Lewis and Clark , 11 miles away Flesher Pass Trail, Lewis and Clark , 13 miles away   Golf Courses Near Great Divide ski area: Green Meadow Country Club, Helena , 18 miles away Bill Roberts Golf Course, Helena , 20 miles away

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