Moonlight Basin is on the north face of Lone Mountain and first opened in December 2003. Since then, it's been adding new lifts, trails and amenities every season. In 2005 the resort installed the Headwater lift to serve steep terrain previously accessed only by hoofing it, and cut another 30 acres of new trails and glades. Skiers and riders will find a vertical descent of 2,720 feet that's lift-served. With the Lone Peak Pass interconnect lift ticket with Big Sky Resort, skiers and riders have access to 5,512 acres—the most in the US with one ticket. Moonlight Basin's first terrain park, the Zero Gravity Park, is located on the Runaway trail and has over 30 features, including boxes, rails, berms, tables, rollers and small hits. The resort offers ski and snowboard lessons. Child care starts at age 6 months.

At build-out, the resort will have 3,000 acres of skiable terrain and up to 12 lifts. Moonlight Basin owns almost 8,000 acres of land (from its original purchase of 25,000 acres) and its development philosophy is "Listen to the Land." In consultation with conservation agencies, Moonlight Basin is developing a master plan to preserve the area's natural character—from protecting elk calving habitat to maintaining overall biodiversity. Currently 15,000 acres are protected in perpetuity, and the goal is to have 22,000 to 23,000 acres of the original purchase in conservation easements, protected corridors and open space.

The resort's base area revolves around the very upscale Moonlight Lodge and Spa, which has four ski-in/ski-out luxury penthouse suites, and is home base to the two- and three-bedroom Saddle Ridge Townhomes and two-bedroom log cabins in Cowboy Heaven. The Timbers is the resort's slopeside restaurant. The food is good and the rustic lodge atmosphere with stuffed mountain goats clambering up the 37-foot stone fireplace is magnificent. Lunch is served here also; on warm days, eat on the large outdoor deck. For apres-ski, Timbers Bar & Lounge has a great outside deck in addition to its beautiful rustic setting inside. The lodge has a full-service spa, shops and an outdoor ice rink too.

Moonlight Basin and Big Sky Resort, which share terrain on Lone Peak, offer the Lone Peak Pass, a joint lift ticket that allows guests access to 5,512 acres and a vertical drop of 4,350 feet.

Lift tickets (2006/07): Adults, $47; juniors (11–17), $35; students with college IDs/seniors (70+), $42; kids 10 and younger ski free with paid adult.

Distance from Bozeman: The resort is 47 miles south of Bozeman (and about 50 miles north of West Yellowstone) on Hwy. 191 along the Gallatin River. It's 1.2 miles past Big Sky Resort.

Lodging information: Bookings are handled by East West Resorts, (866) 212-0612.