Jackson Hole vs. Big Sky: An Exhaustive Comparison 

Is anyone going to mention that snowboarder at 3:20 absolutely eating it off that feature lmao. And the best part is the camera slowly panning like its a scene out of the office

Per ride costs on a lift is absolutely ridiculous

I went to both last year. If you are planning a trip with someone who cannot ski black diamonds all day, immediately cross Jackson Hole off the list. Both are extremely fun if you are advanced to expert level.

As soon as I saw this it was a instant click. Jackson is my favorite resort by far. I had the pleasure of meeting you there in May last season.

Going to both this year! Hyped for the comparison.

Having been a big sky pass holder for a number of years it feels like JH always gets more early season snow. A lot of the great lines at big sky don’t fill in until late January most years. With big sky having nearly 360 degrees of skiing around an isolated peak there is almost always an aspect that is skiing great. People will complain about the tram but the lines were always over an hour often 90 minutes before it cost extra. Paying per day sucked too due to the lines so it was hard to get more than a few tram laps in a day. The tram got to be a mess once ikon was added. 🤷‍♂️

Loved Jackson hole the one time I skied it! I grew up skiing snowbird and felt right at home.

Both are incredible. No need to compare. Any skier should love both. Go to both.

I would bring ski straps on your bag if you are hiking headwaters, makes it much easier. Firehole and three forks were excellent. Drop ins are tight, firehole stays tight while three forks really flattens out and has some epic rock features

My two fav resorts!

I loved Big Sky. The people where nice and friendly, nice family vibes, lots of interesting terrain for all levels. Not crowded. Just awesome 🤩

Love this comparison!! Thanks for covering this

Both of these areas are amazing when snow is good snow. To their credit, Big Sky has dumped massive money on lift upgrades, more than any other area in the west. Both areas are each close to another resort,not the same that are really good as well. I am leaving them nameless to protect the innocent. Big Sky can get ridiculously cold at times.

Excellent video!

My kids learned to ride at JH. After a week of AV they were doing double blues off the Gondy Beginners can do just fine at The Vill.

I've been to both and its hard to say which is better. Both are top teir resorts. Both are worth visiting. I'd lean toward Jackson Hole

I am not trying to throw bricks at this video, and I went on my honeymoon to Jackson Hole, but JH has congestion like I’ve never seen even in the first week of December or the last week in January. Every lift feels like School Marm at Veil. If all you care about is long and steep during the day, and brick oven pizza at night JH is fire, but everything in Idaho and Switzerland is cheaper and more interesting.

Great video! But an 8 for big sky on challenge is just not right, there are a few named runs off the headwaters hike that have mandatory 30+ foot cliffs

can u pls do stratton vt review? its my home mountain and i would love to see it thx

At Jackson a couple weeks ago I rode up the lift with 3 experts from Bozeman, Montana. They complained that Big Sky just doesn't get enough snow....

Great overall summary having been to both! On Big Sky a few things were incorrect. To get to the new tram from the base only need to take the high speed Swifty 6 (old tram required two lifts but no longer true). Also, could ski directly to tram and not go back to base, but cuts the run length in about half. The gondola project from the base is scheduled to open in 2025 now. In 2024, the six shooter on the Madison side will be upgraded to a higher speed 8 with bubble. Should fix most of the issues with 20-30 min wait at 3 major lifts. However, since there are 8 major lifts it’s already easy to ski there and never wait that long if you know where you’re going.

My 2 favorite resorts

As someone who has been to JH many times I must add your don’t really need to ride the tram to get to some really great terrain. In fact on a big day I may only ride the tram once or not at all. I always stay in the town of JH which is much more alive than at the resort and less expensive. I always go to Grand Targhee for a couple of days. It’s as steep but the powder is often much better, they get more snow and there is a complete lack of crowds. Eating out in JH has gotten insanely expensive. I feel like I am eating in NYC. I was going to go to Big Sky with my friends this winter but after running the prices we opted to go to Colorado and ski A Basin, Winter Park and Loveland. Much much cheaper and it’s good enough for me. Ski resorts are just pushing up the prices and seeing how much people are willing to pay. I can afford to ski anywhere I want but I just have had enough. Charging 300 bucks a day and lodging that is over the top, no thanks. This all said I have had some great times at JH. It’s super easy to get to and if your all strong skiers you will have an amazing time. As soon as you step off the plane you will know how special a place JH is. You can also go snowmobiling in Yellowstone if you want.

Mountain collective was 1/2 off on black Friday. Is that a regular thing? When I do epic instead of ikon, adding that would be a no brainer at that price.

Please review Snowshoe, WV.

The first time I visited Jackson Hole, we trailed a local through the gates off Rendezvous Bowl into the backcountry, carving through stunning out-of-bounds terrain that seamlessly led back to the resort near the Union Pass lift base. Now, I dedicate entire days to riding this backcountry area whenever I'm at Jackson, enhancing my overall resort experience. I'm intrigued by lift-accessed backcountry options at other mountains, yet I've struggled to find a dependable website or RU-vid channel that delves into this. Maybe an idea for future videos :)

I would love to see a review of Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana. Curious to hear your thoughts if you have been (if not, please try it out. It’s an awesome place to ski)

You've left out some important details about Big Sky: Not only do they charge $30 a ride for the tram on top of a $250 lift ticket but you will also probably be spending $900 a night for lodging. There is no affordable lodging anywhere near Big Sky. You have to go all the way to Bozeman to get lodging for less than $500 a night. And that drive is no picnic in the winter time... which brings up another important point about Big Sky- it's really cold in the winter time. My trip there they delayed opening the lifts because it was 20 degrees below zero. No thanks- I'll stick to Utah, Colorado and the Sierras.

The cost of these 2 resorts is insane I have skiied for almost 30 years In California, Oregon and Washington and I've never had to pay for parking or gondola rides. Its expensive enough without these extra costs when you factor in gas, food and lodging. You literally have to be rich to afford those prices. As for the hour long lift lines, should we build another ski resort or two if there is that much congestion? Why is it that our infrastructure cannot increase as the population increases?

1:20 East facing slopes gets crusty more easily than other directions? Why? I'd think West facing would be more susceptible to thaw-freeze due to afternoon sun typically being warmer

0:09 I've been to a whole TWO ski resorts in my whole life!

When I went to Jackson Hole, it felt like the only thing at the resort was Corbet's or the backcountry areas. The entire resort just seems pretty flat.

Yeah, but Jackson Hole doesn’t have Yeti Dogs

Snowboarder at 3:20😂

It's $30 per tram ride at Big Sky?? Screw that noise. Jackson's tram lines are long in the AM, but by 1-2 PM it usually clears up considerably.

Go to both

The video says they’re only a few hours apart, but it’s almost a 4 hour drive, so trying to do both on a trip isn’t trivial.

jackson….been to both. jackson all day

Big sky size should be 10

I’ve skied at both Big Sky and Jackson Hole I’m 12 and it’s not like I do the easiest terrain I usually stick to blacks and some double blacks in my opinion Big Sky is better.

If you're planning a trip, you only go to Jackson Hole or Big Sky if you've been to AltaBird enough times you want something new. Re: the ranking... AltaBird should ALWAYS be considered as one.

What I got from this was if you’re a tourist who just wants to take a few laps and sit in the lodge and take a vacation, don’t go.

I laugh at the inferiority complex that Big Sky locals have when it comes to Jackson. They are always comparing and are given to oneupsmanship. Big Sky is really nice. It's got issues like all ski areas but that doesn't make it bad. It's no Jackson though, or Snowbird for that matter. We always referred to it as Big Lie with their claim of continuous vertical. They left out though that half of that is flat as a pancake. Whereas at JH if you link Rendezvous Bowl to R trail to the Hobacks it is a true top to bottom continuous 4K + of leg pounding terrain. Full value no fluff. I worked in the ski industry and had Wyoming Idaho and Montana as my territory and spent a lot of time at Big Sky. The skiing was ok, but I dreaded going there because of rock damage to my demo fleet. There were always rocks, andesite, wind blown all over. That said, it's a nice place to blow a few K.

Good comparison. Jackson Hole = guy trip: Pros - Great for advanced to expert Cons: Not enough beg. to intermediate terrain, horrible line for tram, parking, no lifts to hobacks, and Sublett is still a slow chair. Big Sky = family trip : Pros Terrain for everyone (best beginner and intermediate terrain), awesome lifts, epic view of Lone mountain Cons: Tram to top, rocks from wind exposure, lodge is a zoo with so many people...

As a result of 25+ years of working WAY too much,I now hold a lifetime, fill mountain pass at JHMR. Sorry (not sorry) 😂.

I will pick Grand Targhee over either one. But i do like Big Sky. Lone Mountain is a nice ride down. I find Jackson can get icy fast.

1:38 was unfortunate timing.

If you take away the Tram at Big Sky, for some reason it reminds me of Mt. Flatelor in Oregon. The two dozen times or so I've skied there were always December and January and either conditions or the Tram lines were not worth it. To be fair I need to ski Big Sky in the spring when conditions are better.

Great comparison. Definitely go to Jhole and forget Big Sky.

The Big Sky tram to Lone Peak ... 15 person capacity , 10 minutes load and ride. So , 90 people an hour capacity. European resorts would laugh at anyone who suggested a lift like that. Now , lets talk about the rocks. I ski'd there when they said they had a 105 inch base. There were rocks everywhere. The locals were kind of joking you just had to accept ski damage. Terrain ? It looks spectacular , but , if you take away Lone Peak , it's flat. Jackson Hole. ... great mountain , but , if you want to be on the first tram on a powder day then you'll need to be in line at least an hour before the lifts start. We got to the line 30 minutes before , and would have been on the 3rd or 4th tram.

No way I rate JH over BS Just plain less crowded shorter lift lines

How exhaustive can it be in 16 minutes??? 😂😂😂😂😂

Big sky has CALORS. also no fall, ACHIVALACH ACHIVALANCH, precipitous CALORS throught jacksonville hole. CHUTE CALOR!!! CALORS no fall PRECIPITUOUS

Yeah Big Sky Sucks! Tell your friends... Nobody come... okay?

Honestly Peakrankings is a joke.

Ski Whitefish. terrain for everyone. lots of it. lots of powder.

BIG SKY IS THE BIGGEST RIP OFF IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA . HIGHEST TICKET PRICES. SOME OF THE WORST TASTING RESORT FOOD AT OUTRAGEOUS PRICES. THERE IS NO REASON TO GO TO THIS RESORT AT ALL. I HAVE SKIIED AT OVER 43 DIFFERENT RESORTS IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE THIS IS THE WORST ONE FOR VALUE , FOOD QUALITY AND SERVICE.