Blacktail is one of those local ski resorts that you hear about. For only having three lifts they cover a large terrain. The slopes face north so you get good spring skiing free of ice. They have a couple of good green runs but are filled with a lot of blue runs. The chalet is friendly and has good lunch foods. I hve skied this many times in the past six years but missed this past year. One thing that is different. The Chalet is at the top and you ski down.
We can take our 4 boys up here and let them have the run of the mountain without worries! The staff is friendly and caring, and the restaurant on the top floor of the lodge is great! Nice not having to worry about snobs on these slopes!
We visited the Kalispell area the week before Christmas and skied at both Whitefish and Blacktail. We loved both resorts, but for different reasons. Whitefish is more developed, more runs, longer runs, more commercial (but not too much, by any means). Blacktail is all natural snow, smaller, less people, excellent food, and great people! It is basically more old school than Whitefish. We were told that it is a hidden gem and I can believe it! If we head back that way, I will definitely want to hit both resorts!!!
A smaller ski area, but a good value for what you get. I'd say Blacktail's strengths include snow quality, views, and tree skiing. The views to the east and north are wonderful. Also, with its northeast aspect, snow quality is good. And low crowds mean untouched snow stays for longer.One downside is the long dirt road to get to the "base lodge" at the top of the mountain. A pretty drive, but long. One day we tried to go, the road had to be closed right before opening because of icy conditions. Another little downside is that on the day we went, they probably could've groomed a few more runs given the crusty conditions on the groomed trails.But overall, definitely worth the visit.
We drove up to the cross country ski parking area and then took our mountain bikes on the main trail and then on the Alpine trail for a short peaceful ride. After that we hiked with the dogs on the back park of the Alpine trail and walked thru a cathedral of Larch trees that were changing color. The trails are wide and easy to follow and a great place for a family ride or hike.
Three chair lifts, one rope tow, 2,100 verticle feet of drop. Plenty of runs for beginers to intermediate, only a couple of spots that will challange an expert. $35 for all day adult ticket is a bargain. They close on Mondays, so if it snows any time between Sunday night and Tuesday morning, the powder skiing is great. I have yet to wait in a lift line more than a few SECONDS! This place tends to have better weather than the one at Whitefish.
This ski resort is mainly for beginners to intermediate skiers. It's a little weak if you're an expert but not too shabby. There are quite a bit of rock jumps/mild cliffs that were pretty nice. The chairlifts are pretty dingy if you ask me. But the lines for the chairlifts were extremely small. I went on a Saturday and there were hardly any people in line if any. The terrain park was pretty small but not bad for a small resort. The view was great. But tree skiing is a huge pain. Too many dead trees and way too much brush. I'm the kind of person who likes to keep my skis as nice as I can so I wouldn't recommend skiing in the trees in between trails.But all in all a pretty good place
Fun family hill with amazing views, since the lodge sits on top of the hill. Majority of the runs are groomers, not much variety for terrain. Good for going fast! Burger in the upper resturant was one of the most amazing ski burgers we've had so far. Bar was extemely nice looking with good atmosphere.
We have been skiing here regularly for the last five years. Love this hill! It might not be steep and deep but you can't beat the friendly staff and the lack of lift lines. It's a great hill for families, beginners, and people that love to cruise the groomers
This is a very nice little ski area. Being the north side, the snow is almost always great. Plus it does NOT get the fog that the other "local" ski area will get. It has that great family feeling, everyone is so friendly. Hardly any crowds... just love the area. It also has great deals.