There are a host of things to see and do in the area around Bridger Bowl, most of which involve the natural environment. A brief selection of some of the best include the following.

The Museum of the Rockies at the Montana State University in Bozeman has one of the finest collections of dinosaur fossils in the world and other exhibits which celebrate the history of the Rockies in an entertaining way. Great for a ‘rainy’ day.

Yellowstone National Park is within 90 minutes of Bozeman. One entrance via Gardiner is open in winter. It accesses the awesome Mammoth Hot Springs and the only road that runs all the way through the park in winter. You’ll see boiling mud, travertines, gorgeous colours, plenty of steam and wildlife including bison, coyotes and even wolves. Or head south to West Yellowstone where there are lots of tours of the park.

Wildlife spotting is an awesome past time in these parts. Down Hwy 191 in the West Gallatin River Valley (on the way to Big Sky), look out for moose (and baby moose) along the river, whilst on the way to Mammoth Hot Springs entrance at Yellowstone, you can spot plenty of elk, mule deer, bison, bighorn sheep, and the very special pronghorn antelope.

A ghost town is located 21 miles off the I15 near the town of Dillon, and about a 2 ½ hour drive from Bozeman, the Bannock State Park is another ‘rainy’ day must do. The old frontier mining town of Bannock is a classic ghost town which is maintained in a state of ‘arrested decay’. It is easy to immerse yourself here for hours. Over half the buildings are open allowing the interiors to be viewed, stairs to be climbed and the past to be imagined. It is quiet in winter so you may find you have the place to yourself (aside from the caretaker), which adds to the towns atmosphere. The visitor centre is closed in winter and it is best to bring your own lunch. Whilst the drive from Bozeman is a tad long, a range of routes can be taken and indeed one can even overnight at the dying town of Dillon.