65°F
Site Logo

A Nonprofit Ski Area

Operating with Purpose

As a nonprofit ski area, Bridger Bowl is proud to offer a genuine community-driven experience. All revenue generated is reinvested into the mountain, improving facilities, maintaining affordable lift tickets and supporting local programs. Bridger Bowl relies on a board of directors and an involved membership base to help steer the ski area into the future. This is guided by Bridger Bowl’s:

Mission

To remain a locally focused recreation area that balances quality, affordability and sustainability in a way that best serves our community.

Vision

Be the model nonprofit community resource that fosters a lifelong passion for outdoor recreation to benefit all generations.

Vintage skiers

Stats from the 2025/26 Season

138”

Seasonal Snowfall

$1,188

Raised for Dirt Concern

From 4,752 contributions

883

Snowmaking Hours

576

Employees

248,030

Skier Visits

27,187

Bus Ridership

3,437

Ski PE Participants

1,670

Multi-Week Kiddos

72

Volunteers

477

Free Host Tours

104

Units of blood collected

Impacted 312 lives through the MSU Blood Drive

$9,290

Raised for the Bridger Bowl Foundation

$23,000

Raised at King & Queen for GNFAC

1,871 lbs

Food Donation for Bridger Bowl Bash

History

Skiing enthusiasts have enjoyed the area known as Bridger Bowl since the mid 1940’s. A rich history has resulted in Bridger Bowl becoming a cornerstone for the local recreational community and a major contributor to the area’s vibrant winter tourism economy.

The outstanding effort and support of local volunteers, the board and membership, businesses, staff and dedicated passholders have transformed Bridger Bowl from a single rope tow and a Quonset hut into a thriving ski area. Today, it spans 2,000 acres of terrain, with eight chairlifts, 2,600 vertical feet, four lodges, and a plan for future expansion as needed.


The Making of a Community Mountain

From a single rope tow to a beloved community mountain, these milestones trace how Bridger Bowl grew with the help of locals, volunteers and generations of skiers.

A Timeline of Bridger Bowl

  1. The Bridger Mountain Range is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, ancestral homelands to 49 Tribes.

    Among these Tribes are the Assiniboine, Bannock, Blackfeet, Crow, Gros Ventre, Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Orielle, Nez Perce, Chippewa Cree, Shoshone and Sioux. Archaeological evidence shows human presence in the Gallatin Valley dating back 12,000–13,000 years. Today, the Crow Nation maintains a strong connection to the Bridger Range due to close geographic proximity.

  2. 1806

    Bozeman visited by Lewis & Clark

    The Lewis & Clark Expedition camped in the Bozeman area guided by Sacagawea whilst headed east from Three Forks, MT.

  3. 1856

    Jim Bridger discovers Bridger Canyon

  4. 1950

    Bridger Mountain State Park established

    This consisted of a rope tow which was powered by a car.

  5. 1954

    Bozeman State Park Recreation Association formed

    The organization was granted 501(c) (4) Nonprofit Status with membership open to Montana residents 18 years of age and older and a 9 member board was elected.

    Membership

  6. Jan. 16, 1955

    Bridger Bowl's Birthday

    The ski area opened to the public with just one employee.

  7. 1956

    Upper hill poma lift installed giving access to North Bowl, Avalanche Gulch and Bronco Face

  8. 1958

    Lower platter lift replaced by T-bar

  9. 1959

    Deer Park Chalet A frame constructed

    This was the original lodge & base area.

  10. 1964

    Bridger lift installed

  11. 1964

    75mm rifles installed for avalanche control

  12. 1967

    Alpine lift installed and new chalet constructed at present base area

  13. 1968

    Large wooden ski jump constructed

  14. 1971

    Name changed to Bridger Bowl and Deer Park lift installed

  15. 1973

    Ridge skiing opens

    Ridge skiing was opened to the public with a few “hard-core” locals enjoying the backcountry-like conditions.

  16. 1978

    Virginia City and Pierre's Knob lifts installed

  17. 1988

    Jim Bridger Lodge constructed

    This replaced the base lodge chalet providing a full rental shop, day care, cafeteria, restaurant, bar and ski school.

  18. 1988

    Blue Light installed on top of Baxter Hotel

    The light blinks atop the historic downtown Bozeman hotel when two inches or more of snow has fallen in the last 24 hours.

  19. 1991

    Snowmaking introduced at Bridger Bowl

  20. 1995

    Powder Park quad (present day Sunnyside lift) installed

  21. 1996

    Deer Park Chalet replaced

  22. 2000

    Snowflake lift and beginner's area added

  23. 2001

    Pierre's Knob lift upgraded

  24. 2004

    Saddle Peak Lodge & First Aid Room constructed

  25. 2008

    Schlasman's lift installed

    The recycled Schlasman's lift is a reconditioned 1976 Doppelmayr double chair, formerly known as the “Peruvian” lift, purchased from Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah. It added 311 acres of lift-served ridge terrain for expert skiers. The lift was named after P.B. Schlasman, one of four miners killed in an avalanche in the Bridger Mountains.

  26. 2010

    Bridger & Deer Park red chair lifts replaced with Bridger triple chair

  27. 2013

    Alpine red chair lift replaced

    The old Alpine lift was sold to Mount Spokane and replaced with two new triple chairs, Alpine and Powder Park, opening up more access to terrain on the north side of the mountain.

  28. 2014

    Alpine Cabin constructed

  29. 2017

    Virginia City red chair lift replaced with triple chair, Snowflake Hut and new beginner area built

  30. 2017

    Sundog and Flurry surface lifts installed; beginner lift expanded

  31. 2018

    Vertical flow wetlands wastewater system installedView Project Details

  32. 2019

    Solar Panels installed and composting implementedView Project Details

  33. 2019

    NSAA Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence winner

    Bridger was honored to receive this award which was established in 1993. This is considered the highest honors bestowed on a ski area for environmental performance. The awards have been updated over the years to reflect changes in sustainability best practices and highlight the importance of climate change action and advocacy.

  34. 2020

    Bridger Foothills Wildfire

  35. 2024

    EPA Region 8 Pollution Prevention Recognition Award

    Bridger Bowl Ski Area was recognized for the reducing electricity use through LED and motion-activated lighting, installing an on-site 50 kW solar array and implementing a transit and carpooling incentivizing program that is free for guests and employees. These projects and others resulted in annual savings of 76.3 Metric Tons of CO2 and over $9,000 in annual cost savings.

  36. 2025

    Bridger Bowl turns 70!

Master Development Plan (MDP)

The MDP is guiding the future of the ski area, with a strong focus on community involvement throughout the process.

Explore the vision, goals and proposed developments that will shape the area’s growth and was submitted to the forest service for review. The interactive website provides a detailed blueprint for planned upgrades and improvement projects aimed at enhancing the ski area experience.

Explore the Plan