As National Park Week continues through April 29th, many resorts located near National Parks are offering special packages this summer to get you closer to nature, while enjoying the spoils of family-friendly resorts. MoonlightBasin‘s year-round resort in Montana is just 30 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. Stay four nights May 25through October 1 and receive the fifth night free, for rates as low as $51 per person, per night. Or stay two nightsJune 15 to 30 and get the third night free, for rates as low as $42 per person, per night. Read more..

National Park Week 2012 (April 21–29) means free admission to all 397 national parks in the U.S. But what if it’s a fear of roughing it, and not those $25 entry fees, that have kept you away for so long? Then just put the money you’ll save toward one of these high-end hotels, each located close to a glorious national park. Some of the places will even guide your nature-based adventures—and then whisk you back for an elegant dinner followed by an 800-thread-count sleep. Read more...

Some of skiing’s strongest athletes competed in the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier at Moonlight Basin this past weekend. The results are in and the secret is out of the bag on Montana’s Big Sky style of skiing. Open spaces and smiling faces welcomed an amazing field of talent in a winner take all of big mountain contest skiing. TheHeadwaters Bowl seems tailor-made for a FWT event, with 1,500-foot gullies running straight down from the north face of 11,112 foot Lone Pea. Rows of cliffs and couloirs pepper the chosen runs. “It (Moonlight Basin) is big mountain skiing,” said event host Paul Herberger. Read more...

I’ve already mentioned several hotels and resorts in or near U. S. national parks, including Amangiri near BryceCanyon National Park and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. However, I decided to mention a couple of other options, which might help assuage any concerns you have about having to “rough it’ in order to visit our American treasures. Read more...

Salt Lake City, UT, March 21, 2012 The 2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) makes its way to Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana this week for the sole qualifier stop of the season. A two-day, four-star event, this competition gives athletes an opportunity to pre-qualify for the final FWT stop in Kirkwood, April 4-9. Read more...

It’s been dumping snow, and just in time for two freeskiing competitions in Moonlight Basin’s Headwaters terrain:The Subaru Freesking World Tour qualifier (March 23 – 24) and the seventh annual Headwaters Runoff competition(March 31). The Headwaters are a true big mountain venue, said FWT judge Paul Herberger. “It’s rocky, there aren’t many trees, it’s got big vertical and it’s fairly steep from top to bottom.” Read more...

The Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier at Moonlight Basin will be kicking off here in Montana in about 3 short hours.This quick edit gives you a feel for the conditions and what the venue looks like. The Headwaters zone at MoonlightBasin is some serious terrain with some seriously good snow stuffed into the series of chutes and spines that divide up its sexy face. I am expecting some high speed ripping on some of the nicest cream pow I have ever skied in my life. Hopefully the rain and lightning stay away so the snow stays that way and we an get this event off without any weather issues. There is no live show for this event, but you can check out start lists and results at Read more...

10 things you must do in Big Sky, Montana. Read more...

The NASTAR championships, Pain McShlonkey, and the Moonlight Basin stop of the Freeskiing World Tour are all the weekend, plus there is good skiing to be had in California(finally) and Oregon... Read more...

MOONLIGHT BASIN, MONT. Stay: Cowboy Heaven Cabins feature deluxe log cabins with private outdoor hot tubs.406-995-7600, moonlightbasin.com Read more...