Montana's Beartooth Basin Is Up for Sale

Beartooth Basin, a small, historic summer-only ski area near the Wyoming and Montana border, is up for sale.

The sale includes a 20-year permit with Shoshone National Forest allowing year-round operations on 90 acres and 1000-plus vertical feet, two high-speed Doppelmayr surface lifts, three snowcats, a portable diesel generator, seven trailers, and all the tools and equipment needed to operate the ski area.

Beartooth Basin hasn’t publicly listed a sale price but is accepting “serious inquiries only” from prospective buyers through beartoothbasin@gmail.com.

We’ve contacted Beartooth Basin for comment and will provide additional information once we know more. Look for a follow-up story here on powder.com early next week.

Founded in the mid-1960s by Austrians Pepi Gramshammer, Eric Sailer, and Anderl Molterer, Beartooth Basin started as a summer training ground for an international cast of alpine racers.

As the years passed, a younger generation of skiers took over, opening Beartooth Basin to the public. The ski area’s lifts service the Twin Lakes Headwall, providing access to a honkin’ cornice that’s seen more than a few hucks.

Thanks to being one of North America’s only summer ski areas, Beartooth Basin has taken on a mecca-like status for snowsports fans. Skiers and snowboarders travel from afar to catch a few turns on the Twin Lakes Headwall.

Views from the top of one of Beartooth Basin's surface lifts.<p>Melissa Kopka/Getty Images</p>
Views from the top of one of Beartooth Basin's surface lifts.

Melissa Kopka/Getty Images

However, opportunities to ski and ride Beartooth Basin have recently dried up. This year, Beartooth Basin announced in May that it wouldn’t open for summer, citing a lack of snow. In 2023, Beartooth briefly opened in early June but was eventually forced to suspend operations. They didn’t reopen that year.

Beartooth Basin has faced similar struggles before. During the 1990s and 2000s, various factors prevented the ski area from opening for several summers.

We don't know what Beartooth Basin's future looks like. In the meantime, though, if you happen to know someone looking to buy a ski area, give them a shout.

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