Showdown Montana

The Showdown Montana ski resort sits within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, east of Helena, Montana. In a region known for its logging in addition to outdoor fun, the venue uses the Little Belt Mountains to provide downhill skiing and snowboarding in the heart of Big Sky Country. Its facilities are small compared to others in the Rocky Mountains, but the fun in the pow is a challenge to match.

Getting here on the Interstate will involve using I-15. Several US Highways eventually bring motorists to US Route 89, leading to the town of Neihart. Great Falls International Airport is the closest airfield or size 62 miles away.

Downhilling Kings Hill Pass

The Showdown Montana ski area opened in 1936 as the King's Hill Ski Area and operated for 37 years before changing its name. Locals will be familiar with the scenic highway pass at 7,385 feet. That is greater than the resort's base height of 6,800 feet but not its summit at 8,200 feet. Skiers and riders have a 1,400-foot vertical to play down during daylight hours (sorry, nighttime skiers and snowboarders).

The climate here can be unforgiving, with bitter cold and winds creating blizzard conditions quickly. Anyone planning a trip to the Showdown Montana ski area will want to pack lots of layers and get a balaclava if they do not own one already. Winter temperatures average between 16 and 20-degrees Fahrenheit, so protection from the elements is a must.

Average annual snowfalls here are roughly 255 inches, providing plenty of powder to work with between December and early April. Guests can not purchase lift tickets online, which is not a problem for local park rats but might catch visitors from farther away by surprise. Showdown Montana offers guests typical daytime amenities like a saloon and grill (a second grill, Top Rock, is located at the summit). There are retail, rental, and ski shops at the base of the resort.

The Showdown Montana Snow School offers a variety of private and group lessons/clinics for all ages and ability levels. That includes adaptive skiing and physical education programs.

Staying Busy on the Pow

The Showdown Montana ski area does have an Uphill policy that guests must follow, and there are snowshoeing trails here as well. It is worth mentioning that the resort requires a 72-hour notice for any adaptive equipment guests wish to bring onto the slopes.

The Showdown Montana resort has 640 skiable acres to play across. Skiers and riders have 36 runs to choose from, with blue-rated intermediate trails favored (44-percent). Newbies and casuals will find 28-percent of the runs rated as green, providing them with more forgiving terrain. Advanced skiers and riders have the remaining 28-percent of the mountain rating at a black diamond, creating challenges and potentials that will bring a smile to their faces.

Showdown Montana has four lifts to move everyone uphill, including two doubles, a triple, and a magic carpet. A terrain park completes the activities, with terrain features catering to something outside of downhill skiing.