As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
For over half a century, the world has flocked to Wyoming in the winter for the epic skiing. With more than 100 mountain ranges spread out across the state and an average annual snowfall of over 80 inches – some areas of the Cowboy State get more than 13 feet each year – it’s a skier’s dream come true.
Considering the sheer amount of skiable terrain, it might be surprising to learn that there are fewer than a dozen ski resorts in Wyoming, and even more surprising that there aren’t as many now as there used to be. In fact, there’s an all but forgotten ski area hiding in the Bighorn Mountains in the northern part of the state. Several small towns encircle it, making it a convenient ski destination for communities that aren’t near the larger, more popular resorts; yet it sits deserted and looking like a ghost town.
Once the snow flies, the Bighorn Mountains offer awesome skiing conditions. That's why there used to be a ski area right there amid the unspoiled wilderness surrounding the majestic mountain range.
Antelope Butte Ski Area is about 60 miles west of Sheridan, and it's surrounded by a number of smaller towns including Buffalo, Ten Sleep, Worland, and Greybull.
Antelope Butte Ski Area was the place local kids learned how to ski and where skiers of all ages and skills from nearby communities came for affordable fun. What's more, it's close enough to the Wyoming/Montana border that it was a convenient place for Montana skiers to come for a day or to make a weekend out of it.
Advertisement
Relatively small by today's standards, Antelope Butte Ski Area was popular enough that management was looking positively ahead into the future, planning expansion and the addition of more runs.
More trails were added to the original handful, but it wasn't enough to keep the lodge doors open or the ski lifts running.
Though the little ski area was always popular with locals, the bigger resorts around the state attracted the lion's share of tourists and out-of-state skiers.
They've also opened up Antelope Butte as a year-round recreation area, sponsoring summer events as well as a few wintertime activities to get the ball rolling and revitalize interest.
The goal is to reopen the ski area and continue adding more runs...
