bohart ranch

The Bohart trails are amazing Nordic trails. The varied terrain makes for great skiing (either classic or skate) and there are miles of trails to cover. The Logger's Loop has some challenging hill climbs, but nothing too steep on the downhill. The grooming is fantastic. I was a little surprised at how much it cost ($15), but it was well worth it.

This was our first time to try cross country. So we opted for a lesson and rental of equipment. Make sure you bring cash or check because they do no except debit or credit cards, we found that out the hard way. The lesson was a mix of classic and skating which was a little more than we were looking for. When we try it again we will rent our own equipment and go somewhere on our own and cross country for free.

Just 16 miles from Bozeman, Bohart Ranch offers some of the best XC skiing found in the West. There ski season normally runs from late November until the end of March. Located at the base of the Bridger Mountains, the ranch has 30 K of trails that are meticulously groomed early each morning. Keep in mind that this not some fancy resort (no bar, restaurant or gift shop). Just a simple log building where you can get your rentals, trail map and a cup of hot coffee tea or cocoa for 50 cents. For beginners they offer group lessons that last 90 minutes and are very reasonable. The instructors are excellent. They have a great sense of humor and tons of patience. We especially liked John who is a resident instructor. All the staff are friendly and can give you advice about which trails match your skill level. The trials are all well marked and caution signs alert you to major hills. We did loggers loop which at 4 miles was all we wanted for the day. Great trails, friendly staff and beautiful views all any skier can ask for and if that is not enough the Bowl downhill ski resort is just a half mile down the canyon.

I took my 10 year old daughter here for their annual community festival. It was a balmy -10 degrees when we arrived and I was worried this would make the day difficult, but the warm welcome from the staff said otherwise. From start to finish they were amazing, absolutely in love with what they do and incredibly positive. We had lessons for 5$ a person and both of us were able to 'hit' the trails with confidence afterwards. The area is jaw dropping-ly gorgeous. We are officially addicts and plan to make Bohart a family adventure.

This is simply a wonderful place to ski. Excellent grooming, friendly staff, great instruction and clinics, affordable pricing. They have rentals on site. It's a great place to ski for groups with different abilities as all the trails roughly coincide at the same spot where there is a picnic shelter and bathroom. Most trails are one way so you don't have to worry about surprising anyone (or getting clobbered on a corner). It's just a few minutes from Bridger Bowl so you can easily split a group up for alpine and Nordic skiing (or do both!)Bring cash as they don't accept card and don't have an ATM. Bring food. They sell a few snacks but nothing substantial. Be prepared to use an outhouse as well! Don't worry, they are really clean and don't smell. Bohart can be quite steep in some places, but there is something for everyone.

We visited Bohart Ranch on President's Day Weekend 2013 to learn how to cross country ski. We were warmly welcomed and quickly oufitted with appropriately sized skis, boots, and poles. The instructor was warm, friendly, and helpful. Our lesson lasted about 1 1/2 hours and covered everything from putting on the skis to basic techniques. After that, our instructor took us back to the store, gave us some free water and granola bars, and recommended a route on the trail map for us to try. The day use, lessons, and gear cost us a total of $40 (well worth it). We tried some of the lower trails and got a great view of the Bridgers. Absolutely gorgeous and serene. Good parking, easy to find. I wanted to come back again before I even left. :) Staff was fantastic and so were the grounds.

This place is absolute paradise - most beautiful place on earth. Great place for a peaceful day in the snow.

For those that have a mix of Alpine and Nordic skiers in their group, this venue could not be better as our outstanding "local hill," Bridger Bowl, is just to the south. To focus here on Bohart, it has an excellent range of terrain for cross-country skiers of all abilities in a nice woodsy setting with no commercial enterprises nearby (aside from Bridger Bowl which has only its lodges and no additional village around it). The trails are nice and you will get a good workout here. In the summer, Bohart is home to mountain biking events, so it is a much locally-loved facility that gets plenty of good use.

Our experience at Bohart Ranch Cross Country Ski Center was great! My husband & I are true green-horn skiers, this was the first time either of us has had skis on our feet. The Ranch is rustic, yet has miles of trails and offers 90min. Classic Nordic Ski lessons for beginners daily. The cost was $35 per person which included lesson, rentals and trail privileges. The employees fitted us with the necessary equipment and offered hot cocoa and granola bars. Our instructor showed us the basics of x-country skiing and ran us thru some drills, (gave us pointers on how to get up after you fall down... we had lots of practice with that). He then led us on a trail of varying terrain, giving us instruction and encouragement the whole way. Let me note at this point that the skiing conditions were not good. They had not received any new snow in quite a while, so what was on the ground was crusted and icy, which made skiing difficult for beginners. Despite all of the falls and less-than-perfect technique, WE HAD A GREAT TIME! We can't wait to go back and torture our bodies some more!