Montana’s Triple Threat - I-90, Big Sky & Yellowstone

While Paramount's hit series "Yellowstone" has drawn attention to the national park, the show—unlike "Forrest Gump" and "The Revenant"—isn't even filmed in Montana! Welcome to Big Sky Country, home to America's longest interstate (I-90), the renowned mountain community of Big Sky, and our nation's first national park, Yellowstone. For over two centuries, Montana has paved the way—literally—to some of our country's most treasured wonders. Let’s explore how these iconic landmarks have shaped Montana's identity, the challenges they face, and why their preservation matters.

In 1928, Montana only had 50 miles of paved highway. By 1957, a series of preexisting highways, local roads, and auto trails formed what would become Interstate 90, now the longest interstate in the country. (We wrote about I-90 previously—if you'd like to learn more, click here.) For Montana, the creation of the interstate system transformed the state by turning it into one of the most thriving tourism destinations today, especially since 95% of the system serves rural areas. The interstates, along with state and federal highways, allowed tourism to take off by giving people access to the things that truly make Montana one-of-a-kind: its natural and historical resources. Once people started visiting these places, locals opened dude ranches, fishing resorts, lodges, and most famously, ski resorts. By the 1970s, tourism was Montana's biggest industry, leading to the creation of Big Sky.

Chet Huntley first conceptualized the idea of a ski resort in 1968, working to see it built in 1973. However, he never got to see what it became, dying of lung cancer three days before its dedication in 1974. Prior to this, Big Sky was known for being a big ranch area in 1890. This land was ranched and homesteaded on for 80 years before turning into the popular ski resort. Boyne USA Resorts purchased the property in 1976, making it what we know today. Two years later, Big Sky installed Mad Wolf, a double chairlift that substantially increased the amount of skiable acreage. Throughout the '80s, Big Sky pioneered innovative developments by installing the first major snowmaking machine, opening Gondola II giving more access up Lone Mountain, and adding the Challenger lift, which put Big Sky on the ski resort map for expert and challenging terrain. Now Big Sky maintains an annual population of about 3,000 permanent residents and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, even though Big Sky itself remains an unincorporated community. This resort isn't just a hit in the winter: they offer plenty to do during the warmer months, such as golfing, scenic lift rides, mountain biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, fishing, archery, and more! No matter what time of year you go, it also serves as the perfect basecamp only one hour north of Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park has been a vibrant ecosystem for over 10,000 years. It was where Native Americans lived, hunted, fished, foraged, and utilized the thermal waters. Being at the convergence of the Great Plains, Great Basin, and Columbia Plateau, 27 different Native American Tribes had and have connections to the land and its resources. Geologically, Yellowstone is home to the most active and diverse collection of geothermal features and contains half the world's active geysers. There are also 25 sites, landmarks, and districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Yellowstone has a national park history of over 150 years and is our very first national park. Though it's seen some dangerous times, like when the government killed nearly all the predators in the 1890s, or when the fires of 1988 burned over a third of the park, Yellowstone's ecosystem is the healthiest it's ever been in over a century.

This is not without other obstacles. In 2022, the park faced numerous challenges including wildlife management, employee housing, historic preservation, and deteriorating infrastructure while continuing to experience a steady increase in visitors. These struggles impacted the workforce, resources, visitors, and the surrounding "gateway" communities. They immediately sought to tackle these problems by forming a five-priority plan. Within each priority, they organized all the actions needed for success. You can see the strategy and effects of this plan and how they overcame these issues through strong leadership and tight organization in their 2023 Report. However, in 2024, national parks suffered from extreme budget cuts of $210 million, despite [only making up one-fifteenth of one percent of the federal budget](https://www.npca.org/articles/4304-house-s-egregious-funding-cuts-and-harmful-policies-put-future-of-national#:~:text=The spending bill cuts $210 million (more,6%) from the National Park Service's budget.&text=The spending bill also includes cuts to,and places that tell our nation's history.). This year, additional cuts were made, decreasing the federal workforce for national parks.

More recently, towns like Gardiner have been speaking out against these cuts. As a gateway community to Yellowstone National Park, they are seeing huge economic effects from these decisions. Yellowstone has seen a steady increase in visitors, and the tourism industry that Montana has depended on since the '70s is suffering. According to the US DOT, "Tourism is the critical driver of the economy in and around Yellowstone National Park. In 2021, over 4.9* million people visited the park and spent over $630 million in communities near the park, according to the National Park Service. That spending supported about 8,740 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of over $834 million."

Another source says, "In 2023, Yellowstone hosted 4.5 million visitors, contributing an estimated $828 million and 8,560 jobs to surrounding townships like Gardiner. Industries like rafting, horseback riding, guiding, and hospitality services are all booming subeconomies that depend on tourism to the park. Yellowstone's foot traffic also provides bedrock funding to town infrastructure and community development through its resort tax..."

Not only are gateway communities concerned about how these cuts will affect their economies, locals are concerned about how these additional cuts will decrease response time to wildfires, result in a lack of personnel for trash pickup, lead to an increase in bear attacks, compromise employee housing, result in longer wait times for visitors or even full closures of the park — creating unpleasant experiences for visitors and ruining what so many people have worked so hard to build into a very profitable industry, as well as a healthy modern ecological marvel. Larissa Walker, the director of outreach and engagement at the National Parks Conservation Association in Washington D.C., reminded those visiting a national park soon to be patient. "The workers at the national parks have been going through a very chaotic time, so if you find yourself visiting a national park, make sure to show them your patience and appreciation," she said.

As we look at the challenges Yellowstone National Park is facing, it’s important to remember the broader impact on Montana’s tourism corridor. The I-90 is the major throughway for visitors heading to the park and connects multiple gateway communities that depend on steady tourism. Big Sky Resort often serves as a basecamp for Yellowstone visitors, using its proximity to the park as a major draw. The relationship between these three entities shows how interconnected Montana’s tourism industry truly is. However, this state has shown its ability to overcome challenges before and there’s no doubt that their resilience, strategy, and ability to organize will continue to draw visitors to these beloved destinations. If you find yourself along the country’s longest interstate, are heading out to the Big Sky Resort, or experiencing the natural wonder of Yellowstone National Park, remember that Interstate Signways marked the way.