The Bighorn Mountains ski hill, Antelope Butte, has recently become an increasingly popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. As of last year, Antelope Butte changed the prices of its tickets, including an 18-and-under ski-free policy, making it a popular destination among high schoolers.
Antelope Butte was founded in 1960. After having two decades of very little success, a surge of popularity hit in the 80s and 90s, making it one of the top destinations in the state, with only Jackson Hole being more visited. However, the mountain unfortunately closed down in 2004, and after years without business, the 2020’s have seen skiers returning to the slopes.
In fact, record attendance was set around late December of 2025. With the weeks around New Year’s Day boasting a whopping 280 skiers in one day, this beat their previous record number of 275 attendees, set on their opening day in 2020, after having to delay opening by several weeks due to the pandemic.
With all the outdoor activities Wyoming has to offer, it is no surprise that skiers are taking advantage of the new ski-free policy and flocking to the Butte from all over the state, especially because rival ski hill Red Lodge Mountain in Montana has been receiving less snowfall and hasn’t been able to open all of its runs as of the time this article was written.
As for PHS in particular, many students enjoy their time skiing at Antelope Butte.
“Antelope Butte is a great place to ski at because it tends to have perfect powder snow,” junior Ava Gilliat said. “It is a small mountain, but that makes it more fun because you can go on every run and get to know the mountain very well. I would say it has a good balance of easy runs for beginners and hard runs for better skiers.”
With its two distinct lifts, one easier and one more challenging, it makes it a destination for skiers of varying skill levels.
With the recent record numbers, it is not uncommon to see fellow high school students and teachers while out on the slopes. An overflow lot is regularly needed, with over a hundred cars parked at a time.
However, with more people comes longer lift lines and some skiers experiencing up to a half-hour-long wait.
“Honestly, I hate it because I have always been an Antelope Butte regular, and now I am doing more waiting in line than actual skiing,” junior Weston Hull said. “Honestly, it has lots of good little hidden runs that not many people know about, and it gives free passes to people under 18.”
Gilliat also shared her thoughts on why the attendance is increasing.
“Antelope Butte gives free lift passes to people 18 years old and under,” Gilliat said. “This boosts the attendance because it makes it cheaper for families and kids to go. I think that since Sleeping Giant has closed, Antelope Butte has become a more popular place to ski because it has less competition. I don’t love how busy Antelope Butte is, especially on weekends. It is always hard to find a parking spot, the lines for the lift are super long, and the runs are crowded. If you ever stop mid-run, you might get run into by a snowboarder.”
Local skiers presumably hope that Antelope Butte will continue to grow, opening more runs and lifts, and accommodating a higher number of skiers out on the mountain. PHS students, as well as the rest of the state, should experience quality recreation on the mountain for the foreseeable future.
