Montana: Snow Time Family Vacation Ideas – Skiing, Mushing, and Making Snow Angels. 
The bonus of a Montana winter vacation is yards and yards of fresh white stuff, marked only by an occasional rabbit trail. The falling snowflakes seem like lace in motion and the challenging terrain includes dramatic scenery and loads of fun not just on the downhill slopes. And for any parent grabbing pictures for the family album the winter sky is always a brilliant blue demanding sunglasses or snow goggles for comfort. What kind of snow fun awaits families?
It is a commonly known fact that snowflakes are not made of sugar. So why then does the simple act of catching snowflakes and making snow angels cause even the listless to become giddy? There is something quite magical about viewing the sky from a face-up prone position in the snow before the beginning of a snow angel session. The menu of vacation fun is expansive but we have culled the best for your perusal.
Mush is not for breakfast. The word mush in Montana means to begin a high-powered and energizing adventure led by dogs. Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures near Big Sky provides families with dogsledding experiences that do just that. From the first dog encounter the excitement builds. The best advice is keep your distance or be prepared to be kissed by a dog. The energy and enthusiasm of the dogs and their guides is spirit lifting and great fun no matter your age.
Bonus points: The twice-daily snow adventures from Moonlight Basin Ranch begin with hands-on instructions that include the thrill of "mushing" a sled dog team. This adventure is a must for families with children of school age, Disney cannot duplicate the experience.
Ski cross-country with your kids. Skiing and boarding are not the only draw for families seeking the snow. Montana is known for the exceptional cross-country skiing trails and where trails go cross country snowshoeing is not far behind. Both activities allow families of all ages to enjoy exercise, fresh air and each other. Montana Backcountry Adventures conducts several unique snow experiences worth considering. From naturalist guided snowshoeing to a riding in a snowcat named Betsy to dinner in a yurt, they have the stuff to build memories.
Bonus points: The moonlight dinners, ideal for family reunions, also provide kids a chance to go sledding near the yurt, watch bonfire or star gaze.
Cycle on the snow with your kids. Everyone knows that winter is not just for skiing anymore, but cycling? Snowcycling, a true gravity ide
a, is fun but there is a learning curve. Rider stability is created by the snowcycle's skis and suspension system along with the rider's foot skis. At Big Mountain trained snowcycle guides provide coaching on techniques to help build confidence for biking on snow.
Discovery: Less strenuous but tons of fun nevertheless, Big Mountain also has snow tubing for the whole family. Located above the Outpost Lodge a chair lift takes riders to the top of the hill and the rest needs no explaining.
Run the powder trails. Snowmobiling in Montana is invigorating. A vast network of challenging trails weave throughout the state providing weeks of adventures. For families an ideal starting point is the back porch of Montana High Country Lodge where snowmobiles stand ready for guests. Located in the Grasshopper Valley in the southwestern part of the state the Lodge has direct access to almost half million acres of remarkable backcountry. They have 14,000-square-foot guest lodge, which has Montana style family rooms, an awesome great room, home-cooked meals and a bottomless cookie jar. They have created the perfect place for families to unwind and have fun building memories. When the snow falls, snow angels and snowmen are encouraged, hot chocolate provided as a bonus.
Bonus points: The rooms in the basement (not underground) surround a gathering space. Russ and Karen wrote the book on family friendly. The cookie jar is never empty.
Visit a ghost town. 
Montana is filled abandon gold camps and early settlements deserted by pioneers. One such ghost town, Bannack located not far from Dillon, has new lease on life. More than 50 log and frame structures still remain standing along the Main Street of what was Montana's first territorial capital. The town - preserved rather than restored.; protected rather than exploited - is not Williamsburg of the West but it is unique and rewarding window on history of the West. Open year round visitors are permitted to walk the street and imagine. Sometimes historians or volunteer staff members provide stories about Henry Plummer, Chief Snag, Club Foot George, Dutch John Wagner and how gold was discovered in July of 1862 at Grasshopper Creek.
Travel at the speed of dog. Not far from Whitefish near the Canadian border the mushers at Dog Sled Adventures provide daily family runs and make sure kids feel included. Remember reading Balto: The Bravest Dog Ever? Wrapped in cozy elk skin cocoons, riders glide through the wilderness, pulled by Balto-look-alikes. Their dog teams are a variety of husky, wolf, greyhound and shepherd. They all love to work as a team along the 12-mile loop though the Stillwater State Forest, cutting the icy air and carving a route through the powder.
Bonus points: At the return riders warm their toes by a fire in a cozy cabin, sip hot cocoa and munch homemade cookies while listening to the guides tell ‘tall dog-tales.’ They even have space to make snow angels.
Sleep in a caboose. Amtrak serves the Izaak Walton Inn twice a day with guests arriving and departing and the rest of the time the train action is related to trains of the common freight variety but fun nevertheless. Those lucky enough to reserve a renovated caboose, each with full kitchen and bath, will have the extra ambience even when the tracks are quiet. And from mid-November through mid-April they have plenty of snow to be enjoyed. The Inn maintains about 33 kilometers of trails for both classic and skate-skiing. The trails wind through gently rolling forested terrain, along riverbanks and over snow covered ridges. The same routes offer unique snowshoe possibilities and plenty of opportunities to decipher tracks, watch deer and elk, and throw a snowball or two.
Montana offers dozens of snow possibilities for families from tubing and sliding to skiing and snowmobiling. All that is left to do is show up and begin vacation time perfecting the perfect snow angel.
Planning Details
Checkout the clever section just for kids Visit Montana at
www.visitmt.com
Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures. Located about one mile from Big Sky Mountain Village. 1(406) 682-7994 or in Big Sky call 1(406) 995-3424 or
www.Huskypower.com
Big Mountain. SnowCycling. 1(406) 862-2909. Snow tubing 1(406) 862-2900 or
www.bigmtn.com
Bannack State Park, 4200 Bannack Road. Dillon, 59725. 1(406) 834-3413 or
www.bannack.org
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