Backcountry Skiing in Montana — Guided Skiing & Avalanche Courses Near Glacier National Park

Backcountry Skiing in Montana’s Whitefish Range

Northwest Montana’s Whitefish Range and the mountains surrounding Whitefish Mountain Resort offer outstanding backcountry skiing in a setting that feels a world away from the more crowded touring destinations in Colorado, Utah, and the Tetons. Based in Whitefish — just 30 miles from Glacier National Park — The Mountain Guides Montana offers avalanche education and backcountry skiing programs for skiers and splitboarders looking to explore Montana’s wild winter terrain. Our unique yurt-based immersion avalanche courses, run in partnership with Great Northern Powder Guides, let you learn avalanche skills deep in the Whitefish Range backcountry — an experience no other provider offers.

Our Montana Winter Programs

AIARE Recreational Level 1 Avalanche Course: Earn your AIARE certification with field days at Blacktail Mountain Resort and the Whitefish backcountry. Traditional classroom and hybrid formats available.

Avalanche Companion Rescue: A focused course on rescue skills, beacon search, and companion rescue protocols. Essential for anyone traveling in avalanche terrain.

Women’s Recreational Level 1 Avalanche Course: The same rigorous AIARE curriculum in a women-focused learning environment, taught by experienced female instructors.

Yurt-Based Immersion Course (Great Northern Powder Guides): A multi-day backcountry immersion combining avalanche education with guided skiing from a remote yurt in the Whitefish Range. TMG’s most unique winter offering.

Season & Getting Here

Montana’s backcountry season runs December through April. Glacier International Airport (FCA) is 15 minutes from Whitefish. Amtrak’s Empire Builder also stops daily in Whitefish.