Showdown ski area is not a huge ski area – but we wouldn’t call it small anymore either. A recent expansion and the addition of a new lift opened up quite a bit more terrain on the mountain. Currently, Showdown has 2 chair lifts, two surface lifts and covers about 600 acres. Showdown doesn’t have a killer vertical, only 1400 vertical feet, but it does receive a decent amount of snow – on average 240 inches of snow each year.

What Showdown ski area may lack in terms of sheer size and vertical, though, it makes up for in its wide variety of terrain. Whether you are an expert or beginner skier or snowboarder, Showdown has a great trail network to explore – and at affordable prices, too. And, owing to the out of the way location of the ski area, crowds (and thus lift lines) are also generally light to non-existent except for the occasional busy Saturday during the height of the ski season when groups from Great Falls can find their way up to the mountain.

Showdown, like most other ski areas in Montana, is a ski area – not a ski resort. What this means is that other than a very nice base lodge and related buildings, there is no lodging available on the mountain. Indeed, the nearest lodging is located more than ten miles away, down in Neihart.

The base area of Showdown is located at 6800 feet, which is about 3000+ feet higher than the surrounding valleys.  Expert skiers and beginners skiers alike all have a wide variety of runs to choose from. Combine that with good grooming and some nice tree skiing and you have a recipe for a good day on the slopes.