By Ryan Hamilton Big Sky Town Center
BIG SKY – Three names, one road. It’s confusing.
Depending on which paper or electronic map you use, which road name sign you’re looking at, or whom you ask, Big Sky Spur Road, Lone Mountain Trail and Montana Highway 64 are all names used for the main road running through Big Sky, from the Conoco station to the entrance to Moonlight Basin.
This issue came to light this year through the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce’s work on new wayfinding signage.
In February, working on behalf of the Chamber, I took an email poll of stakeholders and business owners in Big Sky, and the majority of the respondents preferred the name Lone Mountain Trail. This information was presented at the Town Hall meeting in April, where Allen Armstrong, Manager of the Gallatin County GIS Department, reviewed the process for changing the name of the road from its official name, Big Sky Spur Road. He explained the historic name, dating back to the earliest maps from the Chet Huntley era, is Lone Mountain Trail and that every road name sign along its length currently reads Lone Mountain Trail.
A public hearing for the Gallatin County Commissioners to officially change the road name from Big Sky Spur Road to Lone Mountain Trail will be held on Tuesday June 26 at 9 a.m. at the Gallatin County Courthouse, third floor, Community Room. The state’s designation of Highway 64 will remain in place.
Call the Chamber at (406) 995-3000 or Allen Armstrong at the Gallatin County GIS Department at (406) 582-3049 with any questions.
