Photos: Trail Dogs

At the beginning of the summer, we covered inexpensive shuttle options utilizing public transportation. The shuttles that made our short list mainly provide access to intermediate and advanced trails. But what about beginner-friendly options?

Well, few are out there for shuttling, at least. Shuttles in Big Sky, Montana, like the local favorite Mountain to Meadow, are easy and free, and now include a green option. The Hot Dog trail opened just a handful of weeks ago, offering beginners and families a legitimate mountain bike shuttle experience.

Shuttle options for all skill levels

You can’t talk about Hot Dog without mentioning Mountain to Meadow. The trail quickly became a favorite for locals and visitors alike, with many Big Sky bike park patrons capping a day of bike park riding with a run down the five-mile Mountain to Meadow trail. But many riders come to the small community of Big Sky to ride the iconic shuttle trail, with the Skyline Bus taking 17 shuttlers to the start of the trail for free.

Those looking to climb to the top of either Hot Dog or Mountain to Meadow can do so on Huff’s Trek. Accessing the starting point of Hot Dog will require a bit of climbing at the outset, using the same trail that leads to Mountain to Meadow. The climb to Mountain to Meadow is roughly two miles with about 500 feet of climbing, and the cutoff to Hot Dog is located at about the halfway point.

“Mountain to Meadow, a Big Sky classic, is fast, flowy, can get busy, and is a bit intimidating for someone trying mountain biking for the first time,” Kelsey Lefley from the Big Sky Trail Dogs chapter of the Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association told us. Lefley said that this is where Hot Dog enters the conversation — a wider, multi-use flow trail that is more accessible for mountain bikers of all skill levels.

The Trail Dogs partnered with Terraflow Trail Systems and started on Hot Dog later in the summer of 2025. The Trail Dogs also worked closely with the Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO), a group that stewards more than 50 miles of multi-use trail in the area, on the project.

Hot Dog stretches nearly 3.5 miles, running parallel to the Mountain to Meadow trail. In that distance, the trail drops over 1,200 feet — a fairly significant measure for a beginner shuttle trail. And while the trail is open to hikers and bikers traveling up or down, Liv Grubaugh, Senior Director of Development and Communications for BSCO, told us that “riders are encouraged to enjoy it as a descent from the top.”

The organizations designed Hot Dog to be a flow trail for beginners. Lefley told us that while pedaling isn’t necessarily needed, the descent does have a more mellow pitch to help riders maintain a good sense of control. But it certainly isn’t boring. More experienced riders can easily find speed, pumping rollers and berms, and finding the occasional optional side hit to keep things spicy.

Progressive shuttle trails

“Progressive” is a word that often gets thrown around when discussing trails. However, it is usually associated with significantly shorter trails. Skill areas are a great example, where a trailhead might have multiple “progressive” dirt jump trails. These “trails” are typically short, sometimes with just a few jumps on each of the green, blue, and black lines.

Whether they stretch for three jumps or 10 jumps, “progressive” trails rarely stretch for three or more miles. The addition of Hot Dog makes Big Sky unique. Brand-new riders can begin to tackle descending on a mountain bike in a safer, more controlled way on Hot Dog. When they are ready, they can step things up and ride Mountain to Meadow.

As riders continue to progress, Mountain to Meadow has optional advanced “skidders” near its end. These trails are short and lean heavily into the black and double black territory.

And, best of all, beginners and pros alike can ride it all for free, with public transportation shuttling all day.

“The Hot Dog trail is a powerful example of what makes Big Sky special,” Grubaugh added. “This project was not the work of one organization or one funding source; it was the result of a community coming together. Donors, foundations, the Big Sky Resort Area District, landowners, partners, and volunteers each played a critical role in bringing the vision to life.”

Hot Dog is open for the public to ride and will be a part of this year’s Big Sky Biggie, a 50-mile fundraiser race later this month.