Big Mountain Fuels Reduction Project
Throughout summer 2026, Whitefish Mountain Resort and the U.S. Forest Service are undertaking a fuels reduction project across more than 200 acres of Big Mountain terrain. Occurring in phases, this work involves felling trees and clearing vegetation to reduce wildfire risk and protect resort infrastructure.
Work involving heavy machinery will take place in the orange-shaded areas on the map. This will impact hiking and mountain biking trails at various times throughout the season. For your safety, please heed all signage and follow this page to learn about current trail closures and reroutes.
JUNE 11 UPDATE:
Daily operations begin this Saturday, June 13. Crews continue to fell trees, clear vegetation and move logs across a wide swath of terrain from the Chair 1 corridor to the Corkscrew ski run. For your safety, please heed all signage and stay out of this area.
Starting Monday, June 15, trucks will begin hauling logs off the mountain on weekdays. Trucks will move through the Alder Lot from 6-10 a.m. Monday-Friday. Trucks also will be present along the Expressway and Barndance roads during operating hours over the next several weeks, with personnel stationed at trail crossings to facilitate traffic.
Hikers: The Danny On Memorial Trail reroute remains in effect. Starting from the lift plaza, look for signs and ropes that will guide you onto the alternate route which includes a dirt road. Do not attempt to follow the original Danny On path or hike up the Toni Matt ski run.
Yes, this applies before and after hours. Even when logging crews are not present, hazards abound up and down Toni Matt and we urge you not to hike that way.
Additionally, please note there is still snow on the upper sections of the Danny On trail. Snowy sections may be arduous or impassable without snowshoes. We will continue to assess trail conditions in the coming weeks.
Mountain bikers: The B-Side Zone (Chair 2) and the Bad Rock Zone (Chair 10) will be open for bikes starting this Saturday, June 13. One trail in the Bad Rock Zone, Limelight, will remain closed due to logging activity.
The Summit Zone (Chair 1) will be ready to open for bikes very soon. We anticipate most trails in the Summit Zone will open at the same time. The only exception is Freebird. Only the uppermost section of Freebird will be accessible while the lower three-quarters of the trail will remain closed due to logging activity and trail maintenance.
Once the Summit Zone is open daily, Chair 2 will move to Friday-Sunday operations.