BIG SKY - Big Sky offers plenty of alcohol options for locals and tourists. For people who want to drink on their vacation, it's important to know options on how to get home after a night of imbibing.
Noah Davis has lived in Big Sky for two years and says it can be challenging to get home from the bars with limited transportation options in town.
“There are no taxi services. There are no Ubers. You really just got to plan ahead. Otherwise, you might get stuck out,” said Davis. “You pretty much either live in town center and you're going to walk to the bars, (or) maybe if you're lucky you have a friend who is sober.”
Fortunately for Davis, his friend Peter Lodi doesn't drink and believes driving his friends is the best mode of transportation for them.
“I prefer to drive anyway. And like last night, I was a (designated drive) for a friend and it always provides a safe ride for them,” said Lodi.
Sgt. Daniel Haydon of the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office says deputies in Big Sky work hard to keep locals and tourists safe in town and on the roads. He's hoping to get more deputies in the mountain community.
"If that happens, starting next winter, we're going to have a couple of extra deputies working night shift, and the chances of people being found and stopped for driving under the influence are going to go up significantly with that additional staffing,” said Haydon.
Haydon says there are options to get home from the bars. Skyline bus services run regularly and can get people from Bozeman to Big Sky.
“Recently, Skyline Bus Services also started offering Big Sky Connect, where you can use an app to get a minivan to come to pick you up and take you anywhere in the Meadow Village or town center area,” said Haydon.
Annie Wright works in Moonlight Basin and says these services are great, but she just wishes they ran later.
“Not having any type of rideshare after 11 p.m. just puts us in a position where either you have to have someone be sober the entire night or you're stranded,” said Wright.
For Davis, he thinks there needs to be more options, especially in the winter.
“The summer people are willing to walk and in the winter and the shoulder season it's definitely tougher,” said Davis.
