Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner per diem ratesMontana · FY 2027
Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner’s full-year average lodging cap, $221 a night, is the 20th highest of the 295 non-standard areas, between Naples (FL) and Sunnyvale / Palo Alto / San Jose (CA). Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner’s June to September peak of $326 a night is the 11th highest monthly cap in the continental U.S., between New York City (NY) and Naples (FL). No other Montana area has a higher full-year average lodging cap; next comes Missoula ($156).
| Months | Cap | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| October to May | $169 | 243 |
| June to September | $326 | 122 |
Four days in June
Monday, June 7, 2027, to Thursday: up to $1,258, three nights at the June cap plus $280 M&IE. Starting October 5 instead, in a low month, the same trip comes to $787.
Weighted by days, the cap sits 96% above the standard rate over the year.
Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner since FY 2021
Since FY 2021 Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner’s full-year average has grown 35.8%; ranked by that growth, Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner sits between Buffalo (NY) and Burlington (VT). Against FY 2026, Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner’s full-year average rose 0.3%, between Lake Placid (NY) and Sarasota (FL) among year-on-year changes. In FY 2021 Big Sky / West Yellowstone / Gardiner ranked 38th of 293 by full-year average, between Falmouth (MA) and Atlanta (GA). Along the way: up 18.8% in FY 2023, up 9.2% in FY 2024, up 4.3% in FY 2025.