Lower Airfare Could Mean Busier Trails in Montana

Well, buckle up and make sure your trays are in the upright position, Montana. Across the U.S., flights are getting less expensive, and that likely means our little slice of paradise is about to get more popular. Airfares dropped more than 5 percent in March 2025 alone. That may not seem like much, but Grandma from Kansas can now reach Bozeman for less than the price of a road trip. Soon we’re going to have more tourists than you can shake a selfie stick at.

For Montana’s economy, that’s a two-sided hunting knife blade. On the one hand, more tourists mean more dollars. Nonresident visitors dumped $5.45 billion into our economy in 2023. That’s right: billion with a “B.” Tourism underpins more than 66,000 jobs in Montana, helping keep local establishments humming throughout the summer months.

But on the other hand, low airfares mean crowds. More strain on trails, campgrounds, and small-town taco trucks. Bozeman’s airport is already preparing for record numbers in 2025, and if we’re being honest, none of us are ready to muscle through the river like it’s Black Friday at REI.

The state’s going to get this figured out, though. Grants to assist destination events and sustainable growth in tourism. But it will take a whole lot of everyone working together to balance the beauty of Big Sky Country with the demand it’s about to get.

So, whether you run a fly shop in the Bitterroot or just want to find a quiet lake to yourself, brace yourself. Summer is coming in hot … and maybe with a fanny pack.