The Beartooth Highway connects the Montana towns of Red Lodge and Cooke City via one of America’s most breathtaking roads. Just outside its starting point at Red Lodge, the route traverses a series of switchbacks to climb 5,200 feet to the pass at the top of the Beartooth Mountains. After the pass, it dips into Wyoming and traverses picturesque boreal forests before entering Yellowstone National Park and ending in the park’s northeast gateway of Cooke City.
Planning Your Ride on the Beartooth Highway
The road usually opens in late May or early June and closes around Columbus Day, but it depends snowfall and plowing. It’s important to check with the Department of Transportation for an exact schedule before you head out. The drive itself only takes an hour and half, so there’s plenty of time to stop, take photos, or go for a short day hike along one of the many trails that detour from the highway in the Wyoming section. There are a couple different options when planning this ride; once you reach the end of the route in Cooke City, you have the choice of backtracking over the Beartooth Pass or continuing the journey into Yellowstone Park. If taking the route through the park, you can exit through its northern entrance to make a loop back to Red Lodge along I-90. This full route can be completed in about six hours.
Fuel
The only place to stop for fuel along the Beartooth Highway is the Top of the World Store at mile 39. But it’s unlikely that you’ll need gas if you fill up in Red Lodge, as it’s only 58 miles to Cooke City. It would a good idea to fuel up again in Cooke City if you plan on continuing the ride into Yellowstone, as services are limited in the park.
Accommodations & Food
Red Lodge is a popular ski resort and has a number of hotels. Cooke City, despite being a gateway to Yellowstone National Park, has limited accommodation options, as it’s one of the park’s less popular entrances. It is possible to stay at the Top of the World Motel at mile 39 on the route, but be aware that it’s off the power grid and is located at 9,400 feet, where some people will find the lower oxygen levels unpleasant.
Sights
The entire Beartooth Highway is a sight to take in, and there are plenty of pull-offs on the Montana side of the pass to take in majesty of the landscape. As you enter Wyoming and descend into a thick forest, the views become less expansive. To catch some amazing vistas of the area, the Clay Butte Fire Lookout rises above the trees and has unobstructed views of nearby Yellowstone Park. The turnoff for the lookout is located 43 miles into the route. If you’re looking to get off your bike and onto your feet for a bit, check out the trail around Beartooth Lake at mile 41. It extends for eleven miles, but is relatively flat and can be accomplished in four hours or so.
Photo Credit: Phil Armitage /Public Domain Photo Credit: Phil Ermitage/ Public Domain Photo Credit: m01229/ CC BY
