Beartooth Highway: Things To Do, Map, Photos & Travel Tips

Beartooth Highway is a 68-mile road that runs along the border of Montana and Wyoming, connecting the towns of Red Lodge and Cooke City. It is one of the most scenic drives in the USA.

This drive is absolutely spectacular. Along Beartooth Highway, you will travel through several national forests, view the tallest peaks in Montana, see numerous alpine lakes, and have the option to add on short hikes to viewpoints and waterfalls.

Beartooth Highway is a dramatic, beautiful entrance into Yellowstone National Park. And even if you don’t have plans to enter or exit Yellowstone from the northeast entrance, adding this experience to your Yellowstone to-do list is well worth it, especially for those who like scenic drives over high mountain passes.

In this guide to Beartooth Highway, learn how to plan your visit, what to do along the drive, when to go, and how to add this to your Yellowstone itinerary.

Note: Before doing this drive, get updates on the National Park Service website and the Montana.gov website for any closures or delays.

Table of Contents

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  • What is Beartooth Highway?
  • When is Beartooth Highway Open?
  • How Long Does It Take to Drive Beartooth Highway?
  • Things to Do on Beartooth Highway
    • Red Lodge, Montana
    • Beartooth Scenic Byway Welcome Sign
    • Beartooth Highway Switchbacks
    • Rock Creek Vista
    • 45th Parallel
    • Beartooth Basin
    • Gardner Lake Pullout
    • Bear’s Tooth (Na Piet Say)
    • Beartooth Pass
    • Alpine Lakes
    • Top of the World Store
    • Beartooth Ravine
    • Clay Butte Fire Lookout Tower
    • Pilot and Index Peaks Overlook
    • Clark’s Fork Overlook
    • Lake Creek Falls
    • Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
    • Cooke City – Silver Gate
  • About Our Experience
  • How to Add Beartooth Highway onto Your Visit to Yellowstone

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