Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beartooth Highway
The breathtaking Beartooth Hwy (US 212) connects Red Lodge to Cooke City and Yel-
lowstone's northeast entrance along a soaring 68-mile road built in 1932. An engineering
feat, and the 'most beautiful drive in America' according to the late journalist Charles
Kuralt, this 'all-American' road is a destination in its own right and easily the most dra-
matic route into Yellowstone National Park. Motorbikers in particular love the road, arriv-
ing en masse for the Sturgis-like Beartooth Rally in July.
Covering 1474 sq miles, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness stretches along Montana's
border with Wyoming (a small section on its east side lies inside Wyoming) and crosses
through Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests, taking in two distinct mountain
ranges: the Absarokas and the Beartooth Plateau (the Beartooths). Steep, forested valleys
and craggy peaks characterize the Absarokas, while the Beartooths are essentially a high
plateau of uplifted three-billion-year-old granite (some of the oldest rock in North Amer-
ica) dotted with more than 1000 lakes and tarns. Together they constitute the most visited
wilderness area in the nation.
Most of the wilderness consists of high plateau above 10,000ft. Alpine tundra vegeta-
tion is the only thing that grows up here (where snow can last from October to mid-July),
lending the landscape a desolate, otherworldly look. In fact, unless you are an outdoorsy
type who makes frequent forays above 10,000ft, it probably
is
another world - you can't
usually reach this kind of terrain by car. To really experience the surroundings, you must
get out of the car, even if it's just for a few minutes, to suck in the thin, cold air.
The highway has a short driving season and is usually closed between mid-October and
late May. For information on weather conditions, hikes and bear sightings pull into the
Beartooth Ranger District office
( 406-446-2103)
, just south of Red Lodge on Hwy
212. There's gas at Red Lodge, Cooke City and, less reliably, along the highway at the
Top of the World store. For more details see
www.beartoothhighway.com
and
The political landscape of the highway is as convoluted as the landscape. The highway
starts and ends in Montana but dips into Wyoming en route. If you are fishing, you'll need
to know exactly where you are so that you have the correct state fishing license.
If you fancy cycling down the Beartooth Hwy,
Beartooth Bike Tours
(
406-426-0787;
www.beartoothbiketours.com
)
in Red Lodge will drive you to the top of
the Beartooth Plateau and let you coast the 14 miles back to Red Lodge, soaking in the
stunning scenery as you roll. The $50 fee includes transfer, bike and helmet.
