Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
makes this remarkable place a Sunday drive destination. But if you have the time, this is a
wonderland that begs to be discovered. Take a hike, wet a line—heck, throw on your skis
in midsummer; just get out and enjoy this magnificent place.
The truth of the matter is, you're already pretty much on top of the world here, so you
don't need to aspire much when planning a hike. The plateau is crisscrossed with trails,
and as long as you are amply prepared, you can't choose a bad one. The
Clay Butte Fire
Lookout Tower
is only one mile from the highway and can be accessed by a trail that
takes hikers up and above 11,000 feet. The views are incredible, and an interpretive display
gives great perspective on the 1988 Yellowstone fires and how they impacted the entire re-
gion.
Crazy Creek Cascade
is another nice short hike, and the
Clarks Fork Trailhead,
just three miles from Cooke City, offers an abundance of longer trails. Near the summit,
an eight-mile loop around
Beartooth Lake
offers easy terrain and lovely scenery. For trail
maps, stop by the U.S. Forest Service Ranger Station (6811 U.S. 212, Red Lodge, 406/
446-2103).
Biking the Beartooth is not for the faint of heart. Never mind the insane elevation climbs
and descents, the vast grizzly habitat, and the possibility of a blizzard on virtually any day
of the year; the real danger is the automobiles, which are plentiful, often wide, and driven
by people who can't help but ogle the mountain vistas instead of the bike traffic. You can
eliminate that danger by getting off the road and onto a network of trails. Mountain bikes
can be rented ($45/day) from the
Top of the World Resort
(2823 Hwy. 212, 307/587-5368,
www.topoftheworldresort.com
)
or in Cooke City or Red Lodge.
In order to fish any of the sublime mountain lakes on the Beartooth Plateau, many
of which have been stocked with trout, you'll need a Wyoming fishing license, which
can be purchased at the
Top of the World Resort
(2823 Hwy. 212, 307/587-5368,
www.topoftheworldresort.com
)
or in Red Lodge or Cooke City.
Skiing
Situated in a glacial valley surrounded by the Beartooth Mountains, Red Lodge offers su-
perb downhill and cross-country skiing. The
Red Lodge Mountain Resort
(305 Ski Run
Rd., 406/446-2610 or 800/444-8977,
www.redlodgemountain.com
) is just six miles from
downtown Red Lodge and boasts a mountain free of crowds and with reasonable lift ticket
prices ($50 adults, $42 seniors 65-69, $40 juniors 13-18, $20 children 6-12, free for chil-
dren under 5) as well as ski runs for beginners to experts. The mountain offers a higher
base elevation (7,000 feet) than any other ski hill in the state, a spine-chilling 2,400-foot
vertical drop, 70 trails, and five chairlifts to keep you up to your elbows in the white stuff
