Beartooth Highway Scenic Drive Guide (With Tips & Photos!)

The Beartooth Highway in Montana and Wyoming is an absolutely spectacular drive to add on to your Yellowstone National Park vacation.

This All American Highway makes a spectacular entrance or exit to the park, depending on your itinerary.

My husband and I drove the Beartooth Highway in late June of 2023, and I would highly recommend adding it to your own itinerary. The scenery is stunning- full of alpine lakes, mountain switchbacks, wildlife, and snow-capped mountains and plateaus.

It was the perfect way to kick off our Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip (and help us get acclimated to the high elevation before hiking)!

In this post, I’m detailing everything you need to know about driving the Beartooth Highway.

If you haven’t already decided to add one of the most dramatic and scenic drives in the US to your itinerary, this post will convince you to!

Where is the Beartooth Highway?

The Beartooth Highway is a 68-mile paved scenic drive located in Montana and Wyoming northeast of Yellowstone National Park.

US Highway 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana has been designated as the Beartooth Highway.

When is the Beartooth Highway Open?

The Beartooth Highway is generally open from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend until October 15th. The road is closed in the winter.

Snow will remain at the highest elevations until mid July!

If you’re traveling close to the open/close dates, check the Montana Department of Transportation website for the latest info on road conditions.

Where Does the Beartooth Highway Start and End?

The Beartooth Highway begins in Red Lodge, Montana and ends in Cooke City, Montana. The Beartooth Mountain Range lies to the north, and the Absaroka Mountain Range lies to the south.

Even though it starts and ends in Montana, the highway does enter and exit Wyoming as well.

If you continue on US Highway 212 after Cooke City, you will end up at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

If you turn left onto Wyoming Highway 296 before hitting Cooke City, you will be on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway that links the Beartooth Highway to Cody, Wyoming.

How Long Does it Take to Drive the Beartooth Highway?

It will take you about 2 hours to drive the Beartooth Highway between Red Lodge and Cooke City, allowing for stops along the way.

However, if you’re coming from a nearby airport (like Bozeman or Billings) and plan to drive the Beartooth Highway all the way into Yellowstone National Park, it will take you 5-7 hours.

Here are some overall drive times from Bozeman via the Beartooth Highway:

Bozeman to Red Lodge: 145 miles / 2.5 hours
Bozeman to Cooke City: 209 miles / 3.5 – 4 hours
Bozeman to Roosevelt Lodge (northeast entrance): 242 miles / 4.5 hours
Bozeman to Mammoth Hotel (north entrance): 260 miles / 5 hours
Bozeman to Gardiner (just north of the north entrance): 265 miles / 5 – 5.5 hours

And drive times from Billings via the Beartooth Highway:

Billings to Red Lodge: 62 miles / 1 – 1.5 hours
Billings to Cooke City: 127 miles / 2.5 hours
Billings to Roosevelt Lodge (northeast entrance): 159 miles / 3.5 hours
Billings to Mammoth Hotel (north entrance): 177 miles / 4 hours
Billings to Gardiner (just north of the north entrance): 182 miles / 4 hours

Best Time to Drive the Beartooth Highway

The best time to drive the Beartooth Highway is in the summer. The summer weather is very pleasant, and if you go in June or early July, you’ll still be able to see some snow!

Fall can also be a good time to see the fall foliage, but it will be cold and you risk snowfall closing the road (and a lot of nearby attractions in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks).

The Beartooth Highway is closed in the winter.

Don’t worry too much about summer crowds here. We saw a handful of people at some of the viewpoints, but other than that we had it mostly to ourselves!

Is the Beartooth Highway Dangerous?

The Beartooth Highway is perfectly safe to drive on. It is paved and well marked.

While there are some thrilling switchbacks with large drop offs going up the mountain from Red Lodge, this part of the drive is relatively short and there are guard rails.

Some people prefer to do the switchbacks going up the mountain and not down. If this is you, then drive the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge to Cooke City (as outlined in this post). If you go the other way, you’ll go down the switchbacks which can be more uncomfortable for some people!

Just obey the speed limits, drive during the daytime, and keep your eyes on the road and you’ll be totally fine. There are plenty of turnouts for photo opportunities so please do not take photos while driving!

beartooth plateau on beartooth highway — View of the Beartooth Plateau from the Beartooth Highway

Are There Restrooms Along the Beartooth Highway?

There are restrooms in the start and end towns of Red Lodge and Cooke City, and at the Top of the World Store.

Additionally, there are pit toilets at the Rock Creek Vista Overlook and some of the campgrounds.

Beartooth Highway Scenic Drive Route Guide

You’ll want to reserve at least a half-day for driving the Beartooth Highway, depending on your ultimate start and end destinations.

I recommend eating lunch in Red Lodge or Cooke City and start the day with a full tank of gas. There aren’t any other stops for food or gas along the way until you get into Yellowstone.

I would also recommend checking your tire pressures and fluid levels in your vehicle. On this drive, you will climb from an elevation of 5200 feet to almost 11,000 feet!

Since air is colder and less dense at high altitudes, and you’ll be climbing some steep grades, your vehicle will have more stress on it than usual. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and fluid levels are good before starting this drive.

There isn’t cell signal on the Beartooth Highway, so it will be more difficult to call for help if you do break down!

The Beartooth Highway is a two-lane road, so you can drive it in either direction. If you are planning to enter Yellowstone National Park, you’ll want to drive it the way I have outlined here. If you are doing it as you leave Yellowstone, do this in the reverse order.

Our experience: We flew into Bozeman late on a Tuesday night and spent the night near the airport. The next morning, we ate breakfast at our hotel and began our day of driving around 10 am. We had lunch in Red Lodge before driving the Beartooth Highway and entered Yellowstone from the northeast entrance. We drove through Lamar Valley all the way to our accommodations in Gardiner and ate dinner there.

Red Lodge, Montana

The Beartooth Highway begins in Red Lodge, Montana. This small town is a great place to fuel up and have lunch before starting your drive.

Beartooth Switchbacks

Shortly after leaving Red Lodge, you will climb up some steep switchbacks. There are a handful of scenic overlooks here and plenty of turnouts, so take your time and enjoy the view!

Rock Creek Vista Overlook

While driving the switchbacks, you’ll come to the Rock Creek Vista Overlook. This is a larger rest stop with pit toilets and a short hike to an amazing overlook.

At this point, you’ve already climbed to over 9000 feet!

At this overlook, there are some very hungry squirrels and chipmunks that beg for food. We saw quite a few people feeding them, which isn’t great. Regardless, they were cute to watch and I got some great close up photos!

rock creek vista overlook sign — Rock Creek Vista Overlook | Beartooth Highway

rock creek vista overlook — Hungry Squirrels at the Rock Creek Vista Overlook

Beartooth Pass

After the switchbacks, you will enter Wyoming and be driving on the Beartooth Plateau. Shortly after, you will reach the Beartooth Pass, the highest elevation point on the Beartooth Highway.

Make sure to grab a photo of the sign and walk up to the overlook for stunning panoramic views.

It was very windy and cold up here, even at the end of June! There was still a good amount of snow as well.

Alpine Lakes

After summiting the Beartooth Pass, you’ll drive through a series of alpine lakes. I think this was my favorite part of the whole drive. The water was such a deep, clear blue and the snowy mountain scenery was absolutely breathtaking!

We even saw a marmot climbing on the rocks around one of the lakes!

There are a lot of turnouts with signs on this part of the drive, but some of the lakes you’ll pass are Chain Lakes, Little Bear Lake, Long Lake, and Island Lake.

alpine lakes beartooth highway — Alpine Lakes | Beartooth Highway

Top of the World Store

The Top of the World Store will be on your right. It’s a good place to get a souvenir and stop for a restroom break if you need one.

The Beartooth Lake is also located just past the store.

Beartooth Falls

Just after you pass the Beartooth Lake, look back to the left and you’ll see the Beartooth Falls off in the distance!

There isn’t an official sign or turnout, but it was a cool surprise on our drive.

The mountains in Wyoming got a record snowfall in the winter of 2022/2023, so all of the waterfalls in the area are just incredible and dumping a ton of water.

Clay Butte Lookout

Shortly after the Beartooth Lake, turn right for the Clay Butte Lookout. This 2.5-mile gravel road (not suitable for trailers or RV’s) leads to a fire tower that you can climb up in for 360-degree views of the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains.

Yellowstone Overlook

You can actually see Yellowstone National Park way in the distance at this overlook!

The Absaroka Mountains will block some of your view (not a bad problem to have though!) but it’s cool to see where your Beartooth Highway drive is taking you.

yellowstone overlook beartooth highway — Yellowstone Overlook | Beartooth Highway

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway Junction

After the Yellowstone Overlook, you’ll come to a junction with Wyoming Highway 296, or the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. This highway connects the Beartooth Highway to Cody, Wyoming.

There are more details on adding this scenic drive to your itinerary below.

We did not have time to add this drive to our route since we were staying just north of Yellowstone in Gardiner.

Cooke City, Montana

The Beartooth Highway concludes in Cooke City, Montana. Cooke City is another small town that is good for a bite to eat and restroom break.

Congrats, you just drove one of the most scenic drives in the USA!

Bonus: Enter Yellowstone from the Northeast Entrance

If you are driving the Beartooth Highway as a scenic addition to your Yellowstone National Park trip, continue west on US 212 and enter Yellowstone from the northeast entrance on NE Entrance Road.

You’ll drive through Lamar Valley, an amazing place to spot wildlife. We saw a ton of bison out into the distance!

DO NOT approach wildlife and stay a safe distance away. You’ll likely see people getting out of their cars and approaching wildlife for photos, but they are best photographed from your vehicle!

bison in lamar valley yellowstone national park — Bison in Lamar Valley

Once you hit Grand Loop Road, turn left and drive a few miles to the Tower Fall and Calcite Springs Overlook for an added bonus.

Tower Fall Overlook in Yellowstone National Park

calcite springs overlook in yellowstone national park — Calcite Springs Overlook in Yellowstone National Park

If you plan to drive the Beartooth Pass and stay near Yellowstone, it would make sense to stay in Cooke City, the Roosevelt Lodge, the Mammoth Hotel, Gardiner, or Canyon Village. Anywhere else in the park adds a lot more driving time to your already long itinerary!

All bookings for hotels inside Yellowstone National Park are managed by Xanterra (check availability on their website here). They book up really quick, so make your reservations 6-12 months in advance.

2022 Yellowstone Flood Update: NE Entrance Road is undergoing construction due to damage from the 2022 flooding. The road is open, but expect delays and temporary closures. Check the NPS website for the latest information before planning your trip.

Bonus: Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

If you love scenic drives and want to add the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to your Beartooth Highway itinerary (and assuming you are on your way to or from Yellowstone National Park), here’s what I would do:

1. Follow the above Beartooth Highway itinerary until you get to the Chief Joseph Byway junction.

2. Follow the Chief Joseph Byway to Cody, Wyoming.

3. Stay in either Cody or the Lake Hotel in Yellowstone National Park.

This itinerary has you entering Yellowstone from the east entrance, instead of the northeast (Yellowstone has 5 entrances- it is a huge park!).

From the Beartooth Highway/Chief Joseph Scenic Byway Junction, it will take you 1.5 hours to reach Cody and another 1.5 – 2 hours to reach the Lake Hotel in Yellowstone.

From the Lake Hotel, it would take another 1.5 hours to reach Mammoth/Gardiner, which is why I recommend staying in Cody or Lake if you plan to do both scenic byways in the same trip!

beartooth highway and chief joseph byway map

Do you plan to drive the Beartooth Highway on your next trip to Yellowstone? Let me know in the comments below!

-Megan

If You Have More Time in Yellowstone National Park

Check out my other posts on Yellowstone to help you make the most of your visit!