Beartooth Highway — Red Lodge to Cooke City via the Beartooth Plateau (Classic Full Traverse)
The most beautiful road in America. Earned.
Charles Kuralt called it the most beautiful drive in America, and after one look at the Beartooth Plateau you won’t argue. US-212 climbs out of Red Lodge, Montana, via a series of tight switchbacks that gain over 5,000 feet in under 10 miles, depositing you on a treeless tundra plateau with views of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in every direction. The summit at 10,947 feet sits just below Beartooth Pass proper — snow lingers on the roadside well into July and sometimes appears again in August. Top of the World Store near the Wyoming border is the only fuel and supply stop on the plateau itself; don’t pass it empty. The road drops into Cooke City, the eastern gateway to Yellowstone’s northeast entrance, through a final canyon stretch past Pilot and Index Peaks.
This is a paved highway, so any road-legal vehicle can technically run it — but conditions change fast. Afternoon thunderstorms roll in without warning, temperatures drop 30 degrees in an hour, and WYDOT closes the road multiple times each summer for snow. Check road status before you leave Red Lodge. No permits needed. Best season is mid-June through mid-September. Fuel at Red Lodge before you go; Cooke City has limited supply at high prices. What you get out of this is a genuine high-alpine crossing that most overlanders dismiss because it’s paved — which means they’re missing one of the great drives on the continent.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Overland Route, Scenic Drive |
| Surface | Gravel, Mixed |
| Features | Camping, High Altitude, Historic, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 68 mi / 109.4 km |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 10947 ft |
| Best season | Mid-June to Mid-September |
| Minimum vehicle | Any road-legal vehicle; high clearance advised for late June snow |
| Nearest town | Red Lodge, Montana |
| Land manager | USDA Forest Service — Custer Gallatin National Forest / Wyoming DOT |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | Spotty |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | USFS Beartooth Highway page Wyoming Road Conditions Montana Road Conditions |
| Verified | |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lifted truck or can my stock SUV handle this?
Any road-legal vehicle can drive the Beartooth Highway — it's a paved two-lane road, not a trail in the traditional sense. The caveat is early season (late June): lingering snowpack at elevation can leave icy or slushy sections where extra clearance and AT tires earn their keep.
When does the Beartooth Highway actually open each year?
Typically mid-June, though WYDOT and Montana DOT push that date based on snowpack — some years it's late May, others early July. It closes again around mid-October. Always check wyoroad.info and 511mt.net before you leave because closures happen fast when weather hits.
Is there a fee or permit to drive the Beartooth Highway?
No permit and no fee to drive the highway itself. If you're camping in the national forest along the route, you're under Custer Gallatin NF rules — dispersed camping is allowed but check for any fire restrictions before you go.
What's the hardest part of the drive and what should I actually expect?
The steepest switchbacks climbing out of Red Lodge on the Montana side are the most committing — tight turns, significant drop-offs, and no guardrails in spots. Nothing technical, but if heights or narrow mountain roads rattle you, those first miles will test your nerve more than your rig.
How far is it between gas stations on this route and is there cell service if something goes wrong?
Red Lodge at the east end and Cooke City at the west are your only fuel stops — stock up before you climb because there's nothing across the 68-mile plateau. Cell service is spotty to nonexistent most of the route, so carry a satellite communicator if you're running it solo.
Trail track
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