Custer National Forest Beartooth Plateau East Dispersed Sites

These windswept dispersed sites sit above treeline on the Beartooth Plateau’s eastern edge, scattered along rough spur roads off the main plateau route. Sites are basically flat spots in alpine tundra with stone windbreaks built by previous campers — no trees, no shelter, just massive sky and mountain views. Capacity runs 15-20 vehicles across multiple sites, but the weather can turn deadly fast with afternoon thunderstorms and sudden temperature drops.

Access requires 4WD for the final rocky spurs, and the whole area becomes snow-locked from October through June. Weather window is brutally short — July and August only for most folks. Nearest services are Cooke City, 25 miles of rough mountain road away. This is serious high-country camping; come prepared for alpine conditions even in summer.

Windswept alpine dispersed camping above treeline.