Beartooth Highway
- Food
- Breakfast in Red Lodge
- Sports
- High-school sports in Red Lodge
Crowd level: Easy. Busy only at the obvious hour
Best season July and August, when the pass is reliably open. Early June and late September depend on snow. Always check.
US 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City climbs into alpine switchbacks and comes back down toward Yellowstone’s northeast gate. It is a road, not a visitor center. Pull over, look, and do not treat a viewpoint like a mall.
The short version
The highway is a 1930s scenic approach to the park, later named an All-American Road. It closes with snow. Check the road before you promise anyone a photo. Weather up there is not a suggestion.
Food nearby
Breakfast in Red Lodge
Eat in Red Lodge before you climb. A diner coffee and something hot. Do not plan a picnic that depends on a viewpoint kiosk being open.
A game nearby
High-school sports in Red Lodge
Red Lodge is a small town. A Friday-night high-school game is the local calendar. That fits this desk better than a drive to a pro arena.