The Beartooth Highway
A candidate for the most scenic highway in America? I think so. When planning our 2016 Yellowstone vacation we hadn’t originally intended to continue north into Montana, but when I read this claim in Lonely Planet I knew we had to travel the Beartooth Highway. 64 miles of mountain pass from Cooke City to Red Lodge – what’s not to love?
Cooke City
We still had a large and beautiful chunk of Yellowstone to drive through before reaching the Northeast Entrance Gate, so by the time we got to Cooke City. Montana, we were ready for an early lunch and a wander. It’s not exactly what I would call a city, but just look at those vistas!
We discovered that the town had a lovely little museum dedicated to the early miners in the area, Cooke City being the major camp for prospectors from 1869, so we looked at that too before heading back onto the highway to continue the adventure.
Clay Butte
After Cooke City, the road dipped back into Wyoming. These two peaks beguiled us all the way and we paused in several places to photograph them. Our next major stop was Clay Butte Tower which involved a three-mile drive on a gravel road. The tower used to be a fire lookout but now functions as a visitor centre.
Top of the World
Back on the main highway, we made slow progress because there were just so many beautiful places to stop, for example Beartooth Lake followed by a welcome visit to Top of the World Store for coffee.
After this, the road began a serious climb, until we reached Beartooth Pass, the highest point on the road at 10947 feet. It was blowy!
Summit to Red Lodge
Then it was all downhill with another couple of stops at Gardner Lake and our second Montana State Line of the day. This one claims to be the highest state welcome sign in the US.
At the end of the day we arrived in Red Lodge, another charming old town, which was to be our base for the next couple of nights. More about it next time!
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Fantastic views. Isn’t it wonderful when the road you should drive anyway going from one place to another turns out to be worth in itself? (I might have said something phylosophical here… unwittingly 😉 )
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Yes, I think you have hit on a metaphor for life!
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How beautiful landscapes. Your photos re wonderful. Thank You.
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Thank you for visiting and commenting!
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So beautiful! I am glad to have you to show me around my own country! I have so many national parks yet to see. Yellowstone is for sure on the short list. so many places to visit. Thank you for sharing, the photos are great!
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Thanks Diane – too many places, too little time.
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Gorgeous! I’ve never done the Beartooth, but I think next time we are out there I will have to remedy that situation!
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It’s well worth it! Such a beautiful road.
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Such a beauty! Love your pictures.
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Thank you!
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Nice
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Thank you!
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No problem
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Only one million people in Montana for such a large state so not surprised the roads were empty and the views expansive. Glasgow was voted a Lonely Planet top city recently- cant really see that myself considering all the worldwide competition on offer and the state of the city centre right now :o)
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Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been living here over 30 years and I’m still finding new things to enjoy. For its size, I think that’s amazing!
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Happy to see you’re writing about your American road trip again! I’ve got a pretty extensive Google map full of places I still need to visit in the States (since I don’t seem to make it much farther than Ohio these days), and your posts are useful for filling out the West. I’ll definitely be adding that miners’ museum!
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Such a pretty place! I have quite a list of posts still to do about that trip, I just never quite get round to it.
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oh my . . . . what a glorious highway and looks like you had much of it to yourselves. Despite lots of family in the USA we are not keen to visit the country at the moment, feels to divisive. Then when I see glorious vistas like this, I think to myself how can I stay away.
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Yes, it was very quiet – surprisingly so. America is a beautiful country but it’s off my agenda at the moment too.
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I’m from Montana and I love seeing people post about it, or even Wyoming. I can’t believe how pointy Pilot peak is, it reminds me of the mountain from the Grinch if it was droopy. Beautiful pictures!
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Thank you – I’m so pleased to have a comment from somebody from Montana!
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