The most dramatic drive in America — 11,000-ft alpine tundra with free camping at both ends.
The Beartooth Highway climbs from Red Lodge, MT to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone over an 11,000-ft pass that Charles Kuralt called 'the most beautiful drive in America.' Free dispersed camping in the Custer Gallatin NF on both sides, plus established sites on the plateau itself.
Why it's special
Camping at 9,500 ft in alpine tundra with goats and marmots, looking down on glacier-cut valleys. It's brief — open July through early October — and worth the trip.
Best time to go
Mid-July through mid-September.
Getting there
US-212, Red Lodge, MT to Cooke City. Or come up from Yellowstone's northeast entrance.
Know before you go
- Pass closes early October to late May.
- Active grizzly country — full food storage protocols apply.
- Thin air at 11,000 ft hits hard; rest on day one.
- Weather can snap to snow in any month.
Pro tips from boondockers
- Island Lake and Beartooth Lake established campgrounds book up; dispersed nearby in the trees has space.
- Cooke City is the closest food and fuel on the west side, Red Lodge on the east.
- Don't try to drive the pass at night — wildlife and weather.
- Side trip up to Top of the World viewpoint at sunrise.
Combine with
Yellowstone NP, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Cody.