Beartooth Highway, US-212

Driving

by Plot Along: Rockies

US Highway 212 over the Beartooth Plateau, between Cooke City, Montana, and Red Lodge, Montana. Cooke City sits at Yellowstone's northeast entrance. 68 miles, designated an All-American Road. Charles Kuralt called it "the most beautiful drive in America".

The highway climbs from 7,300 feet at Cooke City through alpine tundra to 10,947 feet at Beartooth Pass, then descends in a series of switchbacks (the "Beartooth Switchbacks") into Rock Creek Canyon. It crosses the Beartooth Mountains, an island of Precambrian granite uplifted above the surrounding Yellowstone volcanic plateau.

The road is open seasonally. Typical season is late May through mid October; the road closes for snow the rest of the year.

Learn more: nps.gov

Colter Pass
Small forested pass at 8,066 ft just east of Cooke City. This is the gentle western start of the climb. Named for John Colter, the Lewis & Clark veteran who first explored the area in 1807.
Pilot & Index
Roadside view of Pilot Peak (11,708 ft) and Index Peak (11,313 ft), the twin spires that define the Beartooth skyline. Trappers used the sharp summit of Pilot as a landmark, which is how it got the name.
Crazy Creek
A 30-ft cascade, Crazy Creek Falls tumbles over a slickrock slab right next to US-212. Pullout and a short walk to the base.
Lake Creek Falls
Roadside cascade on Lake Creek where it drops into a small gorge just below US-212. Easy pullout with a short walk to the viewpoint.
Pilot-Index Overlook
West-facing overlook back toward the twin Pilot and Index peaks, and the classic photograph of the route.
Beartooth Pass
The highway's high point at 10,947 ft and one of the highest paved passes in the U.S. Alpine tundra at the summit, with views down into Wyoming.
Rock Creek Vista
Final viewpoint on the east descent, looking into Rock Creek Canyon and back up the Beartooth switchbacks the road just came down.

Colter Pass

Pilot & Index

Crazy Creek

Lake Creek Falls

Pilot-Index Overlook

Beartooth Pass

Rock Creek Vista