Snow patches and a small tundra lake on the high Beartooth Plateau, with the jagged Pilot and Index Peaks on the skyline

Beartooth Highway: Red Lodge to Yellowstone Drive Guide

A 10,947-foot (3,337 m) pass, open about four and a half months a year. Plan it for the morning, and check the road first.

68.0 mi · 1 day · Moderate
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Photo: YellowstoneNPS, Public domain

The Beartooth Highway is US-212 between Red Lodge, Montana, and Cooke City, the last town before Yellowstone's Northeast Entrance. It is 68 miles (109.4 km) long, tops out on Beartooth Pass at 10,947 feet (3,337 m), and crosses from Montana into Wyoming and back into Montana on the way. For most people it is a one-way drive that ends in Yellowstone, or the road that links Red Lodge with the park without going around.

It is a summer road. The state closes it every winter, and the Park Service lists it as closed for the season as of early November 2026. The opening and closing dates below are the typical ones and the Park Service's projection for 2027, not a promise.

The decision that matters is one day or two. Take one: 68 miles (109.4 km) is a morning and an early afternoon of driving with stops, and the Forest Service names afternoon thunderstorms among the hazards of the high stretch, so the sensible plan is to leave Red Lodge early, cross the plateau by midday and be down in Cooke City by the time the weather builds. A second day only makes sense if you want to arrive in Yellowstone fresh, with a night in Cooke City first. There is nothing to reserve for the drive itself.

The Route on the Map

The line from start to finish, with the start and the end marked.

Loading map...

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified.

The Route

From start to finish in one day.

  1. The Beartooth Highway curving across the tundra toward the pass, with a snowfield and rock slopes under a cloudy sky

    Red Lodge to the Northeast Entrance over Beartooth Pass

    Red LodgetoNortheast Entrance, Yellowstone

    Distance
    68.0 mi 109 km

    Leaving Red Lodge, the road climbs into the Custer Gallatin National Forest and switchbacks up to the Montana and Wyoming line. Past the line you are in the Shoshone National Forest. Beartooth Pass at 10,947 feet (3,337 m) is the high point, about 31 miles (49 km) from Red Lodge on the line.

    The stops are on the Wyoming side, past the pass: the Top of the World Store a few miles beyond the summit, then Island Lake and Beartooth Lake, which lies about 10 miles (16 km) beyond the pass. Stop where there is room to pull completely off the road. The Forest Service lists Clay Butte Lookout, a fire lookout reached by a narrow gravel road of about 3 miles (4.8 km); it is day use only and its status changes by season, so read the Forest Service page before you turn.

    The junction with WY-296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, lies on the Wyoming side; the Park Service says the Wyoming section of the highway runs from this junction to the Montana state line. Past it the highway drops back into Montana and runs on to Cooke City and the park boundary at the Northeast Entrance. You can pay the Yellowstone fee there and keep going, or stay in Cooke City.

    Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0

Permits

No permit is required

Driving US-212 needs no permit and has no toll. The only fee comes at the end: entering Yellowstone through the Northeast Entrance costs, on the park's fee page in November 2026, $35 per private vehicle (all passengers, valid 7 consecutive days), $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or bike, and an annual Yellowstone pass is $70. The same page lists a $100 surcharge per person aged 16 and older for non-US residents, waived with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Fees change, so read the page before you go.

If you stop in Red Lodge or Cooke City and turn around before the park boundary, you pay nothing at all.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Beartooth Highway, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Red Lodge, Montana, where US-212 runs through town as Broadway Avenue. The map shows the drive from Red Lodge, so that you cross the high stretch in the morning.

The end

The Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone, on the far side of Cooke City. From there the Northeast Entrance Road runs through Lamar Valley to Tower Junction. The only park road generally open to cars all year runs from the North Entrance at Gardiner through Tower Junction to Cooke City, which is why Cooke City stays reachable when the pass is closed.

Shuttle

There is no shuttle. To return, drive back over the same road, or take the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296) from the highway to Cody, Wyoming, or Laurel, Montana, or continue through Yellowstone.

Safety

  • Weather: snow and freezing temperatures can occur on the high plateau in any summer month, and afternoon thunderstorms bring lightning. Leave Red Lodge in the morning so you are across the high stretch before the afternoon, and check the forecast the evening before. If a storm builds, stay in the car rather than walking out at a pullout.

  • Closures: the Park Service says temporary travel restrictions or closures can occur at any time without notice, and that weather causes occasional closures after the opening. Check the Montana and Wyoming road reports on the morning you drive, not the week before. The Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is a separate road with its own season, so do not count on it as a way around.

  • Altitude: the summit is 10,947 feet (3,337 m). National Park Service guidance for high ground names headache, dizziness and nausea as the early signs of altitude illness: do not go higher, rest, and go down if it does not pass.

  • Fuel: there is none on the climb itself that you can count on. Fuel stations are mapped in Red Lodge and in Cooke City, and the Park Service's list of fuel inside Yellowstone starts at Tower Junction, a long way beyond the Northeast Entrance. Start with a full tank from Red Lodge, and check Cooke City's hours if you plan to refuel there.

  • Wildlife: grizzly bears use the meadows and forest along the byway. The park rules are 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves and 25 yards (23 m) from other wildlife. Stay at the pullouts rather than walking off into the meadows.

Beartooth Highway: FAQ

When does the Beartooth Highway open and close?

Typically the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to mid-October, weather permitting. The Park Service projects May 28 to October 11 for 2027. It closed for the winter in 2026 and opens again only when the plows have cleared both states, so check the Montana and Wyoming road reports on the day.

Is the Beartooth Highway open in November?

No. The state closes it every winter and the Park Service lists it as closed for the season in November 2026. The road to Cooke City from Yellowstone's North Entrance at Gardiner is the one that stays open to cars all year.

How long does the Beartooth Highway take?

It is 68 miles (109.4 km) from Red Lodge to the Northeast Entrance. Allow a day and start in the morning: the stops at the lakes and pullouts, the weather on the plateau and the slow bends are what take the time.

Do I need a permit or reservation to drive the Beartooth Highway?

No. The road is free. Only Yellowstone charges: $35 per private vehicle for seven days on the park's fee page in November 2026.

Is there gas on the Beartooth Highway?

Not on the climb that you can count on. Stations are mapped in Red Lodge and in Cooke City, but the Park Service's list of fuel inside Yellowstone starts at Tower Junction, well past the Northeast Entrance. Fill the tank in Red Lodge and check Cooke City's hours before you rely on it.

Can I drive from Cooke City to Cody without going back over the pass?

Yes, on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296), which the Park Service lists as running from Cooke City to Cody, Wyoming, or Laurel, Montana. Its summer section toward Cooke City reopens from mid-May to early November, so check the road report.

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