When we read that Beartooth Highway is billed the most scenic drive in the USA, we made a big detour to build this into our trip. And it didn’t disappoint; from vast glacial landscapes to lakes and pine forests, this was a lovely and varied drive.
We spent the night before in Red Lodge, Montana. This is a cute small town with enough amenities and life to spend an evening as a stop-over. Sadly we arrived too late to enjoy it, having landed at Bozeman, and we endured a long night-time drive which was a bit scary as the road surface was missing so we drove on gravel for a long time, plus there were deer all over the place which we were scared would jump out in front of our car! So it was with much relief that we greeted Red Lodge that night!
We set out in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and were soon rewarded with great views over the landscape.
My BF’s driving caused an exchange of words as he kept taking the bends too fast (in my opinion!), but we managed to make our way along safely. My BF upped the ante by attaching a Go Pro to the front of the car. In case a bear walks across the road, he said š
We stopped in Cooke City for lunch of a sandwich and the thickest milkshake ever, before continuing our journey into Yellowstone National Park. Cooke City is a short stretch of shops, restaurants, petrol station, etc.
Overall, I’m glad we went out of our way to come in to the Park through the Beartooth Highway. Every local person we met said “oh that’s the best way to enter the park”, which somewhat justified our nighttime drive to get there!
Travel Tips:Ā
- Get petrol before you enter the park. We filled up in Red Lodge, which is the last town in “the outside world” before you enter the wilderness.
Next post: Ā Lamar Valley & Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, USA
Previous post: Reflections on Vancouver, Canada
Big Fat Tourist 