Before I landed in Yellowstone I had no idea that a Beartooth Highway existed much less that it was once dubbed the number one most scenic 50-something miles in the U.S. So said Teddy Roosevelt whom Time Magazine once listed among one of the most influential people in history.
Since we've been here the Beartooth has been closed all the way to Red Lodge, but it finally opened yesterday, so today about midday we headed again in that direction--West Yellowstone to Cooke City where Beartooth (highway 212) runs east in a squiggly mountain top line to Red Lodge, Montana.
Beartooth Highway: Hairpins and Deep Ravines
From Cooke City Beartooth heads into hilly territory marked heavily with a variety of vegetation: conifers, aspen, grasses and gray/green sagebrush. Glacial boulders, small to huge, also punctuate the landscape. About halfway between Cooke City and Red Lodge Beartooth winds like a paperclip upward until you're skimming the very ridge of the Beartooth Mountain range in Shoshone National Forest and dancing between the Wyoming and Montana borders.
At this time of year the region is still under snow. Vertical snow-walls, some as high as 12 feet, define the roadway. At the very top of the ridge, we stopped at the Montana-Wyoming border and built a snowman.
I'd not say that Beartooth is the most beautiful ribbon of roadway--it's certainly dramatic and gives you a serious altitude rush, but the snow cover really obliterates much of the features and the white has turned dingy and old. There are a number of lakes marked along the way that remain covered and hidden and what mountainside is exposed from snowmelt is brown and rocky. But the canyons are deep and dangerous, the hairpin curves sans guardrails.
Dinner in Red Lodge, Montana
We entered Red Lodge about 6 pm and were craving a steak dinner. Broadway Avenue is the main street through town. It's quaint and lined with a variety of shops, saloons and restaurants. We had dinner at the Pollard Hotel. The chef designs seasonal menus that change weekly, many of the ingredients sourced locally. Our dinner picks included Zac's salad of the day--field greens dressed with kumquats, shaved carrots, lump crabmeat, wonton strips, and lemon vinaigrette; a beef tenderloin with morelle mushrooms and a tomato aioli; and tabasco fried chicken breast over garlic mashed potatoes and lightly sweetened carrots and fennel. For dessert we chose the apple crisp with blueberry tequila ice cream: Cost: $75. Very good. Fried chicken dinner and the apple crisp dessert--highly recommended.
We stopped in at the Montana Candy Emporium for a few pieces of handmade chocolates. This store is a virtual cornucopia of almost every kind of candy you can imagine and besides the fresh fudges, truffles and creams, most of your favorite childhood "penny" candies are accounted for.
Driving Yellowstone at Night
The trip back we headed east out of Red Lodge along highway 308 and picked up highway 72/120 south toward Cody. A few miles north of Cody we headed west on 296 or Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, a 60 mile stretch of roadway that joins 212 just north of Cooke City. The evening stayed light until well past 9 pm with a nearly full moon rising. A worthwhile drive.
Back in Yellowstone we made slow headway in teh dark. Wildlife on the roadway without warnign are a real danger. We came upon three elk in various locations on the road, one a mother with a new baby stumbling along at her side. Teh park speed limit is 45, but we kept it to about 40.
Yellowstone by night is a completely unique experience from day. The raods are virtually deserted--we passed maybe a handful of cars the entire way. But animals are active. The light from the nearly full moon ignited the rivers as we drove past. Steam from geysers glowed like paranormal apparitions in the caldera region. We were tired and ready to get back to the hotel, but this was really a treat.
Yellowstone Lodging
We've had a chance to see a lot of types of accommodations along the way. Types of Yellowstone lodging available:
- Campgrounds inside the park and outside offer RV, tent sites and rustic cabins. Remote camping is available upon permission and a small fee.
- Park lodges include the historic Old Faithful Inn, Snow Lodge, and a number of others in various locations aroudn teh park. You'll also find modern cabins for rent.
- Ample accommodations exist in Yellowstone's gateway cities/towns. Here in West Yellowstone visitors may opt for a range of low-budget to mid-range hotels (we're in a Best Western), small rental cabins and campgrounds like KOA. In Cooke City you'll find rental cabins and log homes along with small motels. Most accommodations are not considered in peak season, so costs are up.
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