BearTooth Highway Question
 

On September 9, my husband and I will be staying the night in Sheridan or Gillette Wyoming and have a reservation for the following evening at Mammoth Springs, in Yellowstone. We would like to be able to travel the Bear tooth Highway.

My question is:
1) Should we go through the Bighorn Mountains and cut up to Montana at Cody
2) Or should we go straight into Montana up and around Billings and down towards Red Rock
3) Or... is this trip too long to do in one day?

Cnn

The most direct and scenic route for the 'Tooth would be to stay on I-90 to US-14, go west thru Ranchester and up the Front Range at the split at Burgess Jct. Take US14A thru Lovell and pick US-310. Follow that to just south of Bridger MT and go south for a few miles until you get to Belfry (the school mascot is the bat). go west on State Route 308 to Red Lodge. All these are good roads with little traffic. 14A will take you thru the Medicine Mountain area which has spectacular views, especially the drive down from the top as you approach Lovell WY. We have gone this route several times to and from YS, in fact we passed that way out of Yellowstone last month.

I think the Big Horns are worth a drive over. I have enjoyed several trips over the top.

The descent on the western side is rather steep. Your ears can hurt!!

I also think continuing on to Cody has its merits. There you can travel the Chief Joseph Highway to the point that the Beartooth Highway goes north.
Drive to the top and a little ways beyond before finding a convenient overlook at which to turn around and continue back to Yellowstone.

This route involves some back tracking, but I enjoy seeing the scenery from a different angle.

Having been to Red Lodge a couple of times and ascended the Beartooth summit from that angle, I don't believe you will miss anything by not going all the way up from Red Lodge.

The route ultimately brings you in through the northeast gate of Yellowstone and along the Lamar River.

What you gain is a nice trip over the Big Horns, which are not well known, and the Chief Joseph Highway, which is spectacular in its own way, although I don't think it is as eyepopping as the Beartooth.

Bob and Red,

Thank you for your reply. Two great ideas. It sounds like the trip from Sheridan to Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway in one day is not a problem. I'm very excited about this trip as I have never been to that part of the country. The Big Horn mountains ...the Beartooth Highway...it all sounds so grand.

We just came back from yellowstone trip on thursday. We stayed in Cody and did a loop from Cody took Chief Joseph Highway then Beartooth back to Cody. I would suggest if you have the time to do both. They both are awesome drives but I do agree the beartooth is even more scenic. If you can stop in Red Lodge it's a nice town. You can continue on Beartooth right into Cooke City to Northeast entrance. It's a wonderful part of the country you will love it. Wish I was back.