Beartooth HWY Question
 

Will be in Yellowstone June 18-24. Our 2nd trip. Beartooth wasn't open on our last trip to YS. We will be spending a couple of nights in Roosevelt Cabins. Will drive thru Lamar Valley and then on to the Beartooth. Should I drive the entire thing to Red Lodge or should I consider turning around mid-way or so? We will then head to Tetons that night for a portion of our trip in the Tetons. Any thoughts on how long this might take? Any thoughts on whether to drive the entire Beartooth portion or not?

I might should add that we will be traveling with another couple. They have 2 older teenage sons and a 10 year old daughter.

I would drive all the way to Red Lodge. Any chance you could spend the night in Red Lodge before heading south?

I would stay overnight in Red Lodge also. The round trip is doable, and I have done it, but there is much too see in that area and you'll see more of it if you are not rushed.

Would have to be done as round trip. Staying in RL is not an option.

I'm just not sure how much time to allow. It appears to me that I'll just be driving. I'm not seeing any hikes that strike me.

From an earlier thread -

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rtooth-hwy.cfm

<I>
starrs on Aug 24, 10 at 9:56am


You could do it but that would be a killer day. We enjoyed spending the night in Red Lodge AND Cody. To just drive through, you're looking at about 8 hours in the car.

West Yellowstone to Red Lodge = 3.5 hours
Red Lodge to Cody - a little over an hour
Cody to Jackson - 3.5 hours

That doesn't give you time to stop and SEE anything much.

Also from that thread -
<I>starrs' timeline = driving and not stopping to see interesting things. :-(

We drove from Old Faithful (leaving about 11 am), drove through YNP with only quick gas/bathroom stops in the park and at Cooke City, enjoyed the Beartooth but were scared because we were still driving through (what we call at home) winter weather, and were VERY glad to get to Red Lodge and relax. Actually, the driver collapsed on the bed to rest before dinner. The next day we moved on to Cody and loved the Buffalo Bill museum. Even if you have people in your group that aren't "museum people" they'll love BB.

</I>Not sure what kind of hiking you'll have the 1) time and 2) weather for.

The route was virtually all still snowed/iced in. We were there about the second week of June.

Re turnaround?
I'd continue on to see new stuff AND to get onto lower elevations roads to drive to Cody. The drive from Red Lodge to Cody is pretty and is easy.

We are actually meeting the other family there. They will have already done everything in Cody as they are doing that before we arrive. I'm now contemplating skipping The Beartooth and saving it for a future trip. It just isn't working out and so many other things to do. I was really wanting to do it, but don't know that I'm willing to give up a FULL DAY+ for it.

You're not giving up a full day for it. It will take a couple of hours.

What you are trying to do is go in one direction when you need to be in the other direction at the end of the day.

Switch the schedule for another day. You can make it happen - if it's important to you.