Beartooth & Yellowstone
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United States drives

Beartooth & Yellowstone

United States · Montana / Wyoming

The Most Beautiful Drive in America

547 miles · 4 to 5 Days · 5 rally points

Guide statusPublished and available
Editorial updateAugust 12, 2026
Road conditionsVerify locally

The route

Beartooth and Yellowstone is a verified 547-mile circuit beginning and ending in Red Lodge. It crosses Beartooth Highway to Cooke City, follows Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to Cody and enters Yellowstone through the East Entrance.

The park stage links Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Canyon and Old Faithful. The return runs through Mammoth, Gardiner and Paradise Valley. Allow four to five days, with a Paradise Valley overnight recommended before the final run to Red Lodge.

High elevation, wildlife delays and long gaps between services define this drive. Seasonal access is never guaranteed. Check official road and weather conditions before every stage, and be prepared to turn back.

“The high country rewards daylight, patience and a willingness to turn back.”

The whole Drive Pack, not just a line on a map.

This complete edition includes the practical tools, considered places and editorial context listed below.

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Route

Exact route map

The complete route, every rally point and sequential navigation links ready to open in Google Maps.

Itinerary

Full rally-point itinerary

A day-by-day sequence with distances, driving time and the stops that shape the journey.

Field notes

Road character & timing

Surface notes, corner character, suggested departure windows and the stretches that demand attention.

PDF

Downloadable roadbook

A premium PDF edition of the complete Drive Pack, designed for print and reliable offline use.

Web + PDF

Pre-drive checklist

Interactive and printable checks for the car, fuel, bookings, weather and offline navigation.

Live tools

Live departure desk

Official road-condition links and practical departure checks gathered in one place.

Curated

Stops, stays & tables

Curated accommodation, restaurants, wineries and worthwhile pauses matched to the route.

Tested gear

Reviewed gear for this drive

Luggage, eyewear, safety kit and other products selected from reviews we have already published.

Route map

See the territory. Keep the discovery.

The shaded area shows the landscape of the drive. Members receive the verified road, sequence and navigation.

Explore the route region
  1. 01

    Day 1, Morning

    Red Lodge to Beartooth Plateau

    32 miles · 1 hour 15 minutes driving, plus stops
  2. 02

    Day 1, Late Morning

    Beartooth Plateau to Cooke City

    33 miles · 1 hour 15 minutes driving, plus stops

  3. Days 2–3 · Member Drive Pack

    The rest of the journey

    3 further rally points with verified routing, timings and road notes

Day by day

The drive, unfolded.

Red Lodge to Beartooth Plateau01

Day 1, Morning

Red Lodge to Beartooth Plateau

The High-Country Ascent

Leave Red Lodge on US 212 and climb through Rock Creek Canyon to the alpine plateau and Beartooth Pass area. Use only signed overlooks and keep the lane clear at every stop.

Distance
32 miles
Drive time
1 hour 15 minutes driving, plus stops
Beartooth Plateau to Cooke City02

Day 1, Late Morning

Beartooth Plateau to Cooke City

Lakes, Tundra and the Descent

Continue east and south on US 212 past alpine lakes and the Wyoming high country, then descend to Cooke City near Yellowstone's Northeast Entrance.

Distance
33 miles
Drive time
1 hour 15 minutes driving, plus stops

Complete Drive Pack

3 more rally points await.

The complete itinerary includes exact timings, road character, every stop and the downloadable roadbook.

Public preview · 2 of 5 rally points
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Beyond the road

Worth stopping for.

Places selected because they belong to the journey, not because they happened to be nearby.

Food & wine

1 more curated picks
Restaurant$$$$

Carbon County Steakhouse

Red Lodge, MT

A long-running Red Lodge steakhouse serving dinner in the town centre, useful for a pre-drive meal or the final evening of the circuit.

Booking note

Check the current opening schedule and reserve directly for a weekend dinner.

Parking

Use legal downtown parking and finish any alcoholic drink after the day's driving is complete.

Brewery$$

Red Lodge Ales

Red Lodge, MT

A Red Lodge brewery and taproom with a current food menu, best treated as a post-drive stop rather than part of the active route.

Booking note

Confirm current opening hours directly, especially outside the main summer season.

Parking

Park for the night before drinking, or nominate a non-drinking driver.

Café$$

Café Regis

Red Lodge, MT

A Red Lodge breakfast and lunch restaurant with an established local following and a garden-led approach to its menu.

Booking note

Check the current days and hours directly before relying on it as the first stop of the drive.

Parking

Use the signed on-site or legal street parking and load the member route before leaving town.

View all 4 food & wine recommendations
Restaurant$$$$

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room

Yellowstone NP

The dining room within the historic Old Faithful Inn, positioned for an evening meal after the Yellowstone driving stage.

Booking note

Operating dates, meal periods and reservation rules change. Confirm the current National Park Lodges policy directly.

Parking

Use only signed Old Faithful parking. Lots can fill at busy periods, so allow extra time and never stop in a traffic lane.

Where to stay

1 more curated picks
Night 1, Red Lodge$$-$$$

The Pollard Hotel

Red Lodge, MT

A historic downtown Red Lodge hotel dating to the nineteenth century, convenient for the night before the Beartooth Highway departure.

Visit website
Parking

Confirm current parking, charging and arrival instructions directly before booking.

Night 2, Yellowstone NP$$-$$$

Old Faithful Inn

Yellowstone NP

A landmark National Park Service lodge beside Old Faithful, operating seasonally and placing guests at the end of the Yellowstone stage.

Visit website
Parking

Use signed Old Faithful parking and confirm seasonal opening, room type and accessibility directly.

Night 3, Yellowstone NP$$$

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

Yellowstone NP

A seasonal historic hotel on Yellowstone Lake, useful for travelers who divide the park circuit into a more relaxed schedule.

Visit website
Parking

Confirm current operating dates, parking and arrival instructions through the official park lodging operator.

View all 4 where to stay recommendations
Night 4, Pray$$

Chico Hot Springs

Pray, MT

A historic Paradise Valley resort with lodging, dining and hot-spring pools, well placed for splitting the long return to Red Lodge.

Visit website
Parking

Confirm current room, pool, dining and parking arrangements directly before travel.

Before departure

Know before you go.

Fuel Stops

Leave Red Lodge, Cooke City and Cody with adequate fuel or charge. Services are widely spaced, seasonal and not guaranteed to be open when mountain roads first reopen.

Cell Coverage

Expect long stretches without dependable mobile service across Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and Yellowstone. Download the member route, official park information and an offline backup before departure.

Book Ahead

Park lodging and dining operate seasonally and can fill well in advance. Confirm every booking and operating date directly rather than relying on an older itinerary.

Wildlife Safety

Follow current National Park Service guidance. Remain at least 100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars, and at least 25 yards from bison, elk and all other wildlife. Never block traffic for a sighting.

Download the NPS App

Download Yellowstone content in the official National Park Service app before entering the park, then check current roads, weather, closures and operating dates again on the day of travel.

What earns a place in the car.

Products suited to this particular drive, selected only from gear reviews already published by The Stable.

Safety & Emergency4.6/5 · The Stable reviewed

The 6 Best First Aid Kits for Road Trips.

We tested six of the most recommended car first aid kits across thousands of miles of road trips - from Big Sur to the Beartooth Highway - to find the ones actually worth keeping behind your seat.

Recommended from this review

  • Homestock+Professional First Aid Kit (230pc)
  • SurvivewareSmall First Aid Kit (98pc)
  • MyMedicMyFAK Standard (132pc)
Read the full review

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The complete journey

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