While we explore northwest Montana for the next few weeks, I’ll continue to share several more posts from our previous destination stay-over in Billings.
One of the reasons for our stay-over in Billings was to check out the once a western mining/now a big ski resort town of Red Lodge and from there drive across the Beartooth Highway.
The Beartooth Highway is considered one of the best scenic drives in the U.S. and is listed as one of our “National Scenic Byways All-American Roads”. It features breathtaking views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, as well as open high alpine plateaus dotted with countless glacial lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls and wildlife.
This area is one of the highest and most rugged in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. Glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high year-round.
Beartooth Highway itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.
We started at 5,500 feet elevation in Red Lodge and impressively climbed 4,000 feet in seven miles full of twisting turns and switchbacks, and ever-changing landscapes.
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Check out the three levels of roads (one is at the tiptop) that switched back and forth. There was some serious, quick climbing here!
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It wasn’t long before we started getting peeks of the snow glaciers still present on the highest mountains.
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A very rugged, dangerous dirt road with no guard rails travels through the mountains also, following some of the Beartooth Highway; it can be seen in this shot faintly. I read it is not for the faint of heart.
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Reaching almost the highest point, we came to this beautiful sight of glacial lakes.
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Close-up of the small glacial lake in upper left of previous photo
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A couple more steep climbing turns from that awesome view, and we finally reached the pullout at the highest point at 10,947 feet.
The air was crisp and cool, the view breathtaking.
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Clouds shadowed the foreground in this shot, but look to the left snow, you’ll see another person taking in the views, to give some perspective.
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Another similar shot with no cloud shadowing.
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While standing on dry dirt and rocks, there was snow behind us off to one side where you could stand. It was here I captured two alpine wildlife species, very exciting!
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Snow in July!
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Alpine plateau, sprinkled with wildflowers
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From here the highway continued a bit further on to the north entrance of Yellowstone NP, but it was already getting late and we had to return on this highway to get back, and didn’t want to do it in the dark. We planned on returning a few days later and start earlier/not waste time in Red Lodge, but strong winds and storms sent smoke from one of the nearby wildfires into the Beartooth Mountains, so we didn’t go back.
For this one day cruise, in all, I captured six wildlife species and lots of beautiful wildflowers from the viewpoint pullouts, those posts to come!
