December 17, 2017 • Ask Andrew • Beartooth Pass • Wyoming • Yellowstone National Park

Andrew traveled to the Beartooth Pass while visiting Yellowstone National Park in June 2017. We asked him for his thoughts on the excursion, and here is what he wrote. You can learn about Andrew here.

1. Where is Beartooth Pass? Can you describe how to get there?

Beartooth Pass is about an hour east of the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It along the Beartooth Highway (U.S. Route 212) and has an elevation of 10,947 feet!

2. What was the most memorable part of your visit to Beartooth Pass?

All the snow was crazy! It was so tall that it was towering over the car my mom and dad rented, even in June! The snow was probably 6 to 8 feet high. Even though we had some warm days in Yellowstone, it was still a shock to see so much snow on the mountains in June!

We also got to see a large snow plow that looked like a giant snowblower.

3. Did you see any wildlife? If so, what types?

I saw lots of marmots on the mountain. They were running around like cheetahs chasing prey! The marmots were also playing tag with each other and were quite vocal.

4. Can you describe your favorite part of the trip up the Beartooth Pass?

The very beautiful drive, the view and the twisty roads. The snow was also very pure and reminded me of vanilla ice cream. The air was so clear up there you could see forever, and it was definitely worth the visit.

5. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

Make sure you check with the rangers to see if the road is open before you head up the Pass, as it is often closed due to the snow. The trip does take about 3-4 hours total, so make sure you allow plenty of time for the drive. Also, my mom and dad stopped at the visitor center Cooke City, MT. The bathrooms were really clean and they also had free wifi, even after business hours (we were there in the evening). Beartooth Pass is a great route to take on your way to / from Custer State Park (see a full writeup on Custer State Park, one of the top 10 state parks in the country). Finally, we also combined the drive with a visit to the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone.

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