1 día / 35 millas / 51 minutos
The Beartooth Highway in Wyoming offers adventure at every turn. Surrounded by the Shoshone Forest and its vast expanses of wilderness area, the Beartooth Highway offers dramatic views, unlimited outdoor recreation opportunities, unparalleled wildlife watching, and a chance to experience "the wild side of Yellowstone."
Día 1
9:00 - 0.2 millas / 1 minuto - 9:00
Located in the Wind River and Absaroka mountain ranges of northwestern Wyoming, lies the 2.4 million-acre Shoshone National Forest. Elevations range from 4,600 feet near Cody to 13,804 feet atop Gannett Peak, the highest point in Wyoming. The higher mountains are snowclad most of the year. Immense areas of exposed rock are interspersed with meadows and forests. Those who hike into the backcountry or drive through the North Fork of the Shoshone River Canyon or over the Beartooth Plateau agree that the varied scenery is superlative. Established in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the Shoshone terrain ranges from sagebrush flats to rugged mountains, and its 236 peaks reach over 12,000 feet in elevation. There are also 156 glaciers, more than any other area in the lower 48 states. The Shoshone encompasses the area from the Montana state line south to Lander, Wyoming, which includes portions of the Absaroka, Wind River, and Beartooth Ranges. The western boundary of the forest south of Yellowstone is the crest of the Continental Divide. Nearly 1.4 million acres of the forest are designated wilderness areas. There are also more than 1,500 miles of scenic roads traversing the forest. Wildlife on the Shoshone includes deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly and black bears, as well as numerous smaller animals, birds, and cold water fish.
9:05 - 1.1 millas / 1 minuto - 9:06
9:11 - 1.7 millas / 1 minuto - 9:13
Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area
Beartooth Basin sits at 10,737 feet and has operated since the mid-1960s, making it one of North America’s oldest alpine ski training areas. Once a private camp, it is now open to the public when snow and weather conditions permit, with professional ski patrol and lift attendants on site.
9:18 - 1.3 millas / 2 minutos - 9:20
At 9,841 feet, this unmarked pullout also serves as a trailhead for the Beartooth Loop Trail and offers impressive views of the Beartooth Plateau’s glaciated basins and lakes. In early summer, backcountry skiers may be seen taking advantage of the remaining snow and glaciers.
9:25 - 1.5 millas / 1 minuto - 9:27
Known to the Crow as “Na Piet Say,” meaning “the bear’s tooth,” this distinctive pyramidal spire was sculpted by glaciers and gave the Beartooth Mountains their name.
9:32 - 0.4 millas / 1 minuto - 9:32
360 views of the mountains and the Beartooth Plateau are available as the visitor also experiences the harsh conditions to which plant and animal life must cling during the brief summer season.
9:52 - 7.4 millas / 11 minutos - 10:04
This beautiful high mountain lake campground has 21 newly remodeled sites. There is always plenty to do at this campground; hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and beautiful wildflowers galore.
10:09 - 0.3 millas / 1 minuto - 10:09
10:14 - 0.9 millas / 1 minuto - 10:15
At an elevation of 9400 feet, the Top of the World Resort features rentals, lodging, shopping, and activities. Learn about the area from resort staff and use the resort as a springboard for your outdoor adventures.
10:45 - 1.9 millas / 2 minutos - 10:48
The Beartooth Lake Campground has 21 sites and is located along the shores of Beartooth Lake, and within proximity to many beautiful mountain lakes. There is a nearby store for supplies.
10:53 - 0.2 millas / 1 minuto - 10:53
At 10,514 feet, Beartooth Butte features sandstone layers that reveal it once lay beneath an inland sea hundreds of millions of years ago. These sedimentary rocks originally covered the Beartooth Plateau, but thousands of years of glacial erosion stripped them away, leaving Beartooth and Clay Buttes as rare remnants.
10:58 - 0.3 millas / 1 minuto - 10:58
The waterfall drops about 80 feet in two distinct stages: an upper cascade of roughly 15–20 feet followed by a nearly vertical, horsetail-style lower drop of about 60 feet.
11:03 - 0.3 millas / 1 minuto - 11:04
The Beartooth Ravine pull-out offers interpretive information about the geological history, landscape-forming processes, and alpine ecosystems of the Beartooth Mountains. Visitors can also enjoy a striking view of a newer section of the Beartooth Highway, including a 420-foot bridge that curves around the mountain and crosses the ravine.
11:09 - 0.6 millas / 1 minuto - 11:10
Clay Butte Fire Tower Spur (FR 142)
Forest Road 142 (FR142) is an unpaved, one-lane gravel road branching from the Beartooth Highway to the summit lookout. The road is generally in good condition with some washboard and is suitable for most low-clearance vehicles, but not trailers, RVs, or tour buses; trailer parking is available at Beartooth Lake. The route also provides access to the Upper Granite Loop Trail.
11:15 - 0.9 millas / 1 minuto - 11:16
Pilot & Index Overlook Observation Site is located along the Beartooth All-American Highway and provides visitors sweeping vistas of the surrounding Absaroka Mountains and the iconic and inspiring Pilot-Index Peaks. The observation site contains ample parking, vault toilet, and visitor information signs.
11:21 - 5.1 millas / 10 minutos - 11:32
From this point, the visitor can see the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone Canyon, Wyoming's only designated Wild & Scenic River. You can also see the aftermath of the 1988 Clover Mist Fire which was nearly 400,000 acres and originated in Yellowstone National Park.
11:47 - 0.5 millas / 1 minuto - 11:48
The falls are divided by a small bridge from the original Beartooth Highway, with a narrow 35-foot cascade just upstream and a broader, 25-foot veiling waterfall below the bridge.
11:53 - 1.2 millas / 2 minutos - 11:55
The Chief Joseph Highway, named for the last chief of the Nez Percé, intersects the Beartooth Highway near Lake Creek Falls and features interpretive signs recounting the tragic flight of Chief Joseph’s band. The scenic route also passes archaeological sites reflecting prehistoric Native American occupation and offers strikingly varied scenery, from the ranchlands of Clarks Fork Valley to red-rock mesas and deep gorges.
12:00 - 2.6 millas / 3 minutos - 12:03
A small pull out on the east side of the road for the Crazy Lakes Trail also doubles for parking to view this impressive cascade of Crazy Creek. Picnicking and camping facilities are directly across the highway at Crazy Creek Campground.
13:03 - 6.4 millas / 7 minutos - 13:11