The Beartooth Highway (US-212) is currently closed at the Wyoming/Montana state line due to extreme winter weather and hazardous snow and ice conditions. While you may be able to drive from Red Lodge, MT, to Vista Point, the Wyoming side of the pass is closed to through traffic until conditions improve.
Beartooth Highway Overview
The Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212) is a 68-mile stretch of road connecting Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana, renowned as one of the most scenic drives in the United States. It rises to 10,947 feet above sea level at Beartooth Pass, making it the highest elevation highway in both Wyoming and Montana.
Originally conceived to connect Red Lodge and Cooke City, supporting the mining industry and providing a tourist gateway to Yellowstone National Park, construction began in 1931 during the Great Depression and was completed in just five years. The work was notoriously dangerous, with crews facing extreme weather, heavy snow, and high-altitude, rocky terrain requiring constant dynamite blasting.
As of June 2026, the goal for the highway is to have it open roughly from Memorial Day to mid-October, with snow removal still a major annual challenge, often requiring clearing 26-foot drifts. Plows have been dispatched to clear the route.
Original reporting: K2 Radio (Casper) — read the source article.
