Yellowstone & Beartooth Pass Road Tour

After a delicious breakfast we will begin our journey to Yellowstone Lake, along the lower loop. Shortly after leaving this morning we will cross the Continental Divide at Craig Pass which is 8,262 feet. We will pass back over the divide before arriving at Yellowstone Lake. As we approach the western edge of the lake we will pass yet another geyser basin which we can tour. Intense heat from this region indicates an extensive thermal system, that could create a massive hydrothermal steam explosion should lake levels drop just a few feet, reminding us yet again of the dynamic geologic forces at work all around us. A few more miles and we will arrive at our night’s destination, the Lake Hotel. Yellowstone Lake is the largest mountain lake in North America. It is over 20 miles long 14 miles wide and 390 feet deep at its deepest point, where temperatures rarely rise above 42 degrees. This is amazing since there are countless calderas through-
out the park whose temperatures remain high above the boiling point at all times. We will arrive at the Lake Hotel in the afternoon, leaving us time for an out and back ride, north through the Hayden Valley. We will want to get at least as far as the Mud Volcano but riding along the Yellowstone River can be quite enticing, so we may go further.

Today we begin with a short shuttle out to the east entrance of the park so that we can get down to business on the Buffalo Bill Scenic Highway. The ride zips along the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the Wapiti Valley, a stretch that Rough Rider Teddy Roosevelt called “the most scenic 50 miles in the world.” Keep your eyes peeled today; the Wapiti Valley boasts robust populations of wildlife including bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose, bear and, as it’s Shoshone namesake suggests, wapiti or elk. Our route takes us through the tiny settlements of Pahaska and Wapiti, then skirts 7 miles of shoreline along the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. We finish our ride in historic Cody, Wyoming—named for William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody, one of the most colorful figures of America’s Old West.

Today we will hook up with the Chief Joseph Highway. While the story of Chief Joseph leading the Nez Perce along this route is quite heart wrenching, the views are so incredible exhilaration will win the day. This amazing mountain pass is one of the very best road rides in the West. The road is narrow and remote with great views of the Beartooth mountains to the north and the volcanic Absaroka mountains to the west. We will pass through a 1,200 foot gorge carved by the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River. Our destination for the night is Cooke City, Montana which is nestled in a narrow valley between the Beartooth and Absaroka wilderness areas.

You will want to eat a really big breakfast this morning because we are headed to the Top of the World! The high point (10,947 feet) of the spectacular Beartooth Scenic Byway takes us through dramatic peaks and jewel like alpine lakes. The Beartooth Plateau is a lofty table of nearly solid rock, which for a few weeks a year is covered with wildflowers. People who see this area from a car just aren’t getting the full effect. It is a truly dizzying array of switchbacks and panoramic vistas. We get a breathtaking 360 degree view right on the border of Wyoming and Montana. You are very likely to agree that the Beartooth is the most beautiful highway in America. All of this swooping and zooming through the peaks drops us into Red Lodge, our home for the night.

For our final ride we head north as we work our way down from the alpine scenery of rugged peaks, pristine alpine tundra and sheer cliffs. The terrain becomes wide open as we leave the Beartooth Range and approach the basin of the Yellowstone River. Civilization reappears in the form of Interstate 90, which will provide us with a convenient shuttle route back to Bozeman.