The Most Scenic Drive In America Can Be Found On Wyoming’s Highway 212
Sometimes you just want to hop in the car, sit back, relax and enjoy the view. When you live way out here in the Cowboy State, that’s pretty easy to do! With all the beautiful scenery, Wyoming is one of the best states to explore on a long and scenic drive. In fact, traveling CBS journalist, Charles Kuralt, called one of our highways “the most beautiful drive in America.” Gas up the car, gather your family, and head out on the most scenic drive in Wyoming.
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Wyoming 212 is known as the Beartooth Highway, and it winds through the Absaroka Range on the Wyoming-Montana border.
The Beartooth Highway runs for 68-miles, and it has been designated as a National Scenic Byway All-American Road in Wyoming. It was one of the first roads to be established under the Park Approaches Act of 1931! The road winds through southwest Montana and northwest Wyoming and into the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Even though the highway begins and ends in Montana, a large section snakes through the northwest corner of Wyoming.
The 3 gateway communities that provide easy access to Beartooth Highway are Cooke City, Montana; Red Lodge, Montana; and Cody, Wyoming - via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.
This route offers the experience of traveling the highest paved highway in the Northern Rocky Mountains. It reaches its peak at Beartooth Pass, where you'll be able to see for miles.
The Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains will lay out before you, and you'll be able to spot stunning lakes, cliffs, and peaks from the many turnouts along the highway.
This drive isn't for the faint of heart. The path along Beartooth Highway is a series of steep switchbacks, sheer drops and hairpin turns.
At the top of Beartooth Pass, the highway levels off into a broad plateau. Because of the high altitude and heavy snowfall during the winter months, the pass is usually only open from May to October.
When the pass opens for the season, travelers enjoy spotting wildlife and wildflowers on their journey.
Travelers get to experience the high alpine plateaus with glacial lakes, lush forest valleys, waterfalls and plenty of wildlife. The drive quickly transitions from a lush forest ecosystem to alpine tundra.
Here’s a very informative video put out by the U.S. Forest Service Department of Agriculture.
If you’re looking for natural beauty, traveling Wyoming’s scenic byways offers an unbelievable way to see the Cowboy State. The Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Snowy Range Scenic Byway and the roads that take you around Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are remarkable and unforgettable.
What are the most charming small towns in Wyoming?
You can easily find charming and scenic small towns in Wyoming. Make plans to visit Centennial, Daniel, South Pass City, and Pinedale to see some of the most charming spots around for yourself.
What one-of-a-kind destinations can I visit in Wyoming?
Wyoming is home to some of the most unique landscapes on Earth. The otherworldly Devils Tower is so bizarre that many think of it as an alien landscape. Yellowstone National Park sits on top of an enormous caldera, and the park is home to the world’s largest concentration of thermal features. The staggering mountains in Grand Teton National Park are among the most recognized silhouettes in the world. There is plenty of Native American history here, too – you can visit Castle Garden Petroglyphs near Rock Springs, or hike to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel to see for yourself.
I am a freelance writer who also has been a small business owner and worked in the fields of insurance, accounting, and education. I enjoy spending time with family, reading, writing, photography, music, running, sports, and of course traveling!
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