Posted in Wyoming
August 09, 2016
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. With all the beautiful scenery, Wyoming is one of the best states to do just this. In fact, traveling CBS journalist, Charles Kuralt, called this drive in Wyoming “the most beautiful drive in America.” Buckle your seatbelt and get ready for the ride of a lifetime.
Beartooth Scenic Highway is a 68-mile 2 lane stretch of Highway 212 that has been designated as a National Scenic Byway All-American Road in Wyoming. It's 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 access to Beartooth Highway are Cooke City, Montana, Red Lodge, Montana and Cody, Wyoming.
This route is the highest elevation paved highway in the Northern Rocky Mountains and reaches its peak at Beartooth Pass. Beartooth Highway provides breathtaking views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains.
The highway is a series of steep switchbacks, sheer drops and hairpin turns along the Wyoming/Montana border to Beartooth Pass. At the top of the pass, the highway levels off into a broad plateau. Because of the high altitude at Beartooth Pass and heavy snowfall during the winter months, the pass is usually only open from May to October.
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.
For other scenic drives, check out These 12 Beautiful Byways In Wyoming Are Perfect For A Scenic Drive.
