Glacier National Park
West Glacier, MT · Rocky Mountains$
Glacier National Park in Montana had more than 100 glaciers when it was established in 1910. In 2015, 26 named ones were still big enough to count. Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses…
Photo: WizardFusion / Public domain
Mountains
Beartooth Highway
About
US 212 climbs out of Red Lodge in a series of switchbacks and tops out near 11,000 feet on the Beartooth Plateau, where the trees give up and the world turns to tundra, granite, and dozens of cold alpine lakes. Charles Kuralt called it the most beautiful drive in America, and the views off the East Summit pullouts make the case fast. It only runs from roughly mid-May to mid-October, so check the gate before you point the car toward Cooke City and Yellowstone's northeast corner.
Highlights
Switchbacks from Red Lodge up to the 10,947-foot Beartooth PassAlpine tundra and dozens of glacial lakes on the high plateauSeasonal road, open roughly mid-May to mid-OctoberNortheast back door to Yellowstone via Cooke City
