Beartooth Pass

[OB-1]

One of the best bike roads around this part of the country is US-212 from Red Lodge, MT over Beartooth Pass to Cooke City, MT. On a scale of 1 to 10, Beartooth Pass is a 9! Cooke City is only 3 miles from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

 

Another great ride is from Cooke City, MT to Cody, WY via US-212 and WY-296 to WY-120. WY-296 is known as the Chief Joseph Highway. This is another gorgeous drive. On a scale of 1 to 10, Chief Joseph Highway is a 7-8!

[Tom]

I have been on those roads...VERY Nice! Tom

[Macdogg]

Been on both roads but only in a vehicle, I think the wife and I will do one or both next summer

[Bummer]

OB-1,

 

Spectacular choice. 212 from Red Lodge to Cook City is pretty much my favorite mountain ride.

 

The first time my wife and I rode it she hadn't been in the mountains yet. Quite an introduction. She was sitting on the back checking out the scenery and not paying attention ahead. She looked forward just as I was pushing on the handlebar to begin the switchbacks up the hill. About the only thing in front of us was mountain wall. She gasped loud enough to mute the stereo.

 

There are a few Beartooth pics from '91 in my Gallery. Just a few shots of the tundra at the top.

[Mike W]

I too love the beartooth highway, your post made me think of it with very pleasant memories. I'm not sure my wife is up to riding a bike up the switch backs, but boy I'd love to get there before it snows and it closes for the winter. Thanks for bringing back some very good memories!

[drifter]

We do the Beartooth every year for the last 26 years. If you have never done it, a great way to do it is to rent a vacation home in Red Lodge, MT. Minimum two day rentals. WWW.redlodgereservations.com. Click on vacation rentals. You can rent an exotic home on the side of the mountains or basic cabins. It sounds expensive but if you have three or four couples in your group or six riders it is less expensive than motels. We generally make five day trips during the week.

Day one: Try to rent from Saturday through Friday. Move into the home. Orientate yourself with the Red Lodge Area. Go to the Pig Races on Saturday or Sunday. Bears Den Montana. You are five minutes from the most beautiful mountains in the USA.

Day two: Drive to Cooke city and the North End of Yellowstone Park. You see Roosevelt and Mammouth Hot Springs. You can drive out through the North entrance and back to Columbus then to Red Lodge via the back roads.

Day Three: Go to the Big Horn Mountains

Day four: Take a day off and golf at Red Lodge, eat dinner at Roscoe Mt.

Day Five: Go to Cody Wy then to the Lake and Old Faithful. Long day but doable.

Day Six; Go to Custer National Battlefield. Visit Billings on the way back.

Day seven Sleep in prepare for the ride home.

 

If you do not want to rent vacation homes then you can get hotels in Red Lodge at the same website. Cooke City has unique cabins. In the park you can rent delux cabins very reasonably. You need reservations very early but you can call each day because there are cancellations every day. If you decide to stay in the park I would recommend one night at Mammouth Springs, one night at Old Faithful, One night at Jackson. Make sure you take the Idaho side going to Jackson Hole then return through the South entrance. Spend one night at the Lake. Then spend one night at Cody. The museum is a must. Most of this trip is above 7000 feet. Most of it is above 9000 feet.

 

Drifter

[James Ardrey]

I love all these roads. My wife hates Beartooth because it is the coldest place in the country in the summer time. It's one of my favorite places. The highway to the sun in Glacier Natl. park is also one of my favorite mc roads.

[Guest muskrat]

Man, whetting my appetite. We will be out that way the first week in July - my wife (a Winger) is draggin me to the Wing Ding in Billings. We are going to take a couple days and do some rides - one I had planned was 212 heading down to Yellowstone.

 

Thanks for the recommendations and the descriptions. Makes me want vacation time to get here even more!

[pakidaho]

Wife and I were checking out maps. Found the Beartooth and remarked that it looked like a good prospect for a fine ride. Two weeks later we rode from home here in Salmon, Idaho over through Jelly stone park where there were more bikes than Bison, but not many more.

Have to say we enjoyed each and every breath while riding both Chief Joseph and Bear Tooth.

Funny when we talk with anyone who has made this ride there is an instant connection as if each person has had an unspoken spiritual experience. Guess the only problem is it was over en done before we were ready for it to be over. Guess that means we will be back next season.

Hope to see you there.

[friesman]

Been on both roads but only in a vehicle, I think the wife and I will do one or both next summer

 

You should try and make it during VentureWestV if Cody WY is picked as the location.

 

Brian

[utadventure]

I did Beartooth last summer and rode it both directions going to and back from Billings. It's a great ride and beautiful views. I haven't done Chief Joseph yet. Next years Venture West looks likely to be held in Cody. I plan on hitting both rides then.

 

We should know the VWV location after this weekend and then the dates will get chosen. If you haven't voted yet, now's the time! Either way, plan this rally into your schedule next summer.

 

Dave

[Bummer]

Oh man. The Beartooth. We've been up Pike's Peak, Mount Evans, and Trail Ridge Road. More than once. The Beartooth is still my all time favorite. Chief Joseph is nice, Dead Indian pass is pretty cool. Look from just the right direction and the rock really is a dead indian. But The Beartooth. Wow.

 

The last time we went was on the way to the VentureRider International at Ft.Collins. From Indiana it's pretty much on the way. The Beartooth was closed almost all of '05 because of slides caused by the meltoff at the top. Took the road out in thirteen places. Irene started giggling about a quarter of the way up. By the top it was clearly impending hysteria, not just a happy chuckle. She kept looking at the patched places and thinking about it happening again. We stopped just past the overlook for her to regain her composure. After a while we went on and stopped twice more at the top to take pictures.

 

These are some of my favorite shots from that ride.

[Sailor]

Just got back from a trip from Saltspring B.C. to Thane Wyoming to visit friends. The wife isn't up to that long a bike trip and we had another couple with us so we did it by truck. Crossed at Sumas and down rte 9 to Sedro-Wolley then rte 20 through the North Cascades. Beautiful scenery and great bike roads. 3 finger Jakes in Winthrup has the best Jack Daniels hot wings and hamburgers ever. Hit I 90 to Montana then through the North East entrance to Yellowstone. The East route is definitely the way to go through the park. Had a good visit with our friends at Thane (just south of Jackson) then back up the west side of Yellowstone. Back on the I 90 to Spokane then cut down on rte 2 through the South Cascades. Totaly different scenery but still great. The 9 Mile pub at Huson has great food and is biker friendly. Stopped at the Bavarian town of Levanworth then over to LA Connor. Both worth a visit. Got another month to go before putting the bike away for the winter. Still time for some rides.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Hey pakidaho...

 

Found ya. I see you have already been here for awhile...I posted on the starrider group....about your new trailer purchase.

 

I didnt know you were on this site....oh well....have fun!

 

 

 

[pakidaho]

Did you catch our reply back to you on the other site? we are pretty excited to get the trailer and use it.

I imagine in Texas your ride time is pretty much year around. Here in good ol Idaho things are much different.

who knows though we may get a chance to take it on one short trip this season.

Nice to see you here.

Take care, Teri n Erv

[Condor]

Unless a something unexplained happens it looks like we'll be holding Venture West #5 in Cody Wy. Next year. The Beartooth Highway is one of the rides we'd like to do for a group ride. If anyone is interested in attending next years shindig the polls are still open til tomorrow morning at

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27730

It should be a kick-ass-time.

[Guest BigJohnD]

Been there done that on both those roads...and you are very right. Nice scooting indeed.