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29-649: The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road in the western United States on a section of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge and the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park . It crests at Beartooth Pass in Wyoming at 10,947 feet (3,337 m) above sea level , and was called "the most beautiful drive in America," by late CBS News correspondent Charles Kuralt . Because of heavy snowfall at

58-432: A National Scenic Byway a road must have one of six intrinsic qualities. To be designated an All-American Road, a road must have at least two of the six qualities. A corridor management plan must also be developed, with community involvement, and the plan "should provide for the conservation and enhancement of the byway's intrinsic qualities as well as the promotion of tourism and economic development". The plan includes, but

87-614: Is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Some scenic byways are designated All-American Roads , which must meet two out of the six intrinsic qualities. The designation means they have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves. As of January 21, 2021, there are 184 National Scenic Byways located in 48 states (all except Hawaii and Texas ). The NSBP

116-475: Is from 5,200 ft (1,580 m) to 10,947 ft (3,337 m) in twelve miles (19 km) in the most daring landscapes. When driving east to west, the highest parts of the Beartooth Highway level off into a wide plateau near the top of the pass, then descend to the junction with Wyoming Highway 296 (Chief Joseph Scenic Byway) near Cooke City, the northeast gateway to Yellowstone National Park . On

145-501: Is not limited to: Corridor management plans for All-American Roads must also include: The final step is when the highway (or highways) is approved for designation by the United States Secretary of Transportation . Beartooth Mountains The Beartooth Mountains sit upon the larger Beartooth Plateau. The remoteness of the region contributed to its obscurity until the 1870s. The Crow tribe of Native Americans used

174-671: The Foothills Parkway or Skyline Drive ) or being its own unit (like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Natchez Trace Parkway ). The Montana Department of Transportation does maintain its portions in Custer and Gallatin national forests at the east and west ends of the highway, respectively. Neither MDT nor NPS perform snow removal except for once in the spring, typically in May, but sometimes not until June if there has been heavy snowfall. Once

203-525: The New World Mining District . Between 1900-1955 the district has produced over 65,000 ozt (2,000 kg) of gold, 500,000 ozt (16,000 kg) of silver, and amounts of copper, zinc, and lead ore. One of the main limiting factors was the remoteness. Over time many of the mines ceased operations due to lack of funds or collapses that were not financially viable to correct. In 1989 Crown Butte Mines proposed massive additions to operations in

232-712: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) provided $ 148 million to states so they could develop state roads to take advantage of the program. On August 10, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which provided $ 175 million to states and Indian tribes. On October 16, 2009, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood designated 37 new roads as National Scenic Byways and five new All-American Roads. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved

261-624: The 69-mile (111 km) trip from Red Lodge to Cooke City, and it is advised to check with the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce or the Beartooth Ranger District beforehand in case of road closures. Montana Traveler Information and Wyoming Travel Information Service both provide online information on Beartooth Highway travel conditions for their respective portions of the highway. The Beartooth Highway passes through portions of Custer , Shoshone , and Gallatin national forests, and near

290-599: The Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness. Despite this, and the U.S. highway number, and also connecting to state highway 296, it is not maintained by the Wyoming Department of Transportation or even the U.S. Forest Service , with WYDOT stating it does not meet standards for Wyoming state highways . It is instead maintained by the National Park Service , despite not being part of the park (like

319-469: The Beartooths for Forest Service and National Park Service officials. Members of the expedition debated whether the mountains ought to be a wilderness area or a national park, but they reached no consensus and never made a formal proposal. Environmental advocates continued to push for the area's preservation in order to defend the northern borders of Yellowstone National Park from development. Finally, in 1975

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348-679: The Beartooths were protected as part of the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness . The ecosystem of the Beartooth Mountains is one of the most unique in the Contiguous United States partly due to being part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem . This space allows a great diversity with 34,375 square miles (89,030 km ) of nearly intact wilderness. With the protection to the terrestrial habitats all of

377-508: The Beartooths with Grasshopper Glacier being one of the more distinctive. The highest peaks of the Beartooth Mountains are clustered in three groups, topped by Granite Peak , Mount Wood 12,649 ft (3,855 m), and Castle Mountain 12,617 ft (3,846 m). The cluster containing Mount Wood is named the Granite Range . The largest of these three contiguous areas above 10,000 ft (3,000 m), which extends into Wyoming,

406-891: The Eastern Beartooth Mountains' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.' Huge expansive plateaus are found at altitudes in excess of 10,000 ft (3,000 m) with over 25 peaks exceeding 12,000 ft (3,700 m). The mountains have over 300 pristine lakes and some waterfalls in excess of 300 ft (100 m). Winters are severe with heavy snow and incessant winds. Approximately 25 small glaciers exist in

435-540: The United States. Older ages (4-3.2 billion years) are found in zircon crystals in meta-sedimentary rocks. The most abundant rocks in the Beartooths ( gneiss , amphibolites and granites, as well as the Stillwater Complex) are 2.9-2.7 billion years old. In respect of their 'record of early crustal genesis and evolution', the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) included the 'Archean Rocks of

464-515: The advice of an old hunter named Shuki Greer, who claimed intimate knowledge of the Beartooth Mountains . When the road was opened in 1936, it essentially followed Sheridan's route over the pass. During the spring of 2005, several large mudslides and rockslides on May 19–20 damaged or destroyed the Montana side of the Beartooth Highway in a dozen places between mile markers 39 and 51. The road

493-401: The area. Once they began preparations for starting new mining operations, they came under public scrutiny based on the proximity to Yellowstone National Park and public fears that waste would find its way into the park. In 1996 the federal government paid Crown Butte Mines $ 65 million to defray costs they had already paid; they had to pay $ 22.5 million to help repair the damage done to

522-463: The bodies of water are classified as Outstanding National Resource Waters, giving them the highest protections under the Clean Water Act . The cleanliness of the bodies of water led them to be used as a benchmark to compare others in the northern Rocky Mountains. Most of the current species are currently protected. The mountains are home to many of North America 's largest animals, including one of

551-431: The designation on January 19, 2021, of 34 new roads as National Scenic Byways, in addition to 15 new All-American Roads. National Scenic Byways go through a nomination procedure. They must already be designated state scenic byways to be nominated (However, roads that meet all criteria for national designation but not state designation may be considered for national designation on a case-by-case basis). For designation as

580-636: The few grizzly bear populations in the contiguous United States. There are rare sightings of lynx and wolverines and a population of cougars and recently reintroduced wolves . There are some of the largest herds of bison and elk in North America. The Beartooth Mountains also have a very diverse range of trees, mostly conifers with stands of aspen and cottonwoods. The conifers mainly consist of Engelmann spruce , subalpine fir , whitebark pine , and lodgepole pine below 9,000 ft (2,700 m). Above 9,000 ft (2,700 m) there are few trees,

609-441: The flora including grasses, wildflowers, and sagebrush . The Beartooth mountains are composed of Precambrian granite and crystalline metamorphic rocks dated at approximately 2.7 to 4 billion years old, making these rocks among the oldest on Earth. The Stillwater igneous complex within the mountains is the location of the largest known deposits of platinum and chromium and the second largest deposits of nickel found in

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638-534: The road opens, Beartooth Basin Ski Area opens near the state line at Beartooth Pass, for a short summer-only season that lasts until July. In August 1872, the pass was crossed by Civil War General Philip Sheridan and 120 men returning from an inspection tour of Yellowstone National Park . Rather than take the long detour down the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River to return to Billings , Sheridan took

667-536: The road. National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often less-traveled roads and promote tourism and economic development. The National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP)

696-407: The surrounding environment. The Beartooth Mountains have been considered for inclusion in the national park system. In 1939, the director of the National Park Service drafted a presidential proclamation outlining the boundaries of a "Beartooth National Monument," but President Franklin D. Roosevelt never signed it. During the summer of 1960, The Wilderness Society organized an expedition into

725-497: The top, the pass is usually open for about five months per year, from mid-May to mid-October, weather conditions permitting. The Beartooth Highway is the section of U.S. Route 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City , Montana. It traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks , along the Montana–Wyoming border ( 45th parallel ) to the 10,947-foot-high (3,337 m) Beartooth Pass in Wyoming. The approximate elevation rise

754-464: The valleys of the mountains for hunting game animals and for winter shelter from the harsh winds of the plains. Though trappers entered the region in the 1830s, formal exploration by the U.S. Government did not occur until 1878. While gold had been discovered earlier in the mountain range, the major expansion of mining began in 1882. Expansion continued adding more infrastructure for the mines. As growth continued there were six companies that had stakes in

783-401: The way one passes numerous lakes typical of the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness which borders the highway along much of its route. The highway officially opened June 14, 1936. At this elevation and latitude, snowstorms can occur even in the middle of the summer, and the pass is also known for strong winds and severe thunderstorms. Drivers should plan on a driving time of at least two hours for

812-463: Was closed for reconstruction, and a $ 20.4 million construction contract issued which stipulated an October 2005 completion date. Construction was completed ahead of schedule; however, the highway did not reopen for a year. An estimated 100,000 cubic yards (76,500 m) of rock was removed from a 0.5-mile-long (0.8 km) section of the highway near the top of the switchbacks, and construction crews drilled down to solid bedrock to create new supports for

841-554: Was established under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, which provided $ 74.3 million in discretionary grants. On May 18, 1995, FHWA specified the intrinsic qualities that would serve as criteria for designating road as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads. In September U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Peña announced the first 14 National Scenic Byways and six All-American Roads. On June 9, 1998,

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