Community Forums

McGeorge · 06-09-2014, 05:51 AM

We are staying in Cody two night and wanted to take car to drive the Bear Tooth Hwy and go to red lodge. What is the best round trip route and how long will it take? It best to see it east to west or west to east?

KarenS144 · 06-09-2014, 06:32 AM

When we were in Cody last year we did the Beartooth Hwy/Chief Joseph Highway loop. We took 120 north out of Cody to 308 & into Red Lodge. Very cute town!

Beartooth is amazing and you can take as much time as you have to do the pull outs and explore. Rock Creek Vista is a nice stop with restrooms and an overlook. You'll have to stop at the top. Incredible views. It might be chilly up there though. They are still working on the road so you may have a delay but the scenery is gorgeous so it's not too difficult to sit for awhile. Top-of-the-World is a hole in the wall store but worth a stop. We had lunch at Beartooth Lake which has restrooms & picnic tables along with grizzly warnings.

We took 296 back towards 120 which is the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. It's a beautiful drive. Make sure to stop at the peak at the Dead Indian Overlook.

I think it was about a 180 mile round trip and we camped at Buffalo Bill State Park which is a very nice park.

If you've not visited Irma's, you should!

McGeorge · 06-09-2014, 05:33 PM

How many hours should I allow to make the loop and stop for lunch?

What is Irma's?

counched out · 06-09-2014, 06:20 PM

Need some help. I will be staying on the west side of Yellowstone and want to go to Cody then down to Cheyenne. I will driving a 43' coach pulling toad. Google maps gave me two routes. One is rt 287 to 16 to Cody. The other is 287 to 212 to296 to 120 into Cody. Can or should I skip both and go up and around . Which one would be the most difficult with the size coach.

Thanks

McGeorge · 06-09-2014, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenS144

When we were in Cody last year we did the Beartooth Hwy/Chief Joseph Highway loop. We took 120 north out of Cody to 308 & into Red Lodge. Very cute town!

Beartooth is amazing and you can take as much time as you have to do the pull outs and explore. Rock Creek Vista is a nice stop with restrooms and an overlook. You'll have to stop at the top. Incredible views. It might be chilly up there though. They are still working on the road so you may have a delay but the scenery is gorgeous so it's not too difficult to sit for awhile. Top-of-the-World is a hole in the wall store but worth a stop. We had lunch at Beartooth Lake which has restrooms & picnic tables along with grizzly warnings.

We took 296 back towards 120 which is the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. It's a beautiful drive. Make sure to stop at the peak at the Dead Indian Overlook.

I think it was about a 180 mile round trip and we camped at Buffalo Bill State Park which is a very nice park.

If you've not visited Irma's, you should!

Karen
How long to make round trip you mentioned. Driving time with a stop for Linck ?

DGShaffer · 06-09-2014, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McGeorge

How many hours should I allow to make the loop and stop for lunch?

What is Irma's?

That's only a 200 mile loop. We stayed in Meeteetse which is just south of Cody and even with the breakfast stop in Red Lodge it was only a 6 hour day

Beartooth Pass

KarenS144 · 06-10-2014, 06:58 AM

I think 6 hours was about what we spent making the loop. I don't think it matters much which direction you travel. If you go east to west, you'll climb faster and be climbing the switchbacks.

J Birder · 06-10-2014, 07:27 AM

When you are doing the Chief Joseph, be sure to stop at the parking area just south of the bridge over Sunlight Creek. It is worth the time to walk over to the edge and look down into the canyon. You might also want to walk the length of the bridge.

If you have the time, a little known, very beautiful, and rather unique gem in the area is Sunlight Falls. Across from the parking area is Sunlight Road heading west. Is is dirt and gravel, but is usually in very good shape. About two miles in, just at the end of a fence on your right, is a road (really just a two track) labeled either 101B or 101A. I seem to remember 101A, but Google Earth shows 101B. It gets very little traffic, so it stays in good condition. Turn right onto the two track, and if it seems to fork, stay right.

When the road ends, get out and walk to the edge. The falls will be across the canyon. Just head toward the roar. The falls, which are facing you from across the creek, come out of holes in the side wall of the canyon for a stretch of about 100 yards. See the photos below.

It sounds like a hairy drive, but we even did it once in a class B. That year, a few local girls arrived on horseback. They looked at our Illinois plates and asked "How on earth did you find this place?"

Joel