The Beartooth Highway: Your Complete Guide to Timing America's Most Beautiful Drive
**TLDR:** The Beartooth Highway typically opens the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and closes in mid-October, though dates vary significantly based on snowpack and weather conditions. This guide explains why the highway is so unpredictable, how to check real-time road status, and when to plan your visit for the best odds of clear conditions. Historical opening and closing patterns from 2015-2025 provide data-driven insights for trip planning.
Let's get one thing straight: the Beartooth Highway is not always open when you want it to be.
You've seen the photos. You've read Charles Kuralt's quote calling it "the most beautiful drive in America." You've circled dates on your calendar and booked your room at The Yodeler. And then you check the road conditions three days before your trip and discover that six feet of snow still blocks the summit, or an early October blizzard just closed it for the season, or the Wyoming side is open but Montana isn't, or vice versa.
Welcome to high-altitude mountain highway reality, where Mother Nature makes the rules and your carefully planned itinerary is more of a suggestion.
But here's the good news: with the right information and realistic expectations, you can dramatically improve your odds of experiencing this bucket-list drive. This is your complete guide to understanding when the Beartooth Highway opens and closes, why it's so unpredictable, and how to plan a trip that doesn't end in disappointment.
Because the Beartooth Highway is absolutely worth the effort. You just need to know what you're getting into.
What Is the Beartooth Highway?
The Beartooth Highway (US Route 212) is a 68.7-mile All-American Road connecting Red Lodge, Montana, to Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, crossing Beartooth Pass at 10,947 feet elevation. The drive typically takes about two hours in fair weather and is considered one of the most scenic mountain highways in America, featuring alpine tundra, glacial lakes, and dramatic switchbacks.
When Does the Beartooth Highway Open?
The Beartooth Highway typically opens on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, though this varies significantly by year. Over the past decade (2015-2025), opening dates have ranged from May 22 to June 1, with heavy snow years like 2018 and 2024 delaying openings until early June. The highway opened May 23, 2025, following the typical Memorial Day weekend pattern.
When Does the Beartooth Highway Close?
The Beartooth Highway typically closes between October 5 and October 15, depending on autumn weather conditions. The 2025 closure is targeted for around October 15. Historical patterns show the highway has closed as early as October 5 (2015, 2018) and as late as October 15 (2024), with most years settling around the second week of October.
Why Is the Beartooth Highway Seasonal?
At 10,947 feet, Beartooth Pass sits well above treeline in an environment where snow can fall any month of the year. Snow drifts routinely reach 20 to 26 feet deep, requiring months of plowing. High winds, whiteouts, and rapid weather changes make the road dangerous outside the summer season. The extreme elevation and exposure make year-round access impossible.
Historical Opening and Closing Patterns: What the Data Shows
Let's look at the actual numbers, because "typically opens Memorial Day weekend" doesn't tell the whole story.
Opening Dates (2015-2025):
2025: May 23 (Friday before Memorial Day)
2024: June 1 (delayed by late-May snow)
2023: May 26 at 8 a.m.
2022: May 27 at 8 a.m. (then closed again that evening due to weather, reopened June 9)
2021: May 28
2020: May 22 to Vista Point (Wyoming side remained closed longer)
2019: Around May 24 (Memorial Day weekend)
2018: Early June (delayed by heavy snow)
2017: May 26
2016: May 27 at 8 a.m.
2015: May 22
Closing Dates (2015-2025):
2025: Targeted for October 15 (as of October 11, seasonal closure in effect)
2024: October 15 (last driving day October 14)
2023: October 10 (last driving day October 9)
2022: October 11
2021: October 7 (early closure due to storms)
2020: Early October
2019: October 8
2018: October 5 (early snow)
2017: Mid-October (after multiple temporary closures)
2016: Mid-October
2015: October 5
The Pattern: The highway generally opens between May 22 and June 1 and closes between October 5 and October 15. But "generally" is doing a lot of work in those sentences.
Why Is the Beartooth Highway So Unpredictable?
Elevation and Exposure
The 10,947-foot summit places long stretches of highway above treeline. There are no trees to block wind or moderate temperature. High winds, whiteouts, and drifting snow make conditions dangerous well into June and again by early fall. What might be a sunny 70-degree day in Red Lodge can be a whiteout blizzard at the pass.
Snowpack Depth and Spring Storms
Snow drifts can reach 20 to 26 feet deep. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and National Park Service typically start plowing in April or May, but fresh spring storms can bury weeks of progress overnight. In late May 2024, NPS reported six feet of dense snow still remaining on the roadway near the summit, delaying the full opening until June 1.
Split Maintenance Responsibilities
This is where it gets bureaucratically complicated. MDT maintains the Montana approaches. The National Park Service maintains the high-elevation Wyoming segment. WYDOT reports the status but doesn't actually maintain that middle section.
This split often causes partial openings where one side is clear before the other. You might see Montana open to Vista Point while the Wyoming side remains closed, or vice versa. This isn't anyone's fault. It's just the reality of managing a road that crosses multiple jurisdictions at extreme elevation.
Emergency Repairs and Projects
The 2022 Yellowstone floods damaged portions of the pass, leading to staggered openings and night closures that summer. A 420-foot bridge replacement project on the Wyoming side has occasionally created night restrictions, though it hasn't changed the core season. Roads at this elevation take a beating, and repairs sometimes delay or complicate access.
Autumn Storms
Sustained cold systems in early October typically dictate the end of the driving season. Agencies sometimes pre-announce a target closure date (like October 15 in 2025) but will close earlier if blizzards arrive. The 2021 closure on October 7 happened because storms made conditions unsafe. There's no negotiating with a mountain blizzard.
How Do I Check Current Beartooth Highway Conditions?
Always verify conditions before departing. Bookmark these three resources and check them the morning of your drive:
Montana 511 (MDT Alerts)
For the Red Lodge to state line section, including Vista Point. Montana's DOT provides real-time alerts for their portion of US-212.
Wyoming Travel Information (WYDOT)
For the Wyoming and NPS-maintained segment between WY-296 and Beartooth Pass. WYDOT reports status even though NPS maintains this section.
Yellowstone National Park "Park Roads" Page
For NPS announcements of openings, partial closures, or "last day to drive" notices. The Park Service manages the high-elevation Wyoming segment and issues the most detailed status updates.
As of October 11, 2025, WYDOT lists "Road Closed Due to Seasonal Closure" between WY-296 and Beartooth Pass, with final closure expected by mid-October.
What Are Climate Trends Doing to the Beartooth Highway Season?
Here's where it gets interesting. You might think climate change would extend the season, but the reality is more complicated.
Regional climate assessments show a long-term decline in Northern Rockies spring snowpack of roughly 18% since the mid-20th century, coupled with warmer spring temperatures and earlier runoff. For the Beartooth Pass, this hasn't necessarily meant earlier openings. Instead, it's created greater volatility.
Some years open earlier due to low snow. Other years experience late spring storms that dump massive amounts of heavy, wet snow that's harder to clear than cold, dry powder. The range of variability is widening, not narrowing. Heavy-snow years like 2018 and 2024 delayed openings by up to a week past Memorial Day, while lighter years opened right on schedule.
Translation: The May through October window is becoming less reliable, not more. Treat any projected opening or closing date as approximate, not guaranteed.
When Is the Best Time to Drive the Beartooth Highway?
Early to Mid-September: The Sweet Spot
This is generally the most stable weather window. Post-monsoon, pre-blizzard. The road is well-established, maintenance crews are still active, and you're ahead of the early autumn storms. Temperatures are cooler than July and August, which makes alpine hiking more comfortable, and you avoid peak summer crowds.
Late June Through August: Peak Season
The highway is definitely open, weather is warmest, and all services are fully operational. You'll also share the road with everyone else who circled "summer vacation" on their calendar. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August. Bring layers. Weather at 11,000 feet changes fast.
Memorial Day Weekend: The Gamble
If the highway opens on schedule, you can have a spectacular early-season drive with snowbanks still towering over the road and far fewer tourists. If late spring storms delay the opening, you're staring at a closed gate and rearranging your entire itinerary. Check conditions daily leading up to your trip and have a backup plan.
Late September Through Early October: The Wildcard
Beautiful fall colors, even fewer people, and the constant awareness that the highway could close with 24 hours' notice. Some years you can drive through October 14. Other years storms close it October 5. If you're flexible and watching forecasts, this can be magical. If you've built an inflexible itinerary around a specific closing date, you're asking for disappointment.
What's the Backup Plan If the Beartooth Highway Is Closed?
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296)
The most common alternate route when Beartooth is closed. Chief Joseph connects the Red Lodge area to Cody and the Yellowstone northeast entrance without crossing the high pass. It's scenic in its own right and generally opens earlier and stays open longer than Beartooth. Still subject to storms, but at lower elevation.
Adjust Your Expectations
If you're planning a Red Lodge trip and the Beartooth is closed, you're not without options. Rock Creek, the Stillwater River, Rosebud Creeks, and the rest of the fisheries and trails around Red Lodge remain accessible year-round (within their own seasonal parameters). The Beartooth is the crown jewel, but Red Lodge isn't a one-trick pony.
How Does the Beartooth Highway Compare to Other High-Elevation Roads?
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park (6,646 feet)
Typically opens by early July, often later than Beartooth, and closes mid-October. Lower elevation than Beartooth but similar seasonal window.
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park (12,183 feet)
Opens late May or early June, closes around October 23. Higher than Beartooth with a similar season, though slightly longer fall access.
Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park (9,943 feet)
Opens late May to early June, closes November. Longer fall accessibility due to California's drier autumn climate.
The Beartooth's combination of extreme elevation, northern latitude, and exposure to Pacific and Arctic weather systems makes it one of the more temperamental high-elevation roads in the American West.
Practical Tips for Planning Your Beartooth Highway Trip
1. Build Flexibility Into Your Itinerary
Don't plan a trip where the Beartooth is the only reason you're coming to Red Lodge. Plan it as the highlight, but not the sole attraction. If it's closed or weather turns bad, you'll still have trails to hike, rivers to fish, and a town to explore.
2. Check Conditions Daily Leading Up to Your Trip
Not weekly. Daily. Especially if you're traveling in late May, early June, late September, or early October. Bookmark Montana 511, WYDOT, and the Yellowstone Park Roads page. Check them every morning.
3. Watch for "Last Day to Drive" Announcements
Agencies increasingly pre-announce the final driving day before seasonal closure. If you see a "last day to drive October 9" notice, don't plan your trip for October 10 hoping they're wrong. They're not.
4. Bring Layers and Emergency Supplies
Weather at 11,000 feet is unpredictable even in summer. Bring warm layers, rain gear, water, snacks, and a full tank of gas. Cell service is spotty to nonexistent on much of the highway.
5. Start Early
Morning weather is generally more stable than afternoon. Thunderstorms tend to build by midday in summer. Leave Red Lodge early, drive the pass, and be back down before afternoon storms roll in.
6. Don't Push Your Luck in Shoulder Seasons
If you're traveling Memorial Day weekend or late September and forecasts show storms, consider postponing or choosing an alternate activity. The highway will still be there next year. Your safety is worth more than a photo.
What's Open Right Now? (October 2025 Status)
As of October 11, 2025, the Beartooth Highway is under seasonal closure between WY-296 and Beartooth Pass. The full closure is targeted for around October 15, 2025, which aligns with historical patterns. The highway will remain closed until late May 2026, likely reopening the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 22, 2026) depending on snow conditions.
If you're planning a 2026 trip, start checking conditions in mid-May and expect variability based on snowpack and spring storms.
Final Thoughts: The Beartooth Is Worth the Effort
Yes, the Beartooth Highway is unpredictable. Yes, planning around it requires flexibility and realistic expectations. Yes, you might build an entire trip around it and discover it's closed when you arrive.
But when conditions align and you're driving through alpine tundra at 11,000 feet with glacial lakes reflecting mountain peaks and endless sky stretching in every direction, you'll understand why people plan their entire vacations around this road.
The Beartooth isn't just a scenic drive. It's a high-alpine experience that reminds you how small you are and how big the world is. It's the kind of place that makes you stop talking and just look.
From Red Lodge, it's literally at your doorstep. We're the starting point, the basecamp, the place you return to after hours on the pass. And when you walk into The Yodeler after a full day on the Beartooth, exhausted and exhilarated and already planning to do it again tomorrow if weather holds, you'll know exactly why people keep coming back.
The mountain will be there. The snow will melt. The road will open. And when it does, you'll be ready.
Planning your Beartooth Highway adventure? Book your room at The Yodeler and make Red Lodge your basecamp for America's most beautiful drive. We'll help you time it right and give you backup plans when Mother Nature has other ideas.