If you love road trips, there are scores of roads to cover in Montana. On your way, you will see wildlife, beautiful mountains, rivers, canyons, forests, lakes & plateaus.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy then this article will cover 10 of the most scenic driving experiences in Montana.
If you’re interested in a physical map to print out as you traverse the state, check out this Montana road map.
The 10 Best Scenic Drives in Montana
The Going-to-the-Sun Road attracts more than 3 million visitors to Glacier National Park each year, while the Beartooth Highway sees well over 1,000 travelers per day on weekends and holidays. Beyond these two popular routes, there are many scenic drives in Montana that make it an ideal way to experience Big Sky Country.
1. The Beartooth Highway Drive, Red Lodge
Opened officially in 1936, the Beartooth Highway is a 68.7mi (110.5km) road from Red Lodge all the way to Cooke City Montana, an entrance to the Yellowstone National Park. It elevates almost 10,000 feet up on the Beartooth Plateau and is one of the highest roads in America.
The most scenic views along the roads you’ll enjoy are a series of mountains called the Beartooth Range. They are a part of the Rocky Mountains covering Southern Montana and Northwest Wyoming. They’re the highest elevations in this region. Blanketed by alpine flora at the foot and glaciers at the top, they make for a spectacular view as you drive up the highway. Take a stop by the roadside and take in the beauty of these elevated heights.
The Beartooth Plateau is probably one of the best places to take a hike through on this trip. The views are spectacular! From Cooke City or Red Lodge, you’ll walk across a trail of high lakes as you move up the high altitudes. You’ll catch the sight of bears and wild mountain goats along the way. Also, you get an even better view of the mountains. If you love to ski, you can traverse the snowy Beartooth Mountains in winter.
Red Lodge town, a former mining town, is also an amazing stopover to try out food and wines on your drive-through. On the other end of the road in Cooke City, you could choose to go all the way to Yellowstone National Park and see even more lakes and giant canyons. This road is open seasonally as it gets closed when covered up by snow.