Beartooth Pass Hwy

[Padlin]

Looking into touring the pass next summer on our 1st trip out west from Ma. Thinking of staying a couple nights in Cody on the way to Yellowstone, and doing the Beartooth - Chief Joesph loop. My question is how long is the drive in reality, taking ones time. I see there are a few small campgrounds on the loop and I could take the tent along for a night if it's feasible. According to Google Map, it takes 3 hrs and 39 min to do the 178 miles, which I have a hard time believing.

Has anyone stayed at one of the forest service campgrounds on the loop? I see they are 1st come 1st served.

Another option would be to do the pass while staying in the park? I'm thinking of Canyon Campground. Google map tells me it's 2 hrs 30 min from Canyon Campground to Red Ledge at 115 miles, so 5 hours round trip. Of course I could spend the night in Red Ledge and head back the next day giving me time for a few short hikes.

What do you think, any recommendations from those who have traveled the area?

[paulj]

5 page thread from last April

[WyoTraveler]

Padlin wrote:

WyoTraveler wrote:
Are you going over dead indian pass through Crandal, Yellowstone and out over Bear tooth to Red Lodge or just to Yellowstone east gate then make the loop? Dead indian is 296 off hwy 120 out of Cody. There are some forest camp grounds on dead indian and on way to Crandal. Nice and scenic. Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947.

This is the loop I had in mind, "dead indian pass through Crandal, Yellowstone and out over Bear tooth to Red Lodge" but the other way around, heading from Red Lodge to Dead Indian Rd. Why does one road have 3 names? Dead Indian Pass, Chief Joseph, and Co Hwy 7? Add 2 more names, Sunlight Basin Rd, and Crandall Rd...

You lost me on the last sentence, don't know what you mean by "Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947"

The Dead Indian highway is 296 off 120. If you ask someone in Wyoming how to get to Crandall or Sunlight basin they will tell you: "take the road, ahh, some dead indian, I can't remember his name." I suspect due to that it just got called Dead Indian. It is on some maps as Dead Indian Pass. 8048 ft elevation. (Bear Tooth pass is 10947 ft). After you go over the pass you come down into a valley and campground on right. Trail head on left. Nice small campground. Then there is some more mountain before you come to a sharp right curve in the road before it goes over a bridge. A rest area on right before you go over the bridge and campground on left. The camp ground has a very steep entrance. I wouldn't camp down there with an RV. Too steep. It is right on the river. About 500 ft prior to the bridge on the sharp curve a gravel road goes straight. It goes out to sunlight basin. The road ends just prior to Yellowstone boundry line. There is a trail head with corrals but not labeled as a campground. There are fire pits and toilets there and lots of camping area. That gravel road is called the Sunlight basin road. After the bridge the road goes through Crandall. (Called Crandall road)_
A small store only. Then over the line into Gardner, MT. Great ice cream store there. Then Yellowstone entrance.

[waynefi]

Padlin wrote:


You lost me on the last sentence, don't know what you mean by "Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947"

I think that those are the altitudes of Dead Indian Pass and Beartooth Pass. Dead Indian Pass is the high point of the Chief Joseph Highway.

[Padlin]

WyoTraveler wrote:
Are you going over dead indian pass through Crandal, Yellowstone and out over Bear tooth to Red Lodge or just to Yellowstone east gate then make the loop? Dead indian is 296 off hwy 120 out of Cody. There are some forest camp grounds on dead indian and on way to Crandal. Nice and scenic. Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947.

This is the loop I had in mind, "dead indian pass through Crandal, Yellowstone and out over Bear tooth to Red Lodge" but the other way around, heading from Red Lodge to Dead Indian Rd. Why does one road have 3 names? Dead Indian Pass, Chief Joseph, and Co Hwy 7? Add 2 more names, Sunlight Basin Rd, and Crandall Rd...

You lost me on the last sentence, don't know what you mean by "Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947"

[TexasShadow]

those campgrounds on the chief joseph highway are small (not many sites) but I've never seen more than one or two campers in any of them, so if you like camping out in the wilderness, by all means, take your tent and enjoy. but do be alert to any bear activity...ask at the forest rangers office in Cody. there are some campgrounds that look nice over at the bottom of Beartooth, near Red Lodge just before you start up the side of that mountain.

one year, we stayed out of Cody at Rex Hale campground, about 30 miles out of Cody, and used the jeep and drove into yellowstone, then up and northeast out the gate at Cooke City then came down the Chief Joseph highway to Cody and back to the campground. There is elec. water and a dump station at Rex Hale.

[WyoTraveler]

If you really want to get off the beaten path where WY residents camp. Before you cross the Crandal bridge at the curve in dead indian you go straight on gravel. Some great camp grounds in sunlight basin. Some great trail heads out that way. There is a camp ground by the Crandal bridge but very steep getting in and out. I wouldn't take my MH In there.

Our ranch is just the other side of Heart mtn from dead indian.

[paulj]

Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways in a day! I did it.

[littlemo]

Definitely take Chief Joseph to Beartooth. Both are beautiful drives. Yes take your time and plan to stay in Red Lodge. You can do the round trip in one day but it's not getting to look much and you will be exhausted. Have fun. You will love it and will want to come back again and again!
On edit....sorry we've not stayed in any of the campgrounds en route but will next time we go, cause we'll be in our MH.

[WyoTraveler]

Are you going over dead indian pass through Crandal, Yellowstone and out over Bear tooth to Red Lodge or just to Yellowstone east gate then make the loop? Dead indian is 296 off hwy 120 out of Cody. There are some forest camp grounds on dead indian and on way to Crandal. Nice and scenic. Dead indian is 8048 and Bear tooth is 10947.

[paulj]

Earlier this summer there was a long thread about this highway. The OP was particularly interested in which direction to take the loop. It shouldn't be hard to find in a search of this board.