Anyone driven the Beartooth Highway?

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And was it worth it? We're spending 4 days in Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP from Sept. 26-29th and I'm wondering if it would be worth making the drive on the Beartooth Highway which is northeast of Yellowstone. Charles Kuralt once declared it "America's most beautiful road" but I'm a little doubtful if it could compete with Highway 1 in California.

[yellowdogintexas]

1. it is an amazing stretch of road and you can loop down into Cody WY from there

if you like

However, Yellowstone and Grand Teton are large and may take the whole 4 days.

I have driven it twice, both times driving a Subaru Outback w/auto stick shift and all wheel drive which made all the incline maneuvering much easier.

Enjoy Yellowstone it is an amazing place! WARNING: it will be quite cool at that time and you could encounter some snow. However, the wildlife are coming down from the higher elevations at that time of year; you should see lots of elk and bison.

Yellowstone has two parts really: the geyser part and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone part. Drive it all, it is just magnificent.

Your pass to YS gets you into GT also. sweet.

Where are you staying?

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2. Thanks for all the good tips. We haven't finalized all of our plans yet...

We are flying into Jackson and staying at the Inn at Jackson Hole in Teton Village the first night. Then for the next 3 nights we don't have a reservation yet anywhere. I was thinking of someplace in West Yellowstone, MT. Then the final night we are staying at the Flat Creek Inn which is close to the airport, because we have an 8 am. flight the next morning. I have to decide what sights we want to see and then figure out where we will stay for the 3 nights not yet booked. My Mom is in a wheelchair most of the time so we usually try to find motels that have wheelchair-accessible rooms. The cold and snow don't bother me, I actually like cold weather. My Mom is 89 years old and has the golden access disabled pass, she gets into any National Park or federal recreation area for free, as well as anyone else in the same car. She cannot walk very far, so we must stick to sights that can be driven to and have paved trails or boardwalks. I know that Yellowstone is too big to see it all in one visit, so I am right now trying to make a list of what things we are going to see. Thanks for your help.

[yellowdogintexas]

19. I had not thought about the pass. The pass closings are posted

and the Park Service is up on all that but we went through it that same week in Sept the year we went.

RENT the Subaru. Get the Forrester or the Outback. That auto stick and all wheel drive is almost essential up there. The terrain even in the park will make you glad you did.

West Yellowstone is excellent, straight shot into the Old Faithful area of the park, we stayed there part of our last trip (we camped part of that trip too and it was COLD COLD COLD at night) But West has lots of places to stay and eat and shop. Great breakfast place right on the main drag.

The parks are great for the handicapped. Much what you see is drive by and of course the ramps etc are wheelchair accessible. There are places you couldn't take the wheelchair but most everything is doable. Just driving around that place is awesome. Lots of boardwalks.

The housing inside the park is fabulous. The Old Faithful inn is beautiful and so is the Inn at Mammoth Hot Springs, which has the best food in the park. Do eat there, it is up at the north end of the park, near park headquarters. It is worthy of a 'special dinner', that type of food, and just a lovely lovely old building.

I would try to stay at either Old Faithful Inn or the Inn at Mammoth Hot Springs if you want to stay in the part and are not traveling on a budget; if you reserve now you have a good shot at getting a reservation. Some of the cabin areas close after Labor Day but I think the inn at Lake Yellowstone is also open through Sept. The parks website will link you to everything though.

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20. Thank you very much for all your help!

[fishwax]

3. I'm afraid the pass will be closed that late in the season

Yes, it is a beautiful drive, and very much worth it if you've got the time. Based on the time frame and schedule that you've outlined in the other post, though, I'm not sure it's the best use of your time, since the highway is out the northeast gate, which is a ways from the most interesting things in the park. It's an hour and a half round trip just from Tower Junction to Cooke City, just outside the park, and that's before you even get onto the highway, and while that drive, too, is beautiful, there aren't all the extra attractions that you'll find driving along the Grand Loop. But it is a beautiful drive--it's an entirely different world than Highway One, of course--each is gorgeous in their way :D

At any rate, it's probably a moot point because that entrance is usually closed not long after Labor Day. :(

I hope you enjoy the trip! I'm jealous, as Yellowstone is definitely one of my favorite places in the world. :hi:

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6. Thank you - I'm going to cross that off the list for this trip. Not enough time for it.

[grasswire]

4. Honestly, the Going To The Sun Highway is more beautiful...

...I think, but that's in Glacier and Waterton parks. Another trip, perhaps. Every American ought to see both Glacier and Yellowstone,

I have driven the Beartooth. It's very cool. Only when we got to the the bottom in our 20-foot camper did we realize that one of our tires was at risk of falling off. Check your rig before you head out.

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8. Originally I was going to include Glacier on this trip,

but it was too long of a drive because my Mom is 89 and it might be too much for her to do it all in one trip. We might do Glacier next year, and fly into Kalispell to save driving a long way. Thanks for your suggestion.

[grasswire]

11. one great way to see Glacier is to take Amtrak...

...and get off at East Glacier, or Essex, or Whitefish. Car rentals are available. There are comfortable, reasonable and spectacular lodges throughout the park. Glacier, you may know, is adjacent to Waterton Provincial Park. An open touring car excursion of the Going To The Sun Road is available, and is a memory of a lifetime.

It's awfully close to heaven; so beautiful.

Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton:



Touring car:



one view along the road:




There are many photos available through google images, and also on you tube.

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12. Thanks, those are beautiful.

And that's a great idea. They have been showing commercials here in San Diego for the Trans-Canada railroad or whatever it is called. And the commercials are beautiful too. I would also love to visit Waterton Lakes park someday, and if I was 20 years younger and a lot more foolish, even do the hike to Crypt Lake.

[grasswire]

13. well, the Canadian RR will take you to Banff...

..and that's another spectacular place with nearby Lake Louise, a jewel.

The train to Glacier is Amtrak's Empire Builder, which runs from Portland to Chicago and points in between.

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16. Yes I want to go to all those parks in Canada. Maybe that will be next year.

I can't wait to see Peyto Lake in person, after being dazzled by photos of it for years.

[grasswire]

5. may I ask why you don't want to stay in Old Faithful Inn...

...or one of the cabins in the park? I haven't stayed there for about fifteen years, but it was extremely reasonable then, and a beautiful experience.

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7. I don't know anything about it yet, but I'll look into it.

One consideration is we try to find places with wheelchair-accessible rooms, even though we don't have to have that, it does make it easier for my Mom to get in and out and move around. Thanks for your suggestion.

[grasswire]

14. web site showing handicapped access throughout Yellowstone

http://www.yellowstonepark.com/PlanYourTrip/HandicappedAccess.aspx

Old Faithful Inn has eight guest rooms with handicapped facilities.

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15. Thanks - I just checked and they were booked for those dates.

but I appreciate the suggestion! I'm sure we'll have a fine time. It never matters to me where we stay, as long as it's relatively quiet.

[pokerfan]

9. Yes

but these are superior in my opinion:

1. Icefields Parkway (Canada)
2. Glacier Going to the Sun Highway
3. North Cascades Highway 20
4. Oregon Coast Highway 101

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10. Thanks

[Radio_Lady]

17. I'll chime in for Number 3 -- Oregon Coast Highway 101.

It is truly beautiful and very different at almost every turn. We did that trip and then went on to Crater Lake N.P., which is so unbelievably gorgeous that it still takes my breath away. Not many people get there... but well worth it.

This thread is giving me the wanderlust. I've wanted to ride the Trans-Canada trip, but unfortunately, I get motion sick on trains, boats and the back seats of cars. The condition has haunted me since childhood and there is no real remedy. I've tried them all.

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18. I lived in Portland for 2 years and traveled some of the Oregon coast,

mainly in the northern part of Oregon, but sadly in the whole 2 years I lived in Oregon I never made it to Crater Lake. I'll have to get there sometime. The coast is beautiful though. I believe when riding as a passenger in a car, one thing that seems to help avoid motion sickness is to watch the center line on the road. That way your brain is tuned in to the changes of direction. Of course if you keep watching the road you miss the scenery...