We Were NOT Ready for the Beartooth Highway - Bears, Mud and Big Sky
We had heard about the Beartooth Highway enough times that we thought we knew what we were getting into. What followed was one of the most visually overwhelming drives we have done in the EarthRoamer, a first grizzly sighting that left us genuinely shaken, a campsite that the mud simply refused to give us, and trails in Big Sky we are still thinking about.
Red Lodge was our entry point, and it set the tone immediately. The best comparison we could come up with was Leadville (that same pure western mountain town energy). One immediate win: free RV parking a block from downtown. We gave that a 10 out of 10.
Just outside of Red Lodge is dispersed camping with some of the best views. Once we started the drive on the highway, we were surprised to find snow! The whole day was filled with wildlife, dramatic views, mountain lakes, and waterfalls… It certainly delivered on its reputation.
The plan was a campsite we had scouted that looked close to perfect on paper. We got there and immediately understood why it was available: the mosquitoes were relentless so we made the call to move on the next morning and turn the day into a driving day into Yellowstone instead.
That pivot led to our first grizzly sighting. We have been in bear country for a long time now, and seeing a grizzly in the wild for the first time is a different thing entirely. We were left equally terrified and wanting to stay and watch them forever. From there, we hit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from both rim viewpoints which was one of the most powerful waterfalls we’ve ever seen.
Since we hadn’t planned to arrive at our next campsite so early in our route, nearly every spot was taken. The only one available was a muddy mess and we both decided that it simply wasn’t worth the risk so we spent the night in a parking lot (which turned out to be much more pleasant than expected!).
Finally, we made it to Big Sky. We got on the bikes for some downhill and cross-country, hit a farmers market, and found some restaurants worth returning to.
Watch the full video to see everything the Beartooth has to offer!