Beartooth Highway
Scenic drive · Montana
US 212 climbs from Red Lodge to nearly 11,000 feet across switchbacks above treeline, and Rock Creek Vista Point, just below the summit, frames an aspen-lined valley and jagged Beartooth peaks on a drive Charles Kuralt once called America's most beautiful.
Don’t miss
Peak: September 27–October 1
Color builds from September 14 · mostly bare by October 19
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Beartooth Highway’s own coordinates and elevation (2792 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
Beartooth Highway on the map
More things to do in Montana
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Scenic drivePeak September 26
Glacier National Park's 50-mile alpine crossing peaks at Logan Pass, 6,646 feet on the Continental Divide, where subalpine larch needles turn gold in late September alongside valley aspen. The road typically closes to full-length travel by mid-October.
Don’t miss: Logan Pass at 6,646 feet · Golden subalpine larch
The Bozeman Maze
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks September 20
A family maze farm on the north edge of Bozeman that cuts a new design into the corn every fall, wrapped with hayrides, a mini-train, a bungee trampoline, corn bins and games. It opens Wednesday and Friday evenings and runs full days on Saturdays and Sundays through the harvest season.
Don’t miss: New corn maze design yearly · Mini-train and bungee trampoline · Evenings midweek, full weekends
Montana Corn Maze
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks September 18
West of Bozeman near Manhattan, this six-acre corn maze is cut with three difficulty levels and reached by a wagon ride out to the field. Trikes, disc golf, a six-hole mini-golf course, a barrel-train ride and weekend food vendors fill out the farm, with pumpkins and honey for sale at the market.
Don’t miss: Six-acre maze, three levels · Wagon ride to the field · Disc golf and mini-golf
Spooks and Spirits Haunted Tours
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks September 28
A two hour walking tour through Uptown Butte's mining era streets, stopping at sites tied to the city's documented hauntings, from old boarding houses to former saloons. Guides work in real local history about the copper kings and the hard lives of the miners who built the Mining City.
Don’t miss: Uptown Butte mining-era sites · Local ghost history, not generic scares · About two hours on foot
Frequently asked
- When does Beartooth Highway peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 27–October 1 (best estimate September 29). Color starts around September 14 and is mostly bare by October 19.
- What is Beartooth Highway best for?
- Alpine switchbacks above treeline.
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