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 24–September 28
Color builds from September 14 · mostly bare by October 15
Sampled at Beartooth Highway’s own coordinates and elevation (2792 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 74 weather points across Montana, nudged 2 days earlier to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against Montana's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 1 day earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to Beartooth Highway
Good color holds through about October 4, giving you roughly 20 days from the first turn to past peak. Against Montana overall, that is 12 days earlier. The 9,160 ft elevation accounts for most of the difference.
Beartooth Highway on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Montana, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Beartooth Highway peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 24–September 28 (best estimate September 26). Color starts around September 14 and is mostly bare by October 15.
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