Beartooth Wilderness: Trip Planner
TRAVELAll of the Beartooth trips and climbs are based out of Red Lodge, Montana, which is located about 65 miles from Billings MT, the closest regional airport. Other airports include Cody, WY and Bozeman, MT. Red Lodge is about a seven hour drive from Jackson, WY. Please make your departure plans for the day after the conclusion of your trip. Plan on having your own local transportation; it’s a good idea to reserve rental cars as early as possible.
For Granite Peak specifics on travel and camping, go to the Highpoints Travel Planner.
For trips other than Granite Peak, the various departure roadheads are all a short distance southwest of Red Lodge. For the Bears Tooth climb, we will rendezvous at the Glacier Lake Trailhead (see directions below) at 8:30 am. For the treks with different departure and destination roadheads, our trip will begin in Red Lodge at 8 am, meeting at your motel or a prearranged location. We will start by running a shuttle to the end of trip roadheads, unless arrangements have been made for a pickup.
The Glacier Lake trailhead is located 18 miles southwest of Red Lodge. Drive south out of town on the Beartooth Highway; after about 11 miles, turn right and follow signs for Limber Pine campground. After crossing Rock Creek, turn left on Forest Road 421 and drive nine miles to the trailhead.
ACCOMMODATIONS
There are both camping and motel options for the nights before and after trips. Red Lodge has a selection of motels and is within twenty miles of the various departure trailheads. Information can be found at the Red Lodge website.
There are numerous places to camp, including five Custer National Forest campgrounds located along the Beartooth Highway, 6-12 miles south of Red Lodge. These campgrounds, Sheridan, Rattin, Parkside, and Limber Pine, have numerous sites and cost $9; one, M-K has no water and is free. Reservations for these campgrounds can be made by calling the Custer National Forest at 406-446-2103.
AMENITIES
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides provides most of the food other than drinks and lunch/snacks; our office will fill you in on the details. All supplies must be purchased in town before the trip. If you have dietary restrictions, allergies or preferences please let our office know well in advance of your trip's starting date.
We can arrange porters if you would like this amenity.
If you have a GPS, it may be useful on the plateaus. Cellphones have good coverage up high.
The drinking water needs to be treated, either with iodine pills or filters. We practice Leave No Trace camping, hiking, and climbing techniques to leave the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness as pristine as we found it.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
This area has elevations from 6000-12,000+’, and these high mountain areas require some acclimatization. Staying extremely well hydrated is key to one’s success with exertion at altitude. It also helps to arrive a few days early, and do some hiking above 8-9000’. If you have had problems at altitude before please let us know ahead of time and consult with your physician before you come.
The weather is variable; often the nights are cool while the days can warm up substantially even in the alpine environment. Wind can be a real issue on the exposed plateaus. Fog, rain, hail, even summer snow showers may be encountered; afternoon thunderstorms are fairly predictable. For additional information on the weather, geology, and more in the area, look at our Beartooth Weather page.
EQUIPMENT
Consult the JHMG summer equipment list for your clothing and equipment needs. Keep in mind the strenuous wilderness character of Beartooth trips; gear should be light and in good repair. Minimize luxury items—an ounce of prevention saves a pound on your back! Click here for our full equipment list in PDF format.