Red Lodge Montana is a northeastern gateway town to Yellowstone National Park. The area around it not only has some of the most accessible camping just outside the park, but also some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in the region. For a healthy break from car touring through Yellowstone, the hiking trails in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, just outside Red Lodge, offer a chance to walk and camp among high and wild peaks.
Beartooth National Scenic Byway
The road running from Yellowstone to Red Lodge, and on through to Billings Montana, is U.S. highway 212, the section between Yellowstone and Red Lodge is named the Beartooth National Scenic Byway.
From Yellowstone, you take the road's "silver gateway" through Cooke City Montana at 8,200 feet elevation. It then turns south into Wyoming where it climbs and twists to reaches its apex at Beartooth Pass at 10,947 feet before heading once more into Montana, through a series of turns, and descending to Red Lodge at 5,568 feet.
Campgrounds
The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is an area of some 943,377 acres and contains Montana's highest mountain, Granite Peak, at 12,799 feet. This is only one of 20 peaks higher than 12,000 feet within the wilderness.
There are many campgrounds within the area. Some of the closest to Red Lodge are Sheridan and Rattine, just off the Beartooth Highway, and Palisades and Basin, which are accessed from the West Fork road. Prices are normally $14 per night with $8 for an additional vehicle as of 2010.
Trails
There are a number of trails in the area. A couple of day hikes include: Black Canyon Lake, which is accessed 9 miles south of Red Lodge, just off of the Beartooth Highway, and is 14 miles round trip, and Lake Mary, which starts at the end of West Fork Road and is approximately 12 miles round trip.
"The Beaten Path," is a long trail through the wilderness of 26 miles and one to include with backcountry camping. It starts at the Clarks Fork trailhead or at the East Rosebud trailhead.
Conditions and Preparedness
Camping and hiking in the high mountains can be cold in summer. During hot weather, lightning storms can seem to appear out of a clear blue sky. Cold fronts can move in and drop a load of snow on the unsuspecting.
If you leave your campground in shorts and T-shirts, be prepared. Carry layers of light and warm clothing. A sweat soaked cotton T-shirt is best replaced with a light synthetic if it turns cold. And always carry rain gear.
Camping and wildlife
When camping in wilderness areas, visitors must keep wildlife in mind. Mice and other rodents will get into unsecured food bags. A bacon grease-coated fry pan can attract a bear. Food needs to be secure. Bear proof containers are available. Food and cooking implements should be stored in your vehicle, or if in a backcountry situation, should be tied in a storage sack and hung high in a tree, a safe distance from the tent site.
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