{"id":1983132,"date":"2026-06-10T19:06:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1983132"},"modified":"2026-06-10T19:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:06:48","slug":"beartooth-pass-mt-wy-road-closure-due-to-snow-and-extreme-weather-shuts-down-americas-only-summer-ski-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1983132","title":{"rendered":"Beartooth Pass, MT\/WY, Road Closure Due to Snow and Extreme Weather Shuts Down America\u2019s Only Summer Ski Area"},"content":{"rendered":"
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June snow forces Beartooth Pass road closure. | Photo: WYDOT District 5-Northwest Wyoming<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A Beartooth Pass road closure is in effect after snow and extreme weather<\/a> forced the shutdown of U.S. Highway 212 at the Montana\/Wyoming state line.<\/strong> Plow crews are en route, but no reopening timeline has been confirmed.<\/p>\n

The 68-mile road, which peaks at 10,947 feet, typically closes from early Fall through April or May due to deep snow.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road on a section of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge and the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park, passing over the Beartooth Pass in Wyoming at 10,947 feet (3,337\u00a0m) above sea level.<\/strong> It has been called \u201cthe most beautiful drive in America\u201d by the late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt. Because of heavy snowfall at the top, the pass is usually open each year only from mid-May through mid-October, weather conditions permitting.<\/p>\n

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Beartooth Pass Road Closure: What Travelers Need to Know<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Travelers heading to Cooke City or the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park should not use the pass at this time.<\/strong> Officials are directing drivers to use Wyoming State Highway 296, also known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway<\/a>, as an alternate route.<\/p>\n

Visitors approaching from Red Lodge may still access Vista Point<\/a>, but must return to Red Lodge<\/a> afterward.<\/strong> The pass itself remains impassable.<\/p>\n

Road conditions can change quickly in the area.<\/strong> Travelers are urged to avoid relying on map applications for current road status. For real-time updates, check the Montana Department of Transportation at 511mt.net<\/a> or the Wyoming Department of Transportation at map.wyoroad.info<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beartooth Basin is North America\u2019s only summer ski area. | Image: Beartooth Basin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The road closure also cuts off access to Beartooth Basin, the only summer-only ski area in the United States<\/a>.<\/strong> Sitting at 10,900 feet on the Montana-Wyoming border, the ski area opened on Memorial Day, May 25, after a cold spring delivered strong early-season conditions across the high peaks of the Beartooth Absaroka Mountains. The 2026 season marks the area\u2019s 64th year of summer ski operations, a tradition dating to the mid-1960s, and follows several difficult recent seasons, including a full cancellation in 2024 due to insufficient snowpack. The ski area relies entirely on U.S. 212 for access; without a clear road, neither staff nor visitors can reach the mountain.<\/p>\n