I’m always amazed at what it takes for plants and animals to survive in the Beartooths. Summer up here at 10,000 feet is fleeting, if it arrives at all. In early September, the high plateau is already bracing for the impending transition to winter and the trials that go with it. It’s hard to believe it’s already autumn in the Beartooths! The struggle it takes to survive here is evident in every twisted spruce, fir, and white bark pine rising improbably from the barest scrape of soil atop unforgiving granite.

While the vistas are impressive enough to render me nearly speechless, I find endless beauty in the the miniature. To grow at all is an accomplishment at such high elevation; my eyes are drawn to the miniature forest of plants and flowers beneath my feet as much as to the craggy peaks above.

One of our friends who follows our Facebook page said that the ground cover up on the Beartooth Pass is like an ongoing work of art. We agree! It’s a landscape sculpted in the truest sense – by glaciers, by water, by epic snowfall, by wind and exposure. The myriad colors of alpine wildflowers in July, the red and golden hues in the ground cover in autumn, and the brushstrokes of lichen on the ancient rocks, all make for quite a spectacular canvas.

How to explore the Beartooths

Truth be told, the window of comfort up here is pretty thin. Each moment that isn’t wet, buggy, windy, or snowy is a true gift. While doing more than just driving over the pass takes a bit of planning and preparation, the rewards are totally worth it. Our favorite ways to explore the Beartooths are car camping and backpacking. There are several National Forest Service campgrounds in and near the Beartooths. We will often car camp with the Casita camper when we are worried about bugs or cold (June, July, September). In August and early September, we also like to backpack. Both on and off trail routes for hiking and backpacking in the Beartooths are endless! Check out our video Backpacking and Fishing the Beartooths and post Backpacking the Beartooths in Late Summer to get a glimpse of what it’s like to adventure into the wilderness. The Beartooths can be an especially good place to backpack and hike as a family, because you don’t have to go very far to experience a sense of solitude and spectacular scenery. We like to use this book and this map when planning our trips.

A word of caution: this high elevation plateau requires you to be prepared! ALWAYS carry bear spray, and make sure your food is properly secured. It’s also a really good idea to pack everything from a bug shirt to a down jacket and be prepared for extreme weather. We’ve never found ourselves to be carrying too many warm clothes! Our secret tip for keeping sane if it’s buggy? Carry an ultralight bug net like the kind that hangs over a bed. You can lash it to trees and rocks and have a bug-free place to have snacks or read a book. Honestly, we’re not sure how we survived backpacking in mosquito territory before we started carrying one!

Autumn in the Beartooths sunrise on the lakeshore

Take it slow…

Aside from the nuts and bolts of “how to”, we feel the best way to get a true sense of this amazing country is to unplug, and take your time. There’s no cell service up here, leaving you blissfully alone with your thoughts and an overwhelming sense of awe. Make sure to stop and sit on a rock next to one of the high alpine lakes for a while, listening to the silence and enjoying the solitude. Wander around off the trail a little bit too, following where your curiosity leads you. Sketch the rocks in a field journal, or rise early and catch the sunrise over this impressive landscape. You will not be disappointed.

What’s your favorite Beartooth adventure? Send us an email or drop by our Facebook page and let us know!

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