Beartooth Highway opens for summer after snow clearance

JACKSON, Wyo. – The Beartooth Highway connecting Yellowstone National Park with Red Lodge, Montana, has opened for the season, officials said.

The Wyoming section was cleared for summer travel May 29, connecting with the opened Montana portion of the road, The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported Saturday.

The 68-mile (109-kilometre) road beginning at the park’s northeast entrance is typically closed from October through April or May as a result of snow.

The Montana Department of Transportation cleared the Montana side by May 22 only to temporarily close it again due to blizzard conditions at the summit that deposited new snow.

Crews work to keep the road plowed and open, but unpredictable weather conditions may cause temporary closures throughout the summer, transportation officials said.

Designated an All-American Road in the National Scenic Byways program, the route is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.