There are many tell-tale signs of summer. One is the reopening of roads which have been snowed-in or snowed-under for months.
Like the Beartooth Highway which connects Red Lodge, Montana to Cooke City, Montana.
The plan is to reopen the highway on Friday, May 28 at 8am.
The view? Unbelievable.
Travel organizations have called it one of the most scenic roads in the world.
“A scenic summer route (the snow falls heavy and voluminous in this country), the Beartooth is arguably the most stunning road into Yellowstone. It’s worth seeing in and of itself,” writes Yellowstone Insider.
The highway, which first opened in 1937, provides a direct route to Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance.
Just because it’s open doesn’t mean it will stay open. Officials warn of rapidly changing weather. In other words, it can be winter-like in the summer.
“Conditions can change quickly, especially during spring and fall, and roads can temporarily close due to poor driving conditions. Plan to have alternate routes for travel should the highway close,” a Yellowstone National Park spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Although the clear majority of the reviews for the drive on the travel site TripAdvisor rate the experience as positive (781 out of 834 reviews rank it 5 stars or excellent), some people still weren’t pleased.
A two-star reviewer complained about the pokey-ness of the drivers.
“The majority of the time I was riding 10 to 15 miles per hour below the speed limit. Do yourself, and everyone else on the road a favor, have someone else drive or take the highway and go around. If you are a nervous driver/rider STAY OFF this road,” wrote a reviewer from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.