RED LODGE – Nestled roughly 18 miles to the top of the Beartooth Highway sits some of the most spectacular views, but access to this location wasn’t a thing years ago.
The previous parking lot and overlook equipped with restrooms transformed a while back into the Vista Point overlook, a well-maintained walkway with railings and beautiful panorama views of the Rock Creek Valley below.
Mandy Cook and her family ventured to Montana this year after their trip to Yellowstone National Park was canceled because of last June’s historic and devastating floods.
They stopped at Vista Point on their trip to take in the views.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” she said.
And the access on this trail is easy, too. It's wheelchair accessible, groomed, and with very little incline.
“Extremely accessible,” said Cole Novotny of Oregon.
“This trail is amazing. I would highly recommend it. It’s beautiful walking up and then just looking out over everything. It’s just breathtaking,” said Cook.
And perhaps the entertainment from wildlife is one of the best parts of the trek, as the gregarious chipmunks often let visitors greet and feed them.
“We don’t really have this where I am from, so just to get to see the animals and the birds and the mountains,” said Cook.
You can access Vista Point by heading south from Red Lodge on the Beartooth Highway. The pullout and trail are roughly 18 miles to the top.
