Despite a relatively early start, the air temperature gauge on the dash of our motorcycle read 104° F (40° C). Even traveling at 75+ mph (120+ km/h) in a mesh suit I was sweating profusely.

We were in the middle of southern Montana headed for Beartooth Highway, a 69-mile road that winds through the highest mountain peaks in Montana. This legendary stretch of road is often featured in the top ten list of motorcycling roads in the US and has long been on my own motorcycle bucket list.  

Known as the “most beautiful drive in America,” the Beartooth Highway takes you through the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, showcasing alpine meadows, rugged peaks, and pristine lakes. The hairpin turns and elevation changes offer an exciting ride.

10 Best Motorcycle Roads in America, https://www.twistedroad.com/blog/posts/10-best-motorcycle-roads-in-america

We were going to be passing close enough to it on our way from Alaska to Wyoming that I couldn’t resist the detour. I was also hoping the top of Beartooth Pass at 10,947 ft (3,337 m) would give us a reprieve from the sweltering heat. 

Motorcycling in the Heat

We were still north of Red Lodge, Montana, when traffic came to a stop. I thought it was hot while we were moving, but stopping on baking asphalt with no shade took it to a whole new level.

It turned out there was an accident and emergency crews were on the scene directing traffic. Hopefully no one was hurt. As we slowly crawled through the one-lane section and around the flashing lights, the temperature bar graph on my motorcycle dash began climbing and turned red.

I had seen this before outside Price George, BC where we stopped at a car wash and pressure washed the Alaskan mud out of the radiator. Things had been fine since, but we hadn’t experienced these temperatures earlier in the trip.

Once we got moving, the airflow brought the coolant temp gauge down to normal, but I had a nagging concern that something wasn’t quite right and didn’t want to be stranded on the side of the road, especially in this heat.

We stopped in Red Lodge for fuel and some sports drinks to keep our electrolytes intact with all the water we’d been drinking. Next we headed toward Beartooth Pass and the hope of cooler temperatures.

Motorcycling Beartooth Highway: What to Expect

It was a Sunday in late June and the amount of vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trucks and particularly RVs was surprising.

The road is nicely paved but very curvy and steep, which made for slow going up toward the pass. The coolant temp would climb as we slowed to a crawl behind each lumbering RV, and I ended up needing to use the gravel pull offs to stop and let the bike cool down.

This was not the motorcycling experience I’d expected. Although the scenery was beautiful, there was too much traffic to really enjoy the curves in the road.

Even our brief stop at the Rock Creek Vista Point at 9,190 feet (2,801 m) was a chore with limited parking and piles of people on the observation platform.

After what seemed like an eternity, we made it to the summit and snapped some pictures with the quickly melting snow.

It was cooler, but not for long. We could feel the heat slowly rising as we descended. The motorcycle was happy not to be working as hard on the way down and the normal coolant temp helped my mood as well.

We split off of Beartooth Highway and headed down WY 296 toward Cody, Wyoming. The great majority of the traffic continued on toward Yellowstone National Park, which allowed us to finally get in some sportier riding.

That final section of road was definitely the best of the day.

Motorcycling Beartooth Highway: Takeaways

I found Beartooth Highway to be a bit overrated as a motorcycle road, but I’m sure the heat and traffic heavily influenced my opinion.

The scenery was interesting and the road in good condition so maybe I need to give it another try earlier in the season on a weekday.

Also, the large amount of gravel I blew out of our radiator after we returned home seemed to be the culprit for the overheating. I’m not anxious for another 100°+ F (38°+ C) day to try it out again.