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Major city · United States

Cooke CityCooke City-Silver Gate

Go for 1–2 nights as a quiet Yellowstone northeast gateway: sleep here, drive the Beartooth Highway, skip it if you want services or winter road access.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Cooke City is a 140-person former mining town at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone, at the west end of US-212, the Beartooth Highway. There is no airport and no bus: you need a car. It works as a base for the Lamar Valley and the Beartooth, not as a destination on its own. Two nights covers the park's northeast corner and the pass; one night is enough if you are only passing through.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Jun–Sep (Beartooth Highway usually open mid-May to mid-Oct, weather permitting)
avoid Nov–Apr for road access (US-212 east closed in winter); Jul–Aug for crowds and full lodges
Airports
BIL · BZN · COD
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Cooke City911 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Cooke City, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a bakery item$6–12
  • Sit-down mealDinner main (steak, trout)$25–45
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast at a café$10–18
  • BeerDraught beer at the saloon$6–9
  • Budget bedForest Service campsite, a night, per roomUS$20
  • Mid-range bedMotel or cabin room, a night, per roomUS$190
  • High-end bedMotel or cabin room, a night, per roomUS$320

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$160 · High US$280

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Northeast entrance to YellowstoneBeartooth Highway (US-212)Lamar Valley wildlifeAbsaroka-Beartooth WildernessWinter snowmobiling
Airports
BIL Billings Logan International (The nearest larger airport; about 3.5–4 h by car via Red Lodge and the Beartooth Highway when open, longer via Livingston when it is closed.) · BZN Bozeman Yellowstone International (About 3–3.5 h via Livingston and Gardiner; the usual choice for the park's north side.) · COD Yellowstone Regional (Cody) (About 3–3.5 h via the park's east entrance when open.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    −2°C (28°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    1°C (34°F)

  3. Mar

    Avoid

    5°C (41°F)

  4. Apr

    Avoid

    9°C (48°F)

  5. May

    not flagged

    14°C (57°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  7. Jul

    Care

    24°C (75°F)

  8. Aug

    Care

    24°C (75°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  10. Oct

    not flagged

    11°C (52°F)

  11. Nov

    Avoid

    3°C (37°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    −2°C (28°F)

Best: Jun, Sep. Mixed: Jul–Aug. Avoid: Nov–Apr. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (24°C (75°F)), coolest Jan (−14°C (7°F) low), wettest May (11 rain days), driest Sep (7). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Cooke City: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−2°C (28°F)

−14°C (7°F)

9 rd

Feb

1°C (34°F)

−12°C (10°F)

8 rd

Mar

5°C (41°F)

−9°C (16°F)

9 rd

Apr

9°C (48°F)

−5°C (23°F)

9 rd

May

14°C (57°F)

−1°C (30°F)

11 rd

Jun

19°C (66°F)

3°C (37°F)

10 rd

Jul

24°C (75°F)

6°C (43°F)

8 rd

Aug

24°C (75°F)

6°C (43°F)

8 rd

Sep

19°C (66°F)

2°C (36°F)

7 rd

Oct

11°C (52°F)

−3°C (27°F)

7 rd

Nov

3°C (37°F)

−9°C (16°F)

8 rd

Dec

−2°C (28°F)

−13°C (9°F)

9 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot in town; a car for everything else. There is no public transport, no shuttle and no taxi. Fuel up in Cooke City before heading into the park — the next services are far in any direction.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lamar Valley (Yellowstone)

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min to the valley

Drive US-212 east through the northeast entrance, then the park road

Dawn and dusk are best for wolves, bison and bears; carry binoculars and keep the required distance.

Beartooth Highway / Beartooth Pass

go

Door to door: Full day to Red Lodge and back

Drive US-212 east and climb toward Red Lodge

Seasonal, usually mid-May to mid-October. Check the road status the morning you go.

Red Lodgego

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h when the pass is open

US-212 east over the pass

A full-day loop; the pass itself is the reason to drive it.

Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springscaution

Door to door: About 2–2.5 h

Drive through the park via Tower Junction

Doable as a long day, but better as a one-way move if you are heading north anyway.

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness trailheads

go

Door to door: Minutes to the trailhead

Short drive from town, then on foot

Day hikes only unless you are equipped and experienced; weather and wildlife are real hazards.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Cooke City Main Street

Motels, cabins and the saloon within a few minutes' walk; the whole town is walkable.

Silver Gate

About 2 miles east toward the park entrance; quieter, cabin-style lodging, still a short drive from Cooke City.

Forest Service campgrounds

Colter and Soda Butte sit along US-212 between town and the park entrance; first-come in season, no hookups.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$90–140 excl. bed
Mid
$150–230 excl. bed
High
$250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or cabin room1 × 2 nights × US$190US$380
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$160US$640
Yellowstone 7-day private vehicle entry1 × US$35US$35
Fuel, per day of driving1 × US$30US$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$113
Trip total≈ US$310 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,238

2026 estimate in US dollars; park entry and fuel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a bakery item$6–12
Breakfast at a café$10–18
Burger or sandwich with a side$15–25
Dinner main (steak, trout)$25–45
Draught beer at the saloon$6–9
Motel or cabin room, summer$120–320
Fuel, per gallon$3.50–4.50

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Low crime, high terrain risk. The real dangers are wildlife, fast weather changes, altitude and winter roads — not people.
  • US-212 east over Beartooth Pass is usually closed mid-October to mid-May; check road status before you commit to that route.
  • Cell service is patchy to absent outside town; download maps and park info before you drive.
  • Wildlife rules in the park area: stay at least 100 m from bears and wolves and 25 m from other animals, and never feed them.
  • Weather turns fast at 2,000 m+; a warm morning can become cold rain or snow by afternoon.
  • Winter travel means avalanche awareness; check the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center before going out.
  • Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight at trailheads.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Cooke CityCooke City-Silver Gate

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No consulates in Cooke City. Nearest consular offices are in Denver; embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Yellowstone entry, private vehicle, 7 days: about $35
  • Cooke City → park northeast entrance: about 4 miles, 10 min by car
  • Cooke City → Red Lodge over Beartooth Pass: about 60 miles, 1.5–2 h when open

Say or show

  • Where is the nearest gas station? — Where is the nearest gas station?
  • Is the pass open? — Is the pass open?
  • Do you have a room for tonight? — Do you have a room for tonight?
  • How far to the park entrance? — How far to the park entrance?

Cell coverage is unreliable outside town. Save offline maps and the park's wildlife rules before you drive.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Cooke City. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep (Beartooth Highway usually open mid-May to mid-Oct, weather permitting) · avoid Nov–Apr for road access (US-212 east closed in winter); Jul–Aug for crowds and full lodges · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BIL and BZN: last sensible departure times, winter route via Livingston, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster for Cooke City and Silver Gate with rescue anchors (fuel, food, lodging).
  3. Place pages with verified season windows (Beartooth Pass, Colter and Soda Butte campgrounds, northeast entrance) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter fixtures for snowmobile and ski access so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources

Ask about Cooke City

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