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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Red Lodge
Stay 1–2 nights as a base for the Beartooth Highway and a Yellowstone northeast-entrance run; skip it if the Beartooth is closed.
Red Lodge is a small ranching and resort town of about 2,200 people in south-central Montana, at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains and the start of the 69-mile Beartooth Highway (US 212) toward Cooke City and Yellowstone's northeast entrance. It has a coal-mining past, a compact walkable Broadway, and a ski hill. Most travellers use it for one or two nights between Billings and Yellowstone, or as a summer base for the Beartooth drive. There is no public transport, so a car is required.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the Beartooth Highway and hiking; Dec–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- The Beartooth Highway (US 212) is usually open only about May to mid-October, depending on snow — check MDT before you plan around it
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid $150–260 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High $260+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Montana Road Report 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–18 |
| Pub burger or plate | $14–24 |
| Craft beer at the brewery | $6–9 |
| Museum entry | $5 |
| Gallon of fuel | $3–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BIL · Billings Logan International Airport
- The closest airport, about 100 km / 60 mi north via US 212 and I-90; rental cars at the terminal. Check seasonal flight schedules.The closest airport, about 62 mi / 60 mi north via US 212 and I-90; rental cars at the terminal. Check seasonal flight schedules.
Typical fares
- Billings (BIL) → Red Lodge by car
- about 100 km / 60 mi, 1.5 habout 62 mi / 60 mi, 1.5 h
- Red Lodge → Cooke City via Beartooth
- about 100 km / 60 mi, 2.5–3 habout 62 mi / 60 mi, 2.5–3 h
Get around
No public transport. The business district along Broadway is walkable in 10–15 minutes end to end, and biking works in good weather. In-town sights such as the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary are reachable on foot or by bike; everything out of town — the ski hill, trailheads, the Beartooth Highway — needs a car. Fill up in town before heading up US 212; services are sparse beyond Red Lodge.
See and do
Known for
- Beartooth Highway (US 212)
- Beartooth Mountains and Custer National Forest
- Coal-mining history and the Smith Mine disaster site
- Red Lodge Mountain ski area
- Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beartooth Highway (US 212) to Cooke City | Drive US 212 southwest over the switchbacks; the classic turnaround is the Rock Creek Vista Point | Half day to the vista point; allow 2.5–3 h one way to Cooke City (check) |
| Yellowstone northeast entrance (via Cooke City) | US 212 over the Beartooth to Cooke City, then into the park | About 3 h to Cooke City (check), then on to the park |
| Billings | US 212 east to I-90, or MT-78 north to Columbus then I-90 | About 1.5 h (check) |
| Cooney State Park / Cooney Reservoir | About 20 mi north of town | About 30 min (check) |
Sleep
- Downtown Broadway
- Walkable to shops, bars and restaurants; the historic Pollard Hotel and several B&Bs sit here.
- South Hauser Avenue
- Edge-of-downtown motels with parking, a short walk from Broadway.
- North Broadway / US 212
- Highway-side lodging and the brewery; you need a car for everything.
- Out-of-town cabins and campgrounds
- Cabins and RV/tent sites north and west of town; book ahead in summer.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Is the Beartooth Highway open? | Is the Beartooth Highway open? |
| Do you have bear spray? | Do you have bear spray? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where is the nearest gas station? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The Beartooth Highway (US 212) is seasonal, typically open about May to mid-October depending on snow; check the Montana DOT road report before you commit.
- This is bear country: keep your distance from wildlife, store food properly, and check current bear guidance from the Forest Service or Montana FWP before hiking.
- Do not drink from streams — giardia is present; filter, boil or treat water.
- High altitude (town is around 1,700 m / 5,600 ft) and dry air: drink more water than you think you need.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the Beartooth and in the national forest.
- Winter driving on US 212 can be icy; check conditions.
Red Lodge is a small, low-crime town; the real risks are wildlife, altitude, dehydration and the seasonal Beartooth Highway. Carry bear spray, treat stream water, and check the road report before driving US 212.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Red Lodge yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beartooth Highway (US 212)
- Beartooth Mountains and Custer National Forest
- Coal-mining history and the Smith Mine disaster site
- Red Lodge Mountain ski area
- Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Montana — Red Lodge: www.visitmt.com/
- Montana Department of Transportation — Beartooth Highway: www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/beartooth/
- Billings Logan International Airport: www.flybillings.com/
- Wikivoyage: Red Lodge, revision 5321590 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321590
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Red Lodge
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Red Lodge; nearest consulates are in Denver and Salt Lake City, embassies in Washington, DC.
Emergency numbers and road report are the key ones; check local listings for anything else.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/red-lodge). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.