Wyoming

Natural History, May, 2003

Wyoming has 14 scenic byways or "backways," including what many would call the most beautiful highway in America--the Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212), built in the 1930s. From the Custer National Forest to Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway is one of the most spectacular National Forest routes on this continent. The Beartooth offers travelers the ultimate high-country experience as it winds through the Custer, Shoshone, and Gallatin National Forests.

The highway's sixty-nine miles cross from lush forests to alpine tundra. The rugged Beartooth area boasts 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. Glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak that is over 11,500 feet high. Stop along this byway to hike across broad plateaus and to admire Rocky Mountain goats, moose, black bears, grizzly bears, marmots, and mule deer.

Points of interest include the spectacular Yellowstone National Park, the country's first and largest national park, and Shoshone National Forest, which sprawls along Yellowstone's eastern border.

Learn more about the Beartooth at www.byways.org.