Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone & Night One Camping

 Day 7: Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone & Night One Camping

Beartooth Highway! 

We said goodbye to Montana this morning, still buzzing from the fireworks over the Beartooth Mountains. I mean, watching explosions of color light up the sky and reflect off snow-capped peaks? It was basically a postcard come to life.

As we packed up and hit the road, we followed what had become the most popular piece of advice from fellow wanderers: Take the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone. And let me just say—those people deserve a medal. Because WOW. That drive wasn’t just scenic, it was next-level, jaw-dropping, can-you-even-believe-this-is-real-life stunning.

What should have been a three-hour drive turned into a five-hour epic because we couldn’t not stop. The road climbed and climbed until we were practically driving through the clouds—literally. We hit 10,947 feet in elevation and felt every single inch of it. The views? Indescribable. The switchbacks? Nerve-wracking and glorious. The snow in July? Absolutely hilarious.

At one point, Dan pulled over and Olivia and I couldn’t resist—we jumped out of the car and ran into the snow like two giddy little kids. We were hurling snowballs, laughing our heads off, and then instantly winded after 30 seconds because, well, turns out oxygen is in short supply at nearly 11,000 feet. Still worth it.

 

Yellowstone Arrival 

After soaking in what felt like the top of the world, we descended into Yellowstone and were greeted almost immediately by… a bear family. A mama and her two cubs strolled by like they owned the place (which, let’s be honest, they do). A few minutes later? Bison. Everywhere. Herds grazing, crossing the road, posing like professional wildlife models. It was wild (pun fully intended).

 

 

 

We finally rolled into Canyon Campground, equal parts excited and slightly apprehensive. Our site was technically for RVs and tents, but the second we pulled in, we realized “tent space” was used very loosely. There was no flat, open area in sight. Just a picnic table, campfire ring, and tree roots giving us serious side-eye.

Cue the camping scramble. We eyeballed the parking pad—big enough for the tent and the car—and went for it. A few tense moments, a dash of family drama, and one very determined Eagle Scout husband later…we made it work. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was ours.

Then night hit. And so did the cold. HARD. Temps dropped into the mid to high 30s. We all bundled up like burritos in our sleeping bags, but that kind of chill sneaks in and settles into your bones. Add to that our much-hyped camping cots that turned out to be both slightly too small and tilted at weird angles, and… yeah, let’s just say we didn’t exactly sleep like baby bears in a den.

But even with the shivers and sliding cots, there was something magical about that first night in the tent. We were in Yellowstone. Under the stars. Wrapped in fleece and the kind of exhaustion that only comes from wonder-filled days.

Here’s hoping for warmer toes and flatter sleeping surfaces tomorrow. Adventure awaits!

🔗📸For all the 148 images from today- click here!