Tucked between Yellowstone National Park and the Beartooth Mountains, Cooke City feels appropriately far away from just about everything. The tiny mountain town sits just a few miles from Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance, surrounded by peaks and connected to the outside world by some of the most scenic stretches of road in the West.
That makes Cooke City an ideal basecamp for a weekend built around equal parts Yellowstone adventure and small-town wandering. Give yourself 48 hours, put the phone away and settle into the slower pace.
Day 1: Cooke City + Beartooth Pass
Check In at Elk Horn Lodge
Start your weekend at Elk Horn Lodge, a classic Cooke City stay right in town. Drop your bags, get settled and leave the car behind for a bit—much of Cooke City is easily explored on foot.
Coffee at Cooke City Coffee
Make your first stop Cooke City Coffee for a coffee and pastry before wandering through town. Cooke City may be small, but that’s part of the appeal. Take your time exploring the shops and historic storefronts along the main drag, with the surrounding mountains rising above town in nearly every direction.
Dinner at Beartooth Cafe
For dinner, head to Beartooth Cafe, a longtime Cooke City favorite and an easy place to refuel before one more adventure for the day.
Take an Evening Drive Toward Beartooth Pass
After dinner, get back in the car and follow U.S. Highway 212 toward Beartooth Pass. The road climbs out of Cooke City toward some of the most dramatic alpine terrain in the region, with plenty of pullouts and viewpoints along the way.
There’s no need to make the full drive. Pick a few overlooks, watch the evening light move across the mountains and turn around whenever you’re ready to head back to town.
Note: The Beartooth Highway is seasonal and typically closes to through traffic during the winter months. Always check current road conditions before heading out.
Drinks at Miners Saloon
End the night back in Cooke City with a drink at Miners Saloon. After a day on the road, there’s something particularly satisfying about finishing the evening in a mountain-town bar before walking back to your lodge.
Day 2: Yellowstone + Beartooth Lake
Breakfast in Silver Gate
Start early and drive a few miles west to neighboring Silver Gate for breakfast and coffee at Log Cabin Cafe. From here, you’re practically at Yellowstone’s doorstep.
Enter Yellowstone Through the Northeast Entrance
Continue west through Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance and into the Lamar Valley. This corner of the park is known for its wildlife and expansive landscapes, so give yourself time for the drive rather than treating the trailhead as the only destination.
Bring binoculars, keep an eye out for wildlife and use designated pullouts whenever you want to stop.
Hike to Trout Lake
Make Trout Lake Trail your morning hike. The relatively short trail climbs through forest before reaching a mountain lake tucked beneath the surrounding hills.
Take a lap around the lake, enjoy the views and keep an eye out for wildlife before retracing your route to the trailhead.
Lunch at Wooka’s Wild Eats
Head back toward Cooke City for a post-hike lunch at Wooka’s Wild Eats. After a morning on the trail, this is your chance to slow down, grab something substantial and decide just how ambitious you want the rest of the afternoon to be.
Spend the Afternoon at Beartooth Lake
For one last dose of alpine scenery, head east on U.S. 212 to Beartooth Lake. Spend the afternoon along the shoreline, take a walk or simply find a spot to sit and take in the surrounding peaks.
It’s a fitting final adventure for a weekend in Cooke City: no complicated itinerary required.
Dinner + Drinks at WhiteBark Bar & Kitchen
Return to Cooke City for dinner and drinks at WhiteBark Bar & Kitchen. Settle in for one last meal in town before calling it a night—and, if you can, step outside afterward and look up. Far from the lights of larger gateway towns, Cooke City is the kind of place where the stars can be as memorable as anything you planned to see during the day.
Cooke City’s remoteness is part of what makes it special, but it also requires a little planning. Cell service can be limited, weather can change quickly and seasonal road closures can dramatically affect how you get there. Download maps before your trip, check Yellowstone and Beartooth Highway road conditions, fill up the gas tank when you have the chance and bring layers—even during the warmer months.
Then embrace being a little harder to reach. In Cooke City, that’s the point.
