Carbon County Historical Society Museum
The former Labor Temple covers Carbon County mining, ranching, transportation, and community history. Confirm seasonal hours before visiting.
Check museum details →
Things To Do in Red Lodge
Drive the Beartooth Highway, ski Red Lodge Mountain, walk Broadway Avenue, visit the Carbon County museum, or choose a local trail below the high passes.
Beartooth Highway
Drive US 212 toward Rock Creek Vista, Beartooth Pass, and Cooke City only after checking the current road and weather reports.
Red Lodge Mountain
Ski 1,635 acres in winter; in summer, check the current schedule for scenic chairlift rides, hiking, and disc golf.
Yellowstone's northeast side
Follow the Beartooth corridor toward Cooke City and Lamar Valley for wildlife country, not a rushed tour of the central geyser basins.
Broadway Avenue
Walk the historic commercial blocks for the Carbon County museum, galleries, shops, coffee, and an easy dinner downtown.
A full afternoon without another long drive
Explore downtown Red Lodge between mountain days
Broadway Avenue, the Carbon County museum, the Depot Gallery, and the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary are all close to town. Combine two of them with coffee or lunch rather than driving another pass.
This is also the better choice when wind, snow, smoke, or poor visibility closes the high country. Check each attraction's current hours before leaving the hotel.
History, art, and wildlife in town
Three Red Lodge stops beyond the mountain roads
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
This Red Lodge sanctuary cares for non-releasable regional wildlife and gives families a close-to-town alternative to another long drive.
Check sanctuary details →Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery
The historic depot houses regional art exhibitions and a shop, making it an easy downtown stop before dinner or during poor mountain weather.
Check gallery details →Lower-elevation alternatives
Trails and golf close to Red Lodge
Greater Red Lodge Trails
Use the local trail network for a shorter walk or ride near town. Check the trail steward's current conditions and seasonal notices first.
Check current information →West Fork and Main Fork trails
These trail systems reach deeper into the foothills and require more time, weather awareness, and current Forest Service information.
Check current information →Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course
The 18-hole course sits beneath the Beartooths and supplies a lower-elevation summer option when the pass is not the right call.
Check current information →Book related Red Lodge tours and activities
Browse tours and activity options that fit this trip.
Beartooth Highway Self Guided Driving Audio Tour
A self-guided audio drive for the Beartooth Highway, ideal for turning one of Montana’s great mountain roads into a more informed scenic journey.
National parks pass
One pass to check before Yellowstone National Park
If Yellowstone is part of the Red Lodge trip, compare entrance costs with the America the Beautiful annual pass. Camping, permits, tours, and reservations may still cost extra.
Verify pass acceptance and any timed-entry rules before you go.
Second Star gear guide
Mountain Town Day Kit
Mountain-town packing list
Trail shoes, porch layers, and overlook stops.
Light trail shoes, water, rain backup, a fleece, sunscreen, binoculars, and car pieces for town-to-trail mountain weekends.
Trail Running Shoes
Guide pick
Daypacks & Packs
$75.5
Packable Rain Jackets
$52.79
Open mountain-town guideMore picks on SSG →
More Red Lodge guides
Open the route that answers the next Red Lodge decision: mountain roads, Yellowstone, lodging, restaurants, or a shorter town day.
Ski guide
Red Lodge Mountain terrain, tickets, lessons, snow reports, lodging choices, and winter road checks.
Beartooth Highway guide
Compare Rock Creek Vista, Beartooth Pass, Cooke City, road reports, altitude, and seasonal closures.
Yellowstone guide
Follow the Northeast Entrance to Lamar Valley with realistic drive limits and current park-road checks.
Where to stay
Compare downtown walkability, Rock Creek settings, cabins, and the shorter drive toward Red Lodge Mountain.