Weekend itinerary
Arrive for a downtown dinner, give Saturday to the Beartooth Highway when the road is open, and keep Sunday close to Red Lodge before the drive home.
By Cal Mercer — a Second Star Guide itinerary
Red Lodge makes a strong two-night trip when downtown, the Beartooth Highway, and one shorter Sunday stop each get their own part of the weekend.
Best length
2 nights
Two nights cover a downtown arrival, one full mountain day, and a shorter Red Lodge morning before checkout.
Stay
The Pollard Hotel
A historic downtown hotel on Broadway, well placed for walking to dinner and returning to the same room after…
Main activity
Beartooth Highway
The Beartooth Highway is the long Saturday outing; road and weather reports decide whether it runs.
Pace
One long mountain day
The Beartooth Highway can fill Saturday; downtown and a shorter Sunday outing supply the rest of the weekend.
Friday
Friday stays on Broadway: check in, order pizza or burgers at Red Lodge Pizza Co., and walk the historic blocks before an early night.
4:00 PM
A historic downtown hotel on Broadway, well placed for walking to dinner and returning to the same room after Beartooth or ski days.
Recommended stay
A historic downtown hotel on Broadway, well placed for walking to dinner and returning to the same room after…
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A resort-style property south of Red Lodge along Rock Creek, suited to travelers who prefer a quieter base…
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6:30 PM
Scratch-made pizza using Montana-wheat crust, plus burgers made with beef from a ranch near Red Lodge, at 115 South Broadway.
Saturday
Check the road report before breakfast, carry warm layers, and stop at the overlooks rather than racing toward Cooke City.
8:30 AM
A breakfast-and-lunch cafe at 501 Word Avenue South, serving Red Lodge Thursday through Monday; confirm current hours before an early mountain drive.
10:00 AM
Start from Red Lodge, pause at Rock Creek Vista and the alpine pullouts, and turn around when weather, altitude, or the group's energy says enough.
4:30 PM
Leave the car at the hotel, change out of mountain layers, and walk downtown for the evening.
7:00 PM
A dinner restaurant at 104 South Broadway with a current menu described by the kitchen as celebrating the tastes of Montana and beyond.
Sunday
Confirm Cafe Regis's Sunday hours, then use the Carbon County Historical Society Museum as the final stop before checkout.
9:00 AM
Have breakfast at Cafe Regis when Sunday hours align; otherwise use a downtown coffee stop before the museum opens.
11:00 AM
The museum at 224 North Broadway covers Carbon County mining, ranching, transportation, and town history without turning Sunday into another mountain drive.