Cooke City is a destination where road connections and the season go hand in hand. Cooke City is one of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park; the Beartooth Highway also connects Red Lodge, Montana, with Cooke City/Silver Gate at the Northeast Entrance. If you’re looking for hotels in Cooke City, you can start your search with a practical question: Should your stay focus mainly on access to the park, the drive over Beartooth Pass, or winter activities? These priorities lead to different planning decisions, even though they involve the same place.

Roads, Park Access, and the Beartooth Highway

The Beartooth Highway follows U.S. Highway 212 over Beartooth Pass. Dramatic switchbacks cross the Beartooth Range, and the route connects Red Lodge with Cooke City/Silver Gate. Its seasonal opening dates vary. If you’re planning to take this route, check the current road status before setting out. This helps distinguish a drive over the pass from access to Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance.

The Northeast Entrance Road is open year-round to visitor vehicle traffic and provides winter access to the communities of Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana, as well as Lamar Valley, one of the park’s main attractions. The road between Mammoth Hot Springs and the Northeast Entrance is typically open to regular traffic year-round, weather permitting; it closes east of Cooke City in winter. Planning therefore depends on the specific road segment and the season: year-round access to the entrance area does not mean that the road east of town is also open in winter. Weather, construction, and park conditions can also affect road access.

Winter and Summer in the Cooke City Area

The seasonal choice also makes a clear difference to the activities available. In winter, backcountry skiing and snowmobiling are possible in the Cooke City area; availability depends on conditions and providers. The Cooke City Travel Area includes groomed snowmobile trails, with loops over Daisy Pass, Fisher Creek, and the highway. Grooming and trail conditions vary seasonally, so it’s worth checking current conditions when planning your trip. Guided fishing trips in the Cooke City area, by contrast, are available in summer and fall; here too, offerings vary by season and provider. If you want to make a particular activity the focus of your stay, consider these seasonal differences when choosing your travel dates.

Local History and Fishing

The area’s history includes three communities: the permanent exhibits at the Cooke City Montana Museum, founded in 2014, are dedicated to Colter Pass, Cook City, and Silver Gate. Outside, the museum displays mining equipment, an authentic miner’s cabin, and an outhouse.

The Cooke City General Store also bears visible traces of its history: numerous original fixtures from the late 19th century have been preserved, including an original hand-cranked cash register. The Trout Rider Fly Shop is located inside the historic store. It offers current fishing reports, flies, lures, licenses, and other fishing gear. If you’re planning to stop specifically for this, check with the shop in advance for current details, as operating information can change.

Discover more destinations: Gardiner, Livingston, Pray.

For the main trip overview: Park.