Twin Lakes & Beartooth Basin
Twin Lakes
Glacial lakes in cirques below Beartooth Pass. The steep snowfields above the lakes host one of the rare summer ski areas in North America, which you can watch from the road.
Twin Lakes lies on the Wyoming side of the Beartooth Highway, a few kilometers northeast of Beartooth Pass, at about 2,900 m. Two cirque lakes sit beneath steep cirque walls, with ice floes still drifting on the water in early summer. Roadside viewpoints give a panoramic look. Above the lakes, the snowfields form the Beartooth Basin summer ski area, which typically opens only from June to early July, once the highway is clear. Simple surface lifts carry skiers up, making it one of the few summer ski areas in North America, and ski teams often train here. Even if you do not ski, watching people ski in short sleeves is entertaining. The air is thin, the UV is strong and the temperatures are low, so bring a warm jacket and sunglasses. The Beartooth Pass viewpoint is nearby and worth a stop.
Opening hours
Open with Beartooth Highway; ski area approx. June–early July
Nearby sights
- Beartooth Highway & Rock Creek Vista Point
- Beartooth Lake & Beartooth Butte
- Clay Butte Fire Lookout
- Red Lodge Mountain
- Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
- Red Lodge Historic District
- Smith Mine Historic District
- Bear Creek Saloon Pig Races