Sixty-four miles from Red Lodge, after crossing back into Montana, the Beartooth Highway enters Cooke City. Originally a gold-mining camp, Cooke City is now the northeastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park. The Northeast Entrance to the Park is four miles west of town.   This entrance to Yellowstone National Park is the least traveled, with just a few hundred cars entering every year, primarily because the Beartooth Highway is only open between the end of May thru mid-October.

So this tour wasn’t over yet, after the excitement of the Beartooth Scenic Highway,  the first USA national park became the  next target on the tour.  Yellowstone National Park, offers more natural hot springs and geysers than anywhere in North America.  Yellowstone National Park is considered the crown-jewel of the Rocky Mountains.  The tour route traveled through the famed Lamar Valley, which offers outstanding opportunities to view grizzly bear, black bear, elk, mule deer, moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, pronghorn antelope and the re-introduced gray wolf.
The weather for the day was as hoped, just great.  The sun and low humidity was ideal for the drive.  And our route, indeed did not get encumbered by traffic or crowds. We stopped, before leaving Yellowstone National Park, at Mammoth Hot Springs for ice cream.  It was a welcome break, out of the saddle.  Here in the northwest corner of the park is a large hot spring complex near Fort Yellowstone, now called Mammoth Hot Springs, which is a former United States Army base, and currently serving as the administrative headquarters for Yellowstone National Park.  Terrace Mountain at Mammoth Hot Springs is the largest known carbonate-depositing spring in the world, but due to a recent minor earthquake, the spring vent has shifted, rendering the terraces dry.

Gardiner, in Southwest Montana, is at the North entrance to Yellowstone National Park and is the Park's only year round entrance. With the Yellowstone River running through it, the town is nestled in Paradise Valley. Gardiner has the atmosphere of a quaint western town, complete with Yellowstone Elk meandering through town.

The final stretch of the tour left Mammoth, then thru the Roosevelt Arch.  The arch at the Yellowstone north Entrance, was dedicated by Presient Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.  The arch is visible two miles north of Gardiner.  Gardiner is the Park’s only year round entrance.  With the Yellowstone River running through it, the town is nestled in Paradise Valley.  Gardiner is a quaint western town, that has elk meandering through town.  We then headed downstream along the Yellowstone River route of Highway 89.  Paradise Valley extends from the Yellowstone Park gateway at the south end, to historic Livingston on the north.  Appropriately named, this region is a "paradise" to Montana and to the Rocky Mountains. Providing a unique backdrop of snowcapped peaks, the valley features beautiful ranchlands, the flowing Yellowstone river, spring creeks and abundant wildlife.  Bounded by the majestic Absaroka-Beartooth mountains on the east, the Gallatin Range on the west, the valley follows the meandering waters of the Yellowstone River.  Today, the Yellowstone River still flows free, the longest river in the 48 contiguous states without a dam. The Paradise Valley is home to some of the state's finest "blue-ribbon" fisheries.  Travel guides accurately discuss: Anglers from around the world travel to Paradise Valley to fish its pristine waters. World class big game hunting, whitewater rafting, kayaking, wildlife viewing and photography, hiking, camping and horseback riding are just a few of the unlimited recreational opportunities available in this valley.

After the many miles, (from Bozeman thru the loop to Livingston 323 
miles) the group of Minis stopped for a final gathering in Livingston before we dispersed.  We were tired, but we really didn’t want the tour to end, but it had.  That is when we began to look forward to a tour next year.

By: Russ and Betty - motoring@inbox.com

A YouTube Video of Mini’s on the BearTooth 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjeEv8_87_E

And another YouTube video of Mini’s on the Beartooth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5LVdN9Wk8

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