Gardner Lake Overlook

Gardner Lake Overlook is a roadside pullout on US 212 above Gardner Lake, looking into a high alpine cirque. It makes an easy stop for the lake-and-mountain view; you can take it in without hiking. Reaching the shore is a different outing: the trail drops about 580 feet over roughly three-quarters of a mile, so budget for a steep climb back up.

Rocky cirque walls rise above the lake, with Gardner Headwall in the wider view. The pullout is also a place to look for Bear’s Tooth, the rock formation associated with the highway’s name. For a photo, keep some lake along the lower edge and include the enclosing slopes; the basin is what gives the view its scale.

The pullout is also an access point for the Beartooth Loop. The initial walk toward the lake loses about 580 feet in three-quarters of a mile, then you have to regain that elevation on the way back. The longer route continues across alpine and subalpine terrain; published distances vary, so check the route details before committing. For hikes in the Beartooth corridor, official guidance is to carry bear spray and know how to use it.

Beartooth Highway generally opens around Memorial Day and closes around October 15, with weather controlling both ends; snow can linger at high elevations into July. Check current road conditions before setting out. I couldn’t confirm food, drinking water, or restrooms at this pullout, so don’t plan on those services.