Beartooth Highway, MT · WY
A high-country traverse to Wolverine Pass through wildflower meadows.
Overview
Lost Wolverine Trail #113 is an 11.7-mile point-to-point route from the Trail #23 junction west to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness boundary. It crosses high meadows toward Wolverine Pass, and the full walk is a big day: plan on roughly seven to eight hours, steep grade changes and elevations near 9,700 feet. It does not loop back to your start, so decide on the return before you go.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Beartooth Highway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Beartooth Highway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Beartooth Highway audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
A 2026 trail crew described wildflowers in the meadows and a broad opening below Mount Abundance, with Wolverine Creek winding across it. Slow down there: the creek and mountain make the route’s best photo stop. The crew also described brushing overgrown sections, cutting back limbs and cleaning water bars; that records recent maintenance, not today’s trail condition.
At the top of Wolverine Pass, the wilderness boundary is marked by signs mounted high on trees to discourage snowmobiles from crossing into wilderness in winter. The signs explain a local boundary detail; they are not evidence of a hiker closure. The route is a long, remote-feeling mountain traverse, so the logistics at both ends matter as much as the scenery.
The mapped start at the Trail #23 junction is approximate; public parking and dependable vehicle access at either end could not be verified. The same corridor can be walked from the western end near the Trail #104 junction, but arrange a return before setting out.
Wildlife
42 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
49 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
122 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
260 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
16 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Beartooth Highway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateHenderson Mountain Trail #5792.9 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA short, high-country walk above Cooke City.
ModerateBlack Warrior Trail #5781.9 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA rough-track climb from Miller Creek Road to near Daisy Pass.
ModerateSheep Creek Basin Trail #5765.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.1 mi awayA high-country climb to a basin above 9,000 feet.
ChallengingLower Aero Lake Trail11.3 mi · 7.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA long climb to an island-studded lake beneath sharp alpine peaks
ModerateCompanion Lake Trail7.5 mi · 4 hr · 2.3 mi awayA high alpine lake at the end of a long forest approach.
EasyLady of the Lake Trail #314 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA creek bridge and old cabin lead to an alpine lake.
ModerateWoody Falls Trail2.7 mi · 1.8 hr · 2.8 mi awayThree tiers of waterfall reward the short uphill walk.
EasySoda Butte Creek Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.8 mi awayA short historic-route walk on gravel east of Cooke City.
Visitor center · 2.6 mi awayCooke City Visitor Center and MuseumNine touchscreens bring Cooke City's local history to life.
Store · 2.7 mi awayCooke City StoreA working mercantile still uses its hand-crank cash register.
Campground · 2.9 mi awaySoda Butte CampgroundA quiet, wooded base near Cooke City and Yellowstone’s northeast entrance.
Campground · 3.6 mi awayColter CampgroundA hard-sided-only campground two miles east of Cooke City.
Picnic area · 5 mi awayClarks Fork Picnic AreaA riverside pause with a little highway and flume history.
Campground · 8.1 mi awayFox Creek CampgroundSleep under conifers with Pilot and Index Peaks in view.Parkwolf’s Beartooth Highway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
