The
Beartooth Mountains are located in south central
Montana and northwest
Wyoming,
U.S. and are part of the 900,000 acre (3,600 km
2)
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within
Custer,
Gallatin and
Shoshone National Forests. The Beartooths are the location of
Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet (3,904 m) is the highest point in the state of Montana. The mountains are just northeast of
Yellowstone National Park and are part of the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The mountains are traversed by road via the
Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212) with the highest elevation at
Beartooth Pass (10,947 ft, 3,345 m). The name of the mountain range is attributed to a rugged peak found in the range, Beartooth Peak, that has the appearance of a bear's tooth. The Beartooth Mountains sit upon the larger Beartooth Plateau, the largest true high elevation plateau in the United States.