History with Phil: The scenic Beartooth Highway

The Beartooth Highway in Montana and Wyoming stands as one of the most ambitious and dangerous road-building projects of the early 20th century.

Constructed between 1932 and 1936, it was driven by a desire to connect the town of Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park and to stimulate tourism during the depths of the Great Depression. Though celebrated today for its breathtaking beauty, the highway’s construction came at a human cost, with several workers losing their lives in the harsh and unforgiving conditions.

The idea for the road gained traction in the 1920s, when local boosters and business leaders pushed for a direct route into Yellowstone. Among the strongest advocates was Dr. J.C. Siegfried of Red Lodge, who envisioned a scenic highway that would draw visitors from across the country. Congress eventually approved funding in 1931 under legislation aimed at improving access to national parks, and surveys soon confirmed that the route would cross some of the most rugged terrain in the Northern Rockies.

Construction began in 1932, providing much-needed jobs during the Great Depression. Hundreds of men were employed to carve a road through the Beartooth Mountains, often working at elevations approaching 11,000 feet. The environment posed constant challenges: thin air, sudden snowstorms, and a construction season limited to just a few months each year. Workers used dynamite, hand tools and early heavy machinery to blast through rock and build the highway’s famous switchbacks.

The danger was ever-present. Steep cliffs, unstable rock faces and primitive equipment made accidents inevitable. Historical accounts indicate that at least a handful of workers died during construction, though exact numbers vary due to incomplete records. Some were killed in blasting accidents, when explosives detonated unpredictably or rockslides followed. Others fell from steep grades or were injured by heavy equipment operating under precarious conditions. In such a remote area, medical help was often far away and injuries that might have been survivable elsewhere proved fatal.

Despite these risks, construction progressed rapidly. Crews worked long hours in difficult weather, motivated by steady wages during a time when employment was scarce. By 1936, the highway was completed — on schedule and under budget. It officially opened to the public in June of that year, immediately earning a reputation as one of the most spectacular drives in America.

The finished highway stretches roughly 68 miles, climbing from the plains near Red Lodge to the high alpine plateau of Beartooth Pass. Engineers designed a series of tight switchbacks to navigate the steep ascent, creating dramatic views of peaks, glaciers and alpine lakes. The route follows, in part, pathways used for centuries by Native American tribes and later by explorers.

Maintaining the highway has always been nearly as challenging as building it. Heavy snowfall — often measuring dozens of feet — forces the road to close each winter, typically reopening only in late spring after extensive plowing. Even today, crews face avalanche risks and rapidly changing weather while keeping the road safe for travelers.

In the broader context, the Beartooth Highway represents a hallmark of Depression-era infrastructure: a project designed to provide jobs, boost tourism and showcase the nation’s natural beauty. Yet behind its sweeping vistas lies a story of human endurance and sacrifice. The men who built it worked in isolation and danger, and some paid with their lives. Their efforts transformed a remote mountain landscape into a lasting public treasure.