The Beartooth area serves as the northeastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park and is home to the Beartooth Scenic Highway, consistently rated one of the most scenic mountain drives in America, offering stunning vistas. Recreational opportunities abound, including hiking, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, camping, downhill, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Visitors at camping facilities and picnic areas provide popular jumping-off spots for day hikes into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

There are over 300 lakes in the Beartooth Ranger District and there are 10 major sub-alpine tundra plateaus. Tucked away in the rugged mountains, over 700 glaciers can still be found in the area. The Beartooth Mountains are home to the highest 41 peaks in Montana, including Granite Peak, which is the highest at 12,799 feet.