US highway endpoint at Yellowstone's northeast entrance

1939-present
The northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park was first served by a US highway in 1939, when the US 12 designation was extended southwest from Miles City to Silver Gate, via Billings and Red Lodge:
Picture
c. 1951, Gousha
That lasted about 20 years, until the route of US 12 was changed to run west from Forsyth (as it does today).  In 1959, US 312 was commissioned to serve US 12's former corridor from Forsyth to Silver Gate.  Here is a map illustrating that, as well as that agenda item from the minutes of AASHO's 1959 meeting:
Picture
c. 1960, Gousha
Then, just two years later, the route of US 212 was changed: it was truncated at Broadus MT, and instead of heading north from there to Miles City, it went west via its current path.  So the route from Billings to Silver Gate became a part of the extended US 212, and the west end of US 312 was cut back to Billings.  Here is that item from the 1961 application to AASHO:​
US 312 was completely decommissioned in 1981, but US 212 continues to serve the northeast entrance to Yellowstone.  These photos show the signs at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone:
Picture
Elbert, summer 2003
Picture
Teresco, July 2003
Over the years that point has marked the east end of US 12, US 212, and US 312.  Here is the first eastbound US 212 sign:
Picture
Elbert, July 2009
That was actually within the Park boundary, which is strange, since officially there are no US routes within the Park.  The first "conventional" trailblazer is about 16 miles east of there:
Picture
Elbert, July 2009
US 212 through this part of the country is a spectacular drive.  Part of its route is shown on this postcard:
That is looking northeast down the Rock Creek Valley towards Red Lodge.  Westbound 212 comes up the valley at left and negotiates four hairpins before ascending the flanks of the Beartooth Mountains at right.  After crossing those, the road descends into the valley of Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, and then crosses the Absaroka Range via Colter Pass before dropping down again into Yellowstone Park itself.  The segment between there and Beartooth Pass is closed during the snowy months.
Research and/or photo credits: Chris Elbert; Dale Sanderson; Jim Teresco
Page originally created 2003;
last updated Jan. 30, 2021.