Beartooth Highway
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, WY

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness derives its name from the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountain Ranges. The Absarokas are named after the Crow Indians (Absaroka being the Indian name for Crow) who inhabited much of south-central Montana prior to the white man's entrance into the area. The Beartooth Mountains were named after the likeness between a jagged mountain peak in the range and a bear's tooth.

The Beartooth Primitive Area (225,855 acres) and the Absaroka Primitive Area (64,000 acres), plus a considerable amount of roadless lands surrounding these two areas, now form the Wilderness. The primitive areas were originally set aside during 1932 to protect their natural state.