The standard route up the namesake mountain of the Beartooth Range, a long approach to Black Canyon Lake followed by a straightforward finish across the summit plateau.
From the Lake Fork Rock Creek Trailhead, a trail leads toward Black Canyon Lake, a multi-mile approach over boulder-strewn shoreline that most parties use as a base camp. From the south end of the lake, the route climbs the drainage to the saddle between Beartooth Mountain and neighboring Avalanche Peak (Peak 12,000+), a climb of a few hundred feet onto the summit plateau. From the saddle it is a straightforward walk northeast across the flat summit plateau to Beartooth Mountain's high point at its southeast edge; round trip from a Black Canyon Lake camp to the summit and back is reported at around six hours.