Chief Joseph Highway
Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, also known as Sunlight Basin Road, is an often missed yet unforgettable alternative to Beartooth Highway. Enjoy this magnificent byway by taking your time to pull out in turnouts and take in unbelievable vistas of over 1,000 foot granite walls and to catch up on your Native American history.
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Cooke City - Yellowstone's Hidden Treasure
Just outside the Park's northeast entrance, experience unspoiled beauty, rich in wildlife, abundant in family activities & adventure, all at affordable rates for everyone.
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Chief Joseph Scenic Highway technically begins north of Cody, Wyoming at the intersection of Highway 296 and Highway 120. Highway 120 will access Red Lodge, Montana to the north or Cody to the south. Follow Highway 296 north over the 8,000 foot summit of Dead Indian Pass and follow seven switchbacks down to the rim of the Clark's Fork gorge. The scenic byway runs a total of 46 miles through magical Sunlight Basin, along the Clark's Fork of Yellowstone River until it intersects with Highway 212, the Beartooth Highway.
Chief Joseph Scenic Highway offers great opportunities for hiking and viewing landscapes and wildlife. Enjoy stunning views of the Beartooth's to the north and the Absoroka's to the south as well as over 1,000 foot cliffs that drop into the Clark's Fork gorge below. Bring your binoculars as elk, mule deer, and mountain goats frequent the area.
Hikers will find numerous opportunities to explore the backcountry for single or multi-day trips. Along the canyon rim, a fantastic day hike starts right across from the Hunter Peak Campground in the Shoshone National Forest. The campground is located on Highway 296, about five miles from its intersection with Highway 212. For water enthusiasts, fishing for trout is common along the quieter banks of the river and expert boaters are invited to challenge themselves to a whitewater ride of their lifetime.
Make sure to experience a unique history lesson by checking out the historical markers at most turnouts. You will learn about how in 1877 Chief Joseph led almost 1,000 Nez Perce tribe members over 1,000 miles of mountainous terrain to escape U.S. cavalry and the governments ploy to restrain them to a reservation. The trail that they took toward the Canadian border, Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, is now part of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.
As you visit Yellowstone and surrounding areas, make sure to experience the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and enjoy the beauty and remoteness hidden within this amazing gorge.
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