Sometimes it’s just nice to hop in the car and take a nice relaxing drive. Wyoming is a great state to do this because the panoramic views along the roadways are utterly breathtaking. This one highway that meanders through Wyoming is lightly trafficked and wildly underrated.
Chief Joseph Scenic Highway meanders through the northwestern part of the state throughout Park County.
Wikimedia/David Benbennick
This scenic highway is known by several names such as Sunlight Basin Road, Wyoming Highway 296 and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway.
Wikimedia/Vishwin60
The route is a 47-mile drive that takes a minimum of 1 hour.
Flickr/Mark Goebel
The highway follows the route taken by Chief Joseph as he led the Nez Perce Indians out of Yellowstone and into Montana as they were fleeing from the U.S. Calvary and trying to escape into Canada.
Wikimedia/Orlando S. Goff
The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway connects the town of Cody to the Beartooth Highway and on to the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Flickr/Antoine 49
After you leave Yellowstone National Park through the northeast entrance, the left fork of this road is the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. The right fork is Beartooth Highway.
Flickr/Shiny Things
The route follows the Clarks Fork River Valley through the Shoshone National Forest between the Beartooth Mountains to the north and the Absaroka Mountains to the south.
Flickr/jodene e
The road passes right through the picturesque Sunlight Basin.
Flickr/Carfull…home in Mongolia
Chief Joseph Scenic Highway crosses Sunlight Creek Bridge which is the highest in Wyoming.
Wikimedia/U.S. Forest Service
The bridge crosses over Sunlight Creek.
Flickr/Antoine 49
Check out the beautiful view from the top of Dead Indian Pass.
Wikimedia/Smallchief
There are many interesting and diverse geological formations along the route.
Flickr/Tim Lumley
The entire drive is along a well-maintained paved road.
Flickr/Antoine 49
For another scenic drive, check out There’s Nothing Else In The World Quite Like This Spectacular Scenic Drive In Wyoming.
Wikimedia/David Benbennick
Wikimedia/Vishwin60
Flickr/Mark Goebel
Wikimedia/Orlando S. Goff
Flickr/Antoine 49
Flickr/Shiny Things
Flickr/jodene e
Flickr/Carfull…home in Mongolia
Wikimedia/U.S. Forest Service
Wikimedia/Smallchief
Flickr/Tim Lumley
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