July 2018 — The Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is a gorgeous scenic drive that forks off of the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming. It’s not as well known as the Beartooth Highway, but the views are jaw-dropping.
Views on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway near Yellowstone in Wyoming
We had driven the Beartooth Highway several times as an out-and-back trip from Red Lodge, Montana, our mouths forming a permanent “Wow!” every time we drove it.
And each time we passed the turn-off from the Beartooth Highway onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway we craned our necks, wondering what that other scenic drive was like.
The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway wanders through the mountains.
After spending a very special 4th of July in Cody, Wyoming, we used that town as a home base to drive the gorgeous Chief Joseph Scenic Byway out to where it interesects with the Beartooth Highway and back again.
We loved it so much we drove it a few more times, catching it in a different light on each drive.
Not far from the start of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (which is about 17 miles northwest of Cody), we rounded a bend and were shocked to see some huge outcroppings of red rocks. It was a little touch of Utah right there in Wyoming!
Turning a big sweeping corner we came across some red rocks peeking out of the greenery.
We think of Wyoming as being home to tall craggy mountains and woods and open grasslands. What a beautiful surprise to see red rocks glowing orange in the late afternoon sun.
At the golden hour just before sunset the red rocks lit up in vivid shades of orange.
The rain had fallen so consistently for so many weeks during the spring that everything in Wyoming was green and lush. The red rock hillsides were partially covered in a thick layer of tall grasses and green trees. From a distance it almost looked like moss.
Intense rains had made the grass surrounding and growing on the red rocks very lush.
From a distance the greenery may have resembled moss, but these red cliffs are immense and you can see evergreen trees growing on the hillsides.
We got out of the truck and wandered around on the hillsides for a while. An old, bleached tree trunk looked like it had it’s arms outstretched to the heavens!
It’s Julie Andrews singing “The hills are alive with the sound of music!”
Another bare tree trunk finds new life among the red rocks.
A little further on we came to a fabulous overlook at the Dead Indian Summit. There is a big viewing platform and the view is out of this world.
At Dead Indian Summit the views went on forever.
We could see the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway snaking through switchbacks into the valley below.
The Chief Joseph Scenic Byway wanders down into the valley with lots of switchbacks.
We had arrived in late afternoon, and the view was backlit by the sun. We thought this overlook might look best in the morning with the early morning light filling all the nooks and crannies, so we got out of bed before dawn one morning to catch the sunrise at the summit overlook.
We needed cloud cover in the west that would pick up the beautiful colors of sunrise slightly after the sun rose in the east. But we wondered if we’d done the right thing as an incredible sunrise developed behind our backs, mostly blocked by a large berm. Arghh!!
However, just as we were giving up and figuring we’d blown it and the sunrise was going to be a one-part-of-the-sky-only event, suddenly the clouds to the west in front of us began to turn a soft pink.
Same Dead Indian Summit view at sunrise!
It turned out to be well worth the pre-coffee driving adventure to get there in time for this celestial show, and we were so glad we hadn’t given up and had stuck around long enough to let the sunrise creep across the sky from east to west.
It was soooo worth getting out of a warm bed to come witness this sunrise!
Mark hung out on a cliff getting great pics.
As the sun rose higher, the mountaintops lit up and wild daisies began to slow dance in the soft breeze.
Once the sun crested the horizon the distance peaks lit up in delightful contrast to the big yellow daisies at my feet.
The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway is a dramatic drive through the mountains, and we savored every view. Fortunately there are lots of pullouts where you can stop to take pics!
The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway offers many glorious vistas.
But some of the best experiences were down the dirt roads and hiking trails that wander away from the main drag.
We enjoyed hiking a few of the trails and dirt roads.
While we preferred hiking on our own two feet (or four paws), others were out on horseback. We bumped into a group of cowboys who had just done a cattle roundup on the other side of the mountain.
These cattle ranchers had just finished rounding up a herd of cows!
Everywhere we went along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway the wildflowers were out sunning themselves, giving the landscape a colorful and cheery air.
Colorful bouquets created by a divine hand.
We took a gazillion photos, and couldn’t fit them all into one blog post. So here are a few more!
Buddy and I wandered into the flowers to get a closer look (and take pics!).
Buddy gives Mark a sly look as he takes his pic!
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There were yellow daisies with yellow centers and with brown centers — all kinds of yellow daisies!
Such cool patterns.
I couldn’t have planted such a beautiful garden if I tried!
The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway eventually connects to the Beartooth Highway, and we couldn’t resist driving a little of that majestic scenic drive once again. Such gorgeous vistas!
An incredible view on the Beartooth Highway!
The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River was running fast and free.
Right out of a brochure.
A waterfall cascade caught our eye as we drove over a bridge.
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Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere on the Beartooth Highway. What luck!
At the tiny village of Cooke City we stopped to stroll around. There are a few boutique shops and cute eateries. Buddy saw his first grizzly bear up close outside one store. Luckily it was stuffed!
“My, what big teeth you have!”
If you are traveling to Yellowstone National Park, save a few days to drive the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway out of Cody, Wyoming, and/or the Beartooth Highway out of Red Lodge, Montana.
Or, if you want to do it all in one day, do a circle loop that includes both scenic drives (map link below) using Red Lodge, Cody or Cooke-City as a starting and ending point.
Sunset on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
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More info about the Chief Joseph Highway:
- Info about Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
- RV Camping in Cody, Wyoming
- Map of Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
- Map of the Circle Loop that takes in both the Beartooth and Chief Joseph Highways
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