Driving Tours
Driving Tours Listings: (add your listing)
Virtual Tour Guide: GPS enabled Yellowstone Tour
Available in ALL park gateways. The GPS guide features location specific info as you drive. Learn about widlife, ecology & the geysers.
(877) 735-3868
Other Related Listings: (add your listing)
SeeYellowstone Van Tours of Yellowstone Park
Ensuring your comfort and satisfaction, we bring the most famous sights of Yellowstone to life for a very fun-filled and affordable daily tour. Based in West Yellowstone.
(800) 221-1151
Hot Spring
© Vertical Media
East Yellowstone Loop
US Highway 14-16-20, the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the scenic Wapiti Valley to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The route is known for its abundant wildlife, astonishing rock formations, and recreational opportunities. Six miles west of Cody the highway skirts Buffalo Bill Reservoir, a source of excellent trout fishing, and location of Buffalo Bill State Park. The Park has facilities for camping, picnicking, boating, and windsurfing.
Beyond the reservoir, the highway enters the Shoshone National Forest. The Shoshone was set aside in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve. One of the oldest Forest Service ranger stations is situated in the Wapiti Valley. A stop at the visitor center near the station will provide you with a brief history of the area, as well as locations of campgrounds and trails. Ask for information about current grizzly bear activity and about precautions to take while in bear country.
As its Indian name implies, The Wapiti Valley is home for the wapiti, or elk as well as the grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, moose, deer, and other wildlife. A sharp eye might spot these animals feeding along the banks of streams, on grassy benchlands, and on brushy slopes. Buffalo Bill Cody built his hunting lodge, Pahaska Tepee, here beneath a sheltering cliff. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wapiti Valley is home to fourteen beautiful, historic lodges offering full-service accommodations, nightly or monthly. Any of these lodges may be used as home-base while touring all of Cody Country and enjoying Cody's many fine attractions.
At the head of the Wapiti Valley the highway enters Yellowstone National Park. If you choose to take the loop through the eastern half of the Park to the Northeast Enterence, you will pass Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Tower Falls, all within the Park. Pamphlets available at the entrance tell of Yellowstone's natural splendors.
Upon leaving the Northeast Enterance of the Park, the US Highway 212 connects the historic gold-mining towns of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana. Traveling eastward, services are limited for 50 miles, so consider taking advantage of the services here.
From Cooke City you will trace the route taken by Chief Josheph and the Nez Perce Indians in 1877 as they fled the US Army. The section of highway passes through broad sweeps of forest, wide open meadows, and benchlands dotted with aspen and sagebrush. Thirteen miles past Cook City you will leave US 212 and follow Wyoming Highway 296 - the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Here, the highway drops into the valley of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, where the river has carved a spectacular 1200 foot gorge between the granite Beartooth Plateau to the north and the volcanic Absaroka Mountains to the south. Several thousand elk spend their summers in the northern part of Yellowstone and migrate here each fall for winter forage. This habitat is also crucial to the survival of the grizzly bear.
A short distance beyond the crossing of the Clarks Fork, the road skirts the limestone Cathedral Cliffs. Watch for moose and waterfowl feeding in the Swamp Lake Botanical Area nestled at the base of the cliffs.
The highway crosses Sunlight Creek on the highest bridge in Wyoming. You may want to stop in the parking area and walk back across the bridge for a startling view of the canyon. If you have time to spare, take the well-traveled dirt road that turns west 1/8 mile past the bridge for a look at the broad valleys and rugged steeps of Sunlight Basin. If not, you will continue on Wyoming 296, and begin the climb over Dead Indian Hill, which offers dramatic vistas of the Clarks Fork Canyon and Sunlight Basin.
Past the summit of Dead Indian Pass, the road ribbons down the eastern slope, onto the flats, and across the Two Dot Ranch, a historic cattle operation. Heart Mountain dominates the eastern view as you turn south on Wyoming 120 to Cody.
Big Horn Mountain Loop
US Alternate 14 (not open year-round, check current status) wanders northeast through irrigated farmland, the product of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir irrigation project, to the town of Powell. Powell is the agricultural hub of northwestern Wyoming and home of Northwest College Alternate 14 continues to the town of Lovell and across the head of Bighorn Lake.
Stop just outside Lovell at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Visitor Center. In this solar visitor center, the National Park Service provides information and interpretation of the area, its history and wildlife. Shortly beyond the visitor center, turn North on Wyoming 37 for a side trip to the Bighorn Canyon and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, home to mote than 120 free-roaming wild horses. Devils Canyon Overlook, 17 miles from the turnoff, gives you a spectacular view over the edge to the steep, colorful canyon walls and Bighorn Lake at the bottom. The Recreation Area offers fishing, boating, water-skiing, camping and hiking.
Follow US 14A to Burgess Junction. Half- way between Bighorn Lake and the junction, a three mile road accesses the Medicine Wheel, a mysterious 74 foot stone circle with 28 spokes. Some think that the wheel had religious or astronomical implications to an ancient Indian Sh.11 '"I, tribe. This wheel was present even before the Crow Indians arrived in the area in 1776.
At Burgess Junction, you will turn south onto US 14, and wind down the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains toward the town of Greybull. This drive offers views of lush meadow- lands, sightings of wildlife, and the wonders of Shell Canyon Be sure to stop at Shell Falls, where Shell Creek cascades down a steep pitch of granite.
The town of Greybull derives its name from a legendary albino bison bull said to be sacred to the Indians. The country surrounding the town may seem barren, but it shelters some of the world's finest dinosaur fossil beds. US Highway 14-16-20 continues west to Cody through the badlands grazed by cattle and sheep since the days of early settlers. This approach to Cody offers a view of the Absaroka's jagged ridges to the west, and of Heart Mountain, Cody Country's sentinel, to the north.
South Fork Trip
Wyoming 291 begins from the Yellowstone Highway 11/2 miles west of the Historical Center, skirts Cedar Mountain, then continues toward the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The route continues through the scenic valley of the South Fork of the Shoshone River where Castle Rock, a prominent volcanic intrusion, stands. The rugged pyramids of the Washakie Wilderness tower over the valley floor, where working ranches carry on the old traditions. Among these is Buffalo Bill Cody's original TE Ranch, which was built in 1895.
Dude ranching had its origin here in 1915 at Valley Ranch. Larry Larom, one of the founders of Valley Ranch, was instrumental in the formation of the Dude Ranchers' Association and served as its president from 1926 to 1944. Valley Ranch's first guests were from the East, where most were listed on New York's Social Register. Families would arrive via the Northern Pacific Railroad and stay for weeks or even months at a time. In 1922, Valley Ranch offered educational facilities for boys, and by 1925, Valley Ranch School was one of only three institutions in the Rocky Mountain area where College Entrance Examination Boards were given. Due to the recession, Valley School ceased operation in 1934. Valley Ranch is now privately owned.
The South Fork is the wintering ground for one of the largest herds of bighorn sheep in America, and provides forage for herds of pronghorn antelope, elk, and deer as well. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Deer Creek campground near the end of the South Fork road. Make sure you have a full gas tank, as no services are available on this remote, dead-end road.
Big Horn Basin Loop
Follow Wyoming Highway 120 south through 30 miles of broken range and badlands to Meeteetse, a town that has maintained its early day character and charm. Turn southwest on Wyoming 290 for a sidetrip up the lovely Wood River Valley. Look for moose in the river bottom and elk on the hillsides. The Wood River Ski Touring Park lies at the head of the valley at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Over 25 kilometers of groomed ski trails and long season with ample snow make this area a cross-country ski haven in winter. The touring park is open for use seven days a week during the ski season.
You may also continue up the Greybull River to the Jack Creek trailhead. This is one of the many access points to the millions of acres of wilderness in the Shoshone National Forest. To the northeast is the Palette Ranch, home of the first superintendent of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, A.A. Anderson. Anderson was an artist as well as a leading conservationist of the time. In the forest, not too far from here, Anderson built an elaborate lodge as a retreat and mountain studio. The lodge is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
To continue the main loop, travel south on Wyoming 120 to Thermopolis, home of the world's largest free-flowing hot springs. Hot Springs State Park offers mineral hot pools and bathhouse. A large bison herd roams the prairie in the State Park. The Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Dig Sites is also in Thermopolis.
US 20 north from Thermopolis takes you through rich farm and ranch land of the Bighorn River Valley to the town of Worland, agricultural hub of the area. From Worland, travel US 16 east to the small town of Ten Sleep nestled at the base of the spectacular Bighorn Mountains. Some claim that Ten Sleep was named after the Indian method of measuring distance by the number of nights spent traveling from one point to another.
At Ten Sleep turn north on the Nowood Road. This road skirts the base of the Bighorn Mountains and joins Wyoming 31. If you have the time, visit the quaint historic ranching town of Hyattville. Turn west on Wyoming 31 to Manderson. From Manderson, US 16-20 follows the Bighorn River north to the small agricultural town of Basin. At Basin, take Wyoming 30 west through the fertile ranch and farmlands of Greybull River Valley. At the junction with State Highway 120 turn north to Cody.
Beartooth Loop
Wyoming Highway 120 leads north from Cody through rolling grasslands and skirts Heart Mountain, a prominent landmark in the area. Sixteen miles north of Cody, turn onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Wyoming Highway 296, cross historic Two Dot Ranch, and wind your way to the top of Dead Indian Hill. From the overlook at the summit, Sunlight Basin, the North Absaroka Wilderness, the Clarks Fork Canyon and the Beartooth Plateau present a panorama of soaring heights, plunging canyons, vast valleys and benchlands.
For a rewarding trip, turn onto the Sunlight Basin Road. The gravel road up Sunlight Creek may allow you glimpses of coyote and badger hunting the broad flats, or of moose, browsing on willows along the creek bottom. As you view the rolling hills surrounding the Sunlight Ranger Station, you are seeing some of the finest elk winter range in the world. In 1936, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the station's facilities with a careful eye to the surrounding environment. Check at the ranger station for information on trails, camping, hunting, fishing, and for the latest reports on bear activity.
Back on Wyoming 296, continue westward over the Sunlight Creek Bridge. This single-span is the highest bridge in Wyoming. As you near the crossing of the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River, the limestone spires of Cathedral Cliffs buttress the land south of the road. Watch the moose and waterfowl in the Swamp Lake Botanical Area nestled at the base of the cliffs. To the north and east, the Clark's Fork has carved a spectacular 1200 foot gorge between the granitic Bearrooth Plateau and the volcanic Absaroka Mountains.
Pilot and Index Peaks dominate the view to the west as you near the junction with US 212. From their towering stance near the boundary of Yellowstone National Park, the peaks remind us that nature knows no boundaries. The wildlife that roam the broad sweep of forest and benchland at their base depends on wise conservation practices in all parts of Greater Yellowstone Area, including the Shoshone National Forest.
Turn right on US 212, the Beartooth Highway, dubbed by commentator Charles Kuralt as "the number one scenic highway in the United States." Plan to take the dirt road to Clay Butte Fire Lookout, eight miles from the junction with Wyoming 296. The 360 degree view from the tower is one you will long remember. Glimpse lofty peaks, emerald valleys, and sparkling lakes nor seen from the main highway Trailers are nor recommended on this road, but parking for trailers is available at Beartooth Lake a few miles beyond the Lookout. Clay Butte is host to a wide variety of wildflowers Look for their lush growth along the road to the tower, and admire the vast carpet of blue, pink, and yellow along the ridge leading from the tower into the wilderness.
As you continue toward Red Lodge, Montana, Beartooth Lake welcomes you to the Beartooth Plateau. Beartooth Butte, a fortress of limestone and sandstone rising from the shore of the lake, is one of the last remnants of sedimentary layers which once capped the Beartooth Range Hike from Beartooth Lake or from Island Lake, three miles farther up the road, into the alpine tundra zone where winter is never far away Ponds and lakes scattered like dark gems across the landscape fill depressions carved by ancient glaciers. Most of the lakes have brook trout and some have Rocky Mountain grayling, rainbow, brown, cutthroat, or golden trout.
Beartooth Pass, the highest motor crossing in Wyoming, reaches an elevation of 10,947 feet. The spectacle of Rock Creek Canyon unfolds as you weave along the pass toward Red Lodge. In the panorama of crags, steeples, plunging canyons, snowfields and glaciers, look for the Bear's Tooth, the spire that gave the entire range its name.
Red Lodge, a historic mining town, now a ranching recreation center, is a friendly place to stop and rest after the climb down the mountain To continue the loop, rum east at Red Lodge onto Montana 308 and proceed through the old coal-mining town of Bear Creek to Belfry At Belfry you will turn south on Montana 72 which becomes Wyoming 120 at the state line. Follow the base of the Beartooth Mountains past the yawning mouth of the Clark's Fork Canyon, and proceed into Cody.
- content from Park County Travel Council & Cody Wyoming Chamber of Commerce
64F
