The Scenic Route to Yellowstone

Yellowstone is rightfully famous for being the first national park in the world, the animals, the geysers, and the scenery.  It is a park visited by millions of people yearly.  It is a park, that believe it or not, most people miss the best scenery.

Cody, Wyoming is the jumping off point for many on a journey to Yellowstone.  They head west and go into the park.  That is a scenic route.  It is nice.  But, I can tell you a better route from Cody......The Chief Joseph Highway.

Head north out of Cody and then follow the route Chief Joseph took over the mountains to the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone River.  The views here are spectacular and the crowds are much more sparse.

I found it to be very green.  The grasses at the edge of the mountains, the pines, and the views were all very green dominated.  The colors of spring and summer were everywhere.  People were not.

Follow this route and you would then enter the northeast entrance of the park near Cooke City which is where the Chief Joseph would take you.

I only had a few hours to enjoy the road myself.  Since leaving the Snowys after breakfast and sunrise images, I did not arrive in Cody until 4pm.  I drove and enjoyed the views from the Chief Joseph and made numerous stops.  However, I was feeling pressed for time because I was trying to get a camp set up and then driving up my real goal for taking this route ( and my next post)....The Beartooth Highway.