Lonesome Highway — Beartooth Plateau East Face to Sunlight Basin via Dead Indian Pass and Clarks Fork Divide
The Beartooth nobody drives — Absaroka raw and real.
Most people drive the Beartooth Highway and think they’ve seen the Beartooth. They haven’t. This route peels off the main corridor and drops into the real stuff — the Wyoming side east of Cooke City, running south from Dead Indian Pass down County Road 7FC into the Sunlight Basin. Dead Indian Pass itself sits at 8,048 feet and looks across into the Absaroka Range with a view that stops your hands on the wheel. The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone cuts a slot canyon below — one of the few unimpounded wild rivers in the lower 48 — and the basin floor is open sagebrush country rimmed by volcanic spires. The road stays on maintained gravel for much of the upper stretch before turning to rougher two-track near Sunlight Creek crossings.
The main route is manageable in a stock high-clearance 2WD in dry conditions, but spring runoff makes Sunlight Creek crossings genuinely dicey and demands 4WD. Side spurs into the basin require more capability. Best season is June through October, though early June can be wet and muddy. No permit. Fuel in Cody before heading out — Sunlight Basin has nothing. Dispersed camping is excellent throughout the Shoshone National Forest portion. This is grizzly country; act accordingly. You get solitude, technical drainage views, and a sense of the Absaroka that most Yellowstone visitors never experience.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Overland Route |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Mixed |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic, Water Crossings |
| Length (miles) | 44 mi / 70.8 km |
| Duration | 1-2 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 8048 ft |
| Best season | June-October |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 2WD dry / 4WD recommended |
| Nearest town | Cody, WY |
| Land manager | Shoshone National Forest — Clarks Fork Ranger District |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | Shoshone NF Clarks Fork Ranger District |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle this trail, or does it need a lift?
A stock high-clearance 4x4 like a Tacoma or 4Runner handles this fine in dry conditions. Wet or early-season mud on the descent toward Sunlight Basin gets slick fast — that's when 4WD low and decent all-terrains matter more than lift height.
When does the route actually open in spring and what closes it in fall?
Dead Indian Pass and the Clarks Fork Divide roads typically clear by mid-to-late June depending on snowpack — some years it's July before the upper sections are passable. Snow can return in September; October is a gamble. Check with Shoshone NF Clarks Fork Ranger District before heading out.
Do I need a permit to drive or camp on this route?
No permit required to drive the route. Dispersed camping in Shoshone National Forest follows standard rules — 14-day stay limit, 300 feet from water and trails, pack it out. No fees for dispersed sites.
What's the hardest section and what should I actually expect?
The descent off the Beartooth plateau's east face toward the Clarks Fork drainage is the crux — loose gravel, off-camber switchbacks, and eroded ruts after rain. Nothing that'll stop a capable rig driven carefully, but it punishes inattention and is no place to discover your brakes aren't sorted.
Are the water crossings on the Clarks Fork side actual drive-throughs or just wet road?
There are legitimate drive-through crossings on the lower Clarks Fork drainage sections — typically knee-deep or less in late summer, but significantly higher and faster in June and early July runoff. Check conditions locally in Cody before committing; there's zero cell service on the entire route to call for help if you get stuck mid-crossing.
Trail track
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