Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Congress designated Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming in 1891 as the first national forest established in the country. Encompassing over 2.4 million acres of diverse terrain, it spans a variety of ecosystems. It includes alpine meadows, mountain ranges, dense forests, and grasslands.

The Absaroka mountain range stretches across the eastern boundary of Shoshone National Forest. This range includes several peaks over 12,000 feet. The Shoshone River runs 100 miles from the Absarokas through the national forest.

The Beartooth Mountain Range also extends into the Shoshone National Forest, forming part of the northeastern boundary of the forest. It’s known for its towering peaks, including Granite Peak, the highest point in Montana.

Our guided tour of Yellowstone’s Upper Loop took us into the park via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Covered Ground Tours picked us up at our Cody hotel and followed the byway through Shoshone National Forest Land. We stopped at the Dead Indian Pass overlook. The overlook serves as a historical site linked to the flight of the Nez Perce during the Nez Perce War.

In 1877, six hundred Nez Perce fled the pursuing US Cavalry. Two months after beginning their flight, Chief Joseph led the people and 2000 horses into the Absaroka Mountains. They sought a route to the Great Plains. Near the pass, they milled the horses around to misdirect the army and then made their escape to the Great Plains.

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Location: Chief Joseph Hwy, Cody, Wyoming
Designation: National Forest
Date designated/established: March 3, 1891
Date of my visit: September 25, 2023