Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the summit, there's a generous parking area, two wheelchair-accessible restrooms, and
a historic marker. Here you have one of the most wonderful panoramas a Rocky Mountain
pass can offer, from the Absaroka Range crossing the horizon on the south to the Beartooth
Plateau on the north.
Summit View at Dead Indian Pass
Some of the mountains and valleys from left (south) to right (north) are:
Numerous snow-covered peaks of the
Absaroka Range,
many above 11,000 feet (3,350 m).
The broad flat valley of
Sunlight Basin
way below.
Windy Mountain,
farther away and higher, and
Steamboat Hill
in the foreground.
A little to the right and farther away than Steamboat Hill are the two peaks of
Sugar Loaf
Mountain
and a flat-topped hill called
Antelope Mesa.
The Clarks Fork River and its canyon are too deeply incised to be seen from here but are
marked by the steep rise of the
Beartooth Plateau
on the far side.
The switchbacks west of the summit were paved in the late 1990s. There are several Shos-
hone National Forest campgrounds, along with ranches and summer homes.
After descending from the summit, the road goes around the “prow” of
Steamboat Hill.
Then, about 2 miles (3 km) after passing Dead Indian Creek and Campground, a gravel road
(Wyoming 7GQ) leads west to mountain-ringed Sunlight Basin. One-half mile (0.8 km) bey-
ond the gravel road turnoff, park on the right near the highest bridge in Wyoming for a
breathtaking look into deep
Sunlight Gorge.
