Sunlight Basin is a broad, green valley hidden behind a mountain, and you arrive in it by dropping off the top of Dead Indian Pass and rounding a bend. Suddenly the road levels, the sky opens, and the land spreads out in ranch meadows with Sunlight Creek winding through willows, and big red cliffs and grey ridges standing guard. It is cattle country and dude-ranch country, still sparsely settled, with scattered cabins, fences and hay barns, and its beauty is the kind that makes you slow without knowing why.
The valley sits in the heart of the Absaroka Range, a high, rugged volcanic region east of Yellowstone, and the rocks here are the debris of ancient eruptions, giving the cliffs their red, yellow and brown colours. Sunlight Creek runs down to the Clarks Fork, and the bridge where Highway 296 crosses its gorge is among the highest in Wyoming, spanning a deep, narrow canyon where the creek drops in a thin white line. Stop and look over the rail if you have a head for heights.
The riding is a pure pleasure. After the steep descent from Dead Indian, the road runs along the valley floor in gentle curves and easy straights, with long views and the smell of sage and hay. The surface is good, the traffic light, and the main hazards are cattle on the road, deer at dusk and the occasional tractor. In summer the days are warm and the nights cool, and in autumn the aspens along the creek turn gold, making the ride glow. Snow closes the upper road in winter, and the basin is nearly cut off for months.
The region has a long history as the hunting ground of the Crow and the Shoshone, and as part of the route taken by the Nez Perce in 1877. Later it was settled by ranchers, and some of the oldest dude ranches in the West were founded here, taking in wealthy easterners who came to ride horses and fish. Today a few lodges and ranches offer meals and beds, though hours and availability vary with the season.
Fuel is the thing to plan. There is none in the basin, and the nearest town is Cody, about fifty kilometres away, so fill up there. The road continues to the Chief Joseph byway's far end near Crandall and the Beartooth Highway, where services are also limited. Bring food and water, and enjoy the quiet.