Lake Creek Falls plunges and cascades through a narrow canyon off the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming. The Lake Creek Wayside is located 1½ miles east of the junction of the Beartooth Highway and the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway/Wyoming 296. The creek’s steep walls are granite, which is highly resistant to erosion. Looking toward the falls from the main highway, travelers see a portion of the historic Lake Creek Bridge. This unique bridge is one of the few remaining structures of the original road across the Beartooth Plateau that shows the craftsmanship of the Work Project Administration projects of the Depression Era. The granite rocks used for construction were hand shaped with stone chisels so that each fit snugly in place. Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps it was completed in 1932. In 1974 the new steel structure was completed across Lake Creek.
Springing from the high mountain peaks close to the Montana/Wyoming border at the western end of the Beartooth All-American Road, the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River parallels the highway for 17 breathtaking miles. The Clark’s Fork River leaves the Beartooth Highway and continues its journey northeast as it parallels the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway traveling toward the famous Clark’s Fork Canyon. Named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Clark’s Fork flows through a deep, postcard-scenic canyon. Its tumultuous waterfalls, white water cascades, deep pools, and rugged corridor lands are its unique characteristics. The Clark’s fork was designated Wyoming’s first Wild and Scenic River in November of 1990, and it is one of only two rivers in the state with the Wild and Scenic designation.
