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4x4 on the shelf road high above the Clarks Fork River, 2016
WYOMING 4x4 TRAIL GUIDE · WY-0001

Morrison Jeep Trail

Clarks Fork Canyon switchbacks · Shoshone National Forest · near Cody, Wyoming
7/10AGF Difficulty · Difficult
OUT & BACKForest Service request
EXPOSUREShelf road · switchbacks
USFSShoshone NF · Cody office
OPEN, BUT RUN IT OUT AND BACK. Shoshone National Forest reports no closures on the Morrison Jeep Trail (alert updated Sept. 14, 2026) after the 2022 flood closure. The Forest Service asks visitors to drive it as an out-and-back, not the full through-route: go uphill in the morning and downhill in the late afternoon. Only the lower canyon and the switchbacks have been rebuilt; repair of the upper ~15.6 miles to the Beartooth Plateau is planned for 2027 or later (Cowboy State Daily), so the condition of the upper section is unverified. Assume you cannot pass another vehicle on the switchbacks: make sure no one is coming down before you start up. Snow can close the plateau early in fall (GoRancho, secondary). AGF has not checked the current MVUM for vehicle class or season dates, and has not identified a safe turnaround above the switchbacks: call the Cody office (307-527-6921) and ask where to turn before you commit. Use the current MVUM, obey gates and posted signs, and read Know Before You Go.
CHANGED FOR 2026: The switchback section was rebuilt after the 2022 flood. AGF last drove it on Aug. 11, 2018, before the damage, so the rating describes the historic route. The rebuilt grade may drive differently.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS

Clarks Fork Canyon to the Switchbacks

From the trailhead at the base of Clarks Fork Canyon up the Morrison switchbacks toward the Beartooth Plateau, driven out and back as the Forest Service asks.

NOT INCLUDED: the full through-trip to US-212 near Long Lake (the Forest Service asks for out-and-back travel, not the full loop, citing heavy interest since the reopening), the private road reported near the top of the switchbacks (2015 forum report), and any side roads.
WHY 7/10

Difficult · Exposure

AGF rates a trail by its hardest unavoidable obstacle in normal dry conditions. The defining section is the steep, narrow switchback climb: severe exposure, very little line choice, repeated multi-point turns, off-camber articulation and no safe turnaround once committed. This rating is from AGF's 2016–2018 runs on the historic route. Wet weather, snow and loose rock make it far more dangerous.

Rock
4/5
Mud
2/5
Water
2/5
Exposure
5/5
Snow
5/5
Pinstriping
4/5

Snow, mud, runoff, deadfall and fire are condition changes, not part of the base rating.

ROUTE & MAP

Getting There

Official directions were not found. Secondary sources (a 2015 forum post and Cowboy State Daily) describe the south end: from Cody, take WY-120 north, then head west to Clark (no fuel in Clark; fill up in Cody, Powell or Belfry), then west on Clarks Fork Canyon Road to the trailhead at the base of the canyon, which Cowboy State Daily describes as a BLM trailhead. Road names, numbers and mileages are unverified: confirm them on the current Shoshone MVUM. Ranch land may border the canyon road approach (not confirmed); stay on the road and leave gates as you find them.

LOADING MAP…
Shoshone NF Morrison alert →ROUTE FILE: not published yet

The pin marks the shared start of AGF's 2016 and 2017 tracks. No downloadable track is published: the switchbacks were rebuilt after AGF's last run, and the trailhead coordinates are unverified.

VEHICLE FIT

Rig Requirements

Stock 4x4
No
High clearance
Required
Tires
33-inch minimum
Rear locker
Recommended
Front locker
Recommended
Winch
Recommended
Full-size
Limited
Body damage
Very high risk

Built 4x4s and experienced drivers only. Plan on 33-inch tires, a rear locker (front helps), armor and redundant recovery gear, but expect few useful winch anchors on the switchbacks. Long pickups and full-size rigs face much higher body, rollover and backing risk. Do not go alone.

TRIP PLANNING

Know Before You Go

Season
Mid-July through early fall; snow dependent
Typical trip
Full day; allow extra time for the out-and-back
Camping
Yes
Trailer parking
Limited
Turnaround
Limited
  • Grizzly country: Shoshone food and attractant storage order SHO-23-002 applies Mar. 1–Dec. 1.
  • Fire danger was listed as Very High as of Oct. 8, 2026, with no fire-restriction order posted; check before any campfire.
  • Remote, high-elevation route with fast weather changes. Carry extra fuel, offline maps and satellite communication.
  • Road numbers (FR 119 and FR 120) come from secondary sources; confirm them on the current MVUM.
PHOTOS

On the Trail

Toyota FJ Cruiser climbing a rocky switchback past old fence posts
Climbing the switchbacks, 2016
Tight dirt switchback turn with a 4x4 coming around the corner above
A switchback turn, 2016
4x4 descending a rocky shelf road with the canyon behind
Rocky shelf road, 2016
Pickup on a rocky shelf high above Clarks Fork Canyon
On the shelf above the canyon, 2017
Two 4x4s on the trail with the deep canyon below
Looking down Clarks Fork Canyon, 2017
Land Cruiser passing the Morrison Jeep Road sign
Morrison Jeep Road sign, 2017

Photos: Aaron Thies / AGF, 2016 and 2017 runs, before the 2022 flood and the 2026 rebuild. They do not show current conditions.

SOURCES

Sources & Review

Last reviewed Oct. 8, 2026. No closure is in effect, but the Forest Service asks for out-and-back travel and the upper section has not been rebuilt. AGF last drove it on Aug. 11, 2018, before the 2022 flood.

AGF ratings describe normal, dry-condition difficulty. They do not mean a route is legal, open or passable today. Spot something out of date? Use the Contact page.