Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Sheer canyon walls, Bighorn Lake, ranch history, wildlife, boating, and Crow homeland form a two-district recreation area whose ends do not connect by road.
Artwork inspired by E. S. Paxson
The first planning fact is geographic: The North District near Fort Smith and the South District near Lovell, Wyoming, offer different access and are separated by a long drive. At the Montana end, Yellowtail Dam, Afterbay, fishing, and boat launches shape the visit.
Cold water, wind, steep cliffs, limited services, and seasonal roads demand a named destination rather than a broad park pin. Read ranch and Indigenous history alongside engineering, and check boat, fire, lake-level, and road conditions before departure.
- Established
- 1966
- Water
- Bighorn Lake
- Allow
- Full day per district
Quick guide
- Begin
- North at Fort Smith or South at Lovell before moving into the wider story.
- Do not miss
- Connect Crow homeland, ranch history, dam, and reservoir.
Read Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area as a connected landscape
- Choose district
- North at Fort Smith or South at Lovell before moving into the wider story.
- Name arrival
- Select visitor center, launch, overlook, or trailhead.
- Read layers
- Connect Crow homeland, ranch history, dam, and reservoir.
- Check hazards
- Cold water, wind, cliffs, fire, and remote roads.
Good to know
There is no direct road through the canyon connecting districts. Use the reviewed Fort Smith entity for this Montana card, download maps, fuel up, and never assume calm shore weather means safe boating conditions.
Notice these
- 1966
- Bighorn Lake
- Select visitor center, launch, overlook, or trailhead.