Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

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Welcome to Bighorn Canyon

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a lesser known treasure waiting to be discovered. It boasts breath-taking scenery, countless varieties of wildlife, and abundant recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, ice fishing, camping, and hiking. Bighorn Canyon offers visitors what few other National Park areas can, that of solitude, serenity, and beauty. In the midst of our chaotic world, this is a truly unique quality.

		Bighorn Canyon Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. This dam, named after the famous Crow chairman Robert Yellowtail, harnessed the waters of the Bighorn River and turned this variable stream into a magnificent lake. Bighorn Lake extends approximately 71 miles through Wyoming and Montana, 55 miles of which are held within spectacular Bighorn Canyon. The Recreation Area is composed of 120,000+ acres, which straddles the northern Wyoming and southern Montana borders. There are two visitor centers and other developed facilities in Fort Smith, Montana and near Lovell, Wyoming. The Afterbay Lake below the Yellowtail Dam is a good spot for trout fishing and wildlife viewing for ducks, geese and other animals. The Bighorn River below the Afterbay Dam is a world class trout fishing area.

Write to

Bighorn Canyon NRA Headquarters, 5 Avenue B, P.O. Box 7458, Fort Smith, MT 59035
Fort Smith, MT 59035

Phone

Headquarters
(406) 666-2412

Visitor Information
(406) 666-2251

Fax

(406) 666-2415

Climate

The North end of Bighorn Canyon is semi-arid getting 18 to 20 inches of rain annully. The South end is in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains and is a high desert with average rainfall from 6 to 10 inches annually.
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Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Information