Explore The Most Beautiful Canyon In The Bighorn Mountains

There are so many things to see and do in and around Wyoming, even people who were born and raised here do not know of them all.

Have you ever heard of, or been to Bighorn Canyon?

It's on the north side of the Bighorn Mountains, straddling the line between Montana and Wyoming.

It runs from the east side of the mountain chain to the west, cutting the most northerly side of the Bighorn mountains.

This natural deep cut in the landscape was the perfect place to put a dam. Now the canyon is filled with water, making it one of the most beautiful boating spots in all of Wyoming/Montana.

For an overview, enjoy this video, below, as a pilot of a small plane flies from one end of the canyon to the other.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a national recreation area established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation.

It is one of over 420 sites managed by the U.S. National Park Service.

The recreation area spans 120,296.22 acres, straddling the border between Wyoming and Montana.

It is divided into two distinct areas, the North District accessed via Fort Smith, Montana, and the South District accessed through Lovell, Wyoming.

There is no thru road inside the recreation area connecting the two districts.

The Yellowtail Dam is located in the North District. It is named after the famous Crow leader Robert Yellowtail, who harnesses the waters of the Bighorn River by turning that variable watercourse into Bighorn Lake.

The lake extends 71 miles (114 km) through Wyoming and Montana, 55 miles (89 km) of which lie within the national recreation area.

The lake provides recreational boating, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, and birding opportunities to visitors.

About one-third of the park unit is located on the Crow Indian Reservation.

Nearly one-quarter of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range lies within the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.