Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

The signature view is from Devil Canyon Overlook, reached by the paved Bighorn Canyon road out of the south district. From the railed platform the canyon drops away almost a thousand feet to the lake, where the walls narrow and the water turns a deep, still blue far below.

The overlook sits where Devil Canyon joins the main gorge, and the layered cliffs read like a diagram of deep time. Swifts and swallows dart along the rock, and on a clear day the view stretches for miles across the folded country of the Bighorn Basin.

The western side of the recreation area overlaps the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, one of the first federally protected wild horse ranges in the country. Its mustangs are thought to descend from old Spanish colonial stock, and many carry the primitive dun coloring and dorsal stripe of those early horses.

The horses range from the desert flats near Lovell up into the high Pryor Mountains, following the season and the forage. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the drive up the Bad Pass road and the trails near the state line offer a real chance to see them living free, and it is a moving thing to watch.

Bighorn Lake is the center of life in the park in summer. Boaters, anglers, and paddlers launch from the marinas to fish for walleye, trout, and bass and to explore the shaded coves where the canyon walls rise straight from the water. Below the dam, the tailwater of the Bighorn River is famous among fly anglers.

This country has been home to Native peoples for thousands of years, and the Crow, whose reservation borders the recreation area to the north, hold the Bighorn and Pryor country as part of their traditional homeland. The Bad Pass Trail along the canyon rim was a travel route across the basin for many generations.

The Wyoming south district is reached from Lovell, where a visitor center introduces the canyon, the wildlife, and the human history and offers maps and current conditions. From there the Bighorn Canyon road leads north to Horseshoe Bend on the lake and on to Devil Canyon Overlook.

Come prepared for empty country: services are few, distances are long, and summer heat is serious. Spring wildflowers and fall's cooler air make the finest seasons for hiking the desert trails and watching for horses and bighorn sheep along the way.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, spanning the border of north-central Wyoming and southern Montana, surrounds Bighorn Lake, a long reservoir on the Bighorn River set within a dramatic, deep canyon of towering, colorful rock walls. Created by a dam, the reservoir winds for miles through spectacular scenery, offering boating, fishing, and stunning overlooks, while the surrounding country features wildlife including wild horses in the nearby Pryor Mountains, historic ranches, hiking, and camping. The sheer canyon walls rising above the blue water are the signature sight. With its dramatic canyon, reservoir recreation, and wildlife, Bighorn Canyon offers a striking destination spanning northern Wyoming and southern Montana.

You can boat, fish, kayak, and paddle on the long reservoir winding through the canyon, take in the spectacular canyon overlooks, hike the trails, camp at the campgrounds, watch for wildlife including bighorn sheep and the wild horses of the nearby Pryor Mountains, visit historic ranch sites, and swim in the warmer months. The dramatic views of the canyon walls above the water are unforgettable. Fishing and boating are especially popular. With its reservoir recreation, canyon overlooks, hiking, and wildlife, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers a rewarding outdoor experience spanning north-central Wyoming and southern Montana.

The reservoir sits in a deep canyon where winds can quickly create hazardous waves on the water, so boaters and paddlers should wear life jackets, check the forecast, and stay alert to changing conditions, while the surrounding country is hot, dry desert and canyon terrain in summer, so carry plenty of water and sun protection. Stay back from the steep, crumbly canyon edges at overlooks, and keep children and pets close. Watch for wildlife and give animals space. Being prepared for the water, heat, and canyon edges ensures a safe visit to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.

Late spring through early fall is the prime time for boating, fishing, and enjoying the reservoir and canyon, when the weather is warm and the water recreation is at its best, though summer can be very hot in the canyon country, so bring water and sun protection, while spring and fall offer milder temperatures and good wildlife viewing. Winter is cold and quiet. For the best combination of warm-weather water recreation and access, aim for late spring through early fall at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is in north-central Wyoming and southern Montana, near the town of Lovell, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, the Bighorn Mountains with the Medicine Wheel and Bighorn National Forest, and within reach of Cody to the west. That makes Bighorn Canyon a striking outdoor stop to combine with the Pryor Mountain wild horses, the Medicine Wheel, Bighorn National Forest, and the other attractions of north-central Wyoming on a visit to the state.