Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area preserves a rugged canyon carved by the Bighorn River and the reservoir formed behind Yellowtail Dam, spanning parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming. The area combines steep, sculpted canyon walls with long stretches of shoreline and remote backcountry.

Recreational opportunities center on boating and fishing on Bighorn Lake, hiking along canyon rims and spotting wildlife such as bighorn sheep and raptors against the cliff faces. The lake and canyon create sharply contrasting terrain between the water surface and high canyon walls.

The reservoir was formed by Yellowtail Dam on the Bighorn River; management of the area involves coordination between federal agencies and adjacent tribal lands. Interpretive facilities and marina access points provide the main visitor services.

The recreation area stretches along the Bighorn River and reservoir across the Montana-Wyoming line, following a deep canyon cut into limestone and sandstone; shorelines and access points are spread out and often remote.

• Bighorn Lake and canyon: Contains a deep, narrow reservoir known as Bighorn Lake created by Yellowtail Dam and characterized by steep canyon walls and remote shoreline access.

What to See #

• Bighorn Lake: Bighorn Lake, a long reservoir formed on the Bighorn River that offers boating, fishing and shoreline access through several launch sites and campgrounds.
• Yellowtail Dam: Yellowtail Dam, the large Bureau of Reclamation dam that created the reservoir; the dam and its facilities sit at the upper end of the canyon.
• Canyon overlooks and trails: Canyon overlooks and shoreline trails that provide views of steep canyon walls and the narrow gorge carved by the river through limestone and sandstone formations.