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Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Fort Smith, MT

Photo: National Park Service, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

North District, MT-313 at Fort Smith · Fort Smith, MT

Why you should go…

Bighorn Canyon covers more than 120,000 acres around Bighorn Lake, which stretches 71 miles behind Yellowtail Dam. The North District at Fort Smith is mostly about the water, with Ok-A-Beh Marina, the Afterbay boat launch and campgrounds. The South District near Lovell, Wyoming has hiking trails, four historic ranches and Devil Canyon Overlook. No road inside the park links the two, and the drive between them takes about three hours.

  • #national recreation area
  • #boating
  • #fishing
  • #camping
  • #canyon views

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Hidden Treasure Charters

    $50+

    Scenic boat tours, pontoon rentals, and a marina on Bighorn Lake in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area near Lovell, Wyoming.

    28 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Heart Mountain Interpretive Center

    Under $25

    A museum on the site of a WWII Japanese American incarceration camp between Cody and Powell, Wyoming.

    43 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Stay
    Local Gem

    Greybull Motel

    $50+

    A restored family and veteran owned motel at the base of the Big Horn Mountains near Yellowstone.

    49 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Greybull Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center

    Free

    Greybull's chamber and visitor center providing maps and info for the Big Horn Basin and the Yellowstone to Black Hills corridor.

    49 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Red Lodge

    Free

    Historic Montana mountain town and gateway to Yellowstone via the scenic Beartooth Highway.

    55 mi awayMore like this