About the Area

The Bighorn Mountains are a uniquely diverse landscape that host lush grasslands to alpine meadows, and rugged mountaintops to canyonlands and desert. The Bighorn National Forest is 80 miles long and 30 miles wide. The highest point, Cloud Peak, reaches 13,167 feet. The Forest, river, and mountain range are referred to as Bighorn (single word) while the town, basin and county are spelled Big Horn (two words).

A hallmark of the Forest is its GORGEOUS CANYON COUNTRY.  These canyons were formed by thrust faults on both the east and west flanks and millions of years of erosion. Shell, Tensleep and Crazy Woman Canyons are among those that can be enjoyed from your car window. Others, like Tongue River and Devil Canyon are accessible by foot or horse.

GEOLOGY  is noteworthy in the Bighorns. Watch for highway signs that trace the geologic history of this region as you travel the major highways.

One the Bighorn's many treasures is the abundance of large WILDFLOWER FILLED MEADOWS.  These natural openings, caused by soil type and moisture levels, favor grasses and wildflowers rather than trees. Imagine acre upon acre of yellows, blues, purples, pinks and reds splashed upon the landscape in changing patterns and hues.

Interspersed with mountain meadows are large patches of cool EVERGREEN FOREST extending from just above the foothills to the alpine. Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir populate the lower slopes with lodgepole pine, subalpine fir and Englemann spruce at the higher elevations.

Open landscapes are great for WILDLIFE VIEWING. Look for moose munching on a tasty bite of willow streamside or a family of mule deer bounding away, then stopping to look back with large ears raised and listening.

HISTORY BUFFS come to this region to explore the land that once felt the footsteps of legendary giants like Red Cloud, Plenty Coups, Jim Bridger, Lewis and Clark, and Buffalo Bill. This area is highly valued by tribes such as the Crow, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe. Some of the most famous battles between Native American Tribes and the U.S. military were waged at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains or in close proximity.