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Recreation Resource Management
Camping Management
In May of 2023, Forest Supervisor, Andrew Johnson signed a new occupancy and use special order regulating camping and other recreational activities in the Bighorn National Forest. Changes to note are the 14-day stay limit is now year-round and there is a wildlife attractant storage requirement. This order was resigned with no further changes in March 2024 and will be in effect through December 31, 2027, unless rescinded earlier. The order combined the original dispersed camping order, the developed recreation order, and the Porcupine Falls Trail order.
For more information:
Visit our camping regulations question and answer page here.
For a link to approved storage products and the communication guide select here.
Send us your thoughts by emailing SM.FS.bighorninfo@usda.gov.
The National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM)
The National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program helps determine estimates of recreation use volume on all National Forests. Completed in five-year cycles, NVUM results help Forest Service managers make decisions about recreation resources to best meet the needs of visitors while maintaining natural resources. These surveys also highlight the benefits that recreation brings to Americans.
The survey is done in an interview format and will take about 10 minutes to complete. Surveys gather basic visitor information, are voluntary, and all responses are confidential; names are not included. The information gathered is useful for forest planning as well as local community tourism planning. The survey provides National Forest managers with an estimate of how many people recreate in the National Forest, what activities they engage in while there, and how they felt about their visit. Economic impact to the local economy is also captured in the survey.
Recreation Resource Management Q & A
2024 Coloring Contest