Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
The vast, wild landscape of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural world, and experience the wonders of this extraordinary place. With over 120,000 acres, one can find an astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.
Alerts
- ClosureNo Water Available at Ok-A-Beh Marina - Flushing Restrooms Closed
Due to a water shortage, flushable toilets are currently unavailable at the Ok-A-Beh Marina. Vault toilets are available at the upper parking lot and a floating restroom is available on the courtesy dock.
- CautionBighorn Lake Elevation is Below 3625ft
When lake levels are below 3625, boaters are advised to avoid areas south of Horseshoe Bend and the South Narrows due to low water levels. Throughout the year, lake water levels fluctuate greatly. Hazards and launching abilities change with the water levels. Please use caution when recreating on Bighorn Lake.
Fire nearby
- WildfireBorder
39 mi from the park's reference point · 100 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Horseshoe Bend Campground | 68 sites | |
| Open year round. Campground host on site Memorial Day - Labor Day. · Books through hiddentreasurecharters.com | ||
| Barry's Landing & Trail Creek Campground | 30 sites | |
| Open year round. First come first serve. Mid May through September there is a campground host and fees are collected. October through Mid May camping is free. · Books through hiddentreasurecharters.com | ||
| Afterbay Campground | 22 sites | |
| Open year round. · 22 reservable | ||
| Grapevine Campground | 14 sites | |
| This campground is open year round. Summer season offers trash collection, a camp host, and frequent campfire programs. · 12 reservable | ||
| Medicine Creek Campground | 5 sites | |
| Open year round. Boat or hike in only. · 8 first-come | ||
Show all 7 campgroundsHide
| Black Canyon Campground | 17 sites | |
| This is a boat in campground. Open year round. Docks are in Memorial Day through Labor Day. · 17 first-come | ||
| Dayboard 9 Campground | 5 sites | |
| Dayboard 9 Campground has been reopened for the Summer Season. The campground will close during the winter due to water levels, ice and snow. · 5 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Cal S. Taggart Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center (Lovell, WY) ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center includes various exhibits and programs ranging from a large regional relief map, to films about the wild horses, canyon/area geology, and authentic historic displays.
Explore
Things to do
- Devil Canyon Overlook at Bighorn Canyon NRA
One of the most iconic views in the park, Devil Canyon Overlook is a must see for everyone visiting the south district of the park accessed from Lovell, Wyoming.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- End of Summer Programming at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. ↗2026-08-04
Celebrate America’s Story at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area During National Park Week Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area invites visitors of all ages to “Celebrate America’s Story” during National Park…
- July Programs at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area ↗2026-06-30
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is excited to share a variety of programs in July.
- 4th of July at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area ↗2026-06-30
An update on facilities and operations at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area for America 250.
- "Reel" Fun Adventures Cast Off at Bighorn Canyon This Summer ↗2026-04-28
Bighorn National Recreation Area is launching its new “Reel” Fun Adventures program series this summer, offering hands-on fishing experiences for youth, families, and first-time anglers.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Caroline Lockhart RanchBuilding · Dead Hill · 4.7 mi
- Ewing-Snell RanchBuilding · Dryhead · 6.7 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Bighorn Canyon. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Montana's national parks and the Rocky Mountains
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 232 birds, 57 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Ferruginous Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Snowy Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Barrow's Goldeneye · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Clark's Grebe · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Eared Grebe · Great Blue Heron · Greater Scaup · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tundra Swan · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · White-faced Ibis · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Tern · Bonaparte's Gull · California Gull · Caspian Tern · Common Snipe · Common Tern · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Marbled Godwit · Mountain Plover · Red-necked Phalarope · Ring-billed Gull · Sanderling · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · wilson's phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesBlue Grouse · Mourning Dove · Ring-necked Pheasant · Rock Dove · Ruffed Grouse · Sage Grouse · Sharp-tailed Grouse · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBroad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstarat · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black Rosy Finch · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-necked Stilt · Blue Jay · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Canada Jay · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Redpoll · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Dusky Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbird · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Goshawk · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Partridge · Green-tailed Towhee · Gyrfalcon · Hammond's Flycatcher · Harris' Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Macgillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Oriole · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Oldsquaw · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Ovenbird · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Snow Bunting · Solitary Vireo · Song Sparrow · Sora · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Tennessee Warbler · Townsend's Solitaire · Tree Swallow · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Flycatcher · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler · grey-crowned finch · western spotted towhee · willow flycatcher · wilson's warbler
Small mammalsLeast Chipmunk · Ord's kangaroo rat · White-footed Deermouse · Yellow-pine Chipmunk · beaver · bushy-tailed wood rat · common shrew · deer mouse · desert cottontail · fox squirrel · house mouse · long-tailed vole · merriam's shrew · montane vole · mountain cottontail · muskrat · northern grasshopper mouse · northern pocket gopher · olive-backed pocket mouse · porcupine · prairie vole · red squirrel · vagrant shrew · western harvest mouse · western jumping mouse · white-tailed jackrabbit · yellow-bellied marmot
Predatorsbadger · black bear · bobcat · coyote · long-tailed weasel · mink · raccoon · red fox · spotted skunk · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalsDomestic Horse · Eurasian Elk · bighorn sheep · elk · mule deer · pronghorn · white-tailed deer
BatsCalifornia myotis · Yuma Myotis · big brown bat · hoary bat · little brown bat · long-eared myotis · long-legged myotis · pallid bat · silver-haired bat · spotted bat · western big-eared bat · western small-footed bat
Also on the checklistCatamount
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 42 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
North District: Semi-arid, receiving 18 to 20 inches of rain annually. South District: High-desert, receiving 6 to 10 inches of rain annually. Summer temperatures: Highs in the 80s (F) and 90s (F), lows in the 50s (F) and 60s (F). Summer temperatures can peak over 100 degrees. Winter temperatures: Range in the 20s and 30s with low temperatures averaging the 10s (F) and 20s (F). During the winter the thermometer can drop below 0 (F) with extreme wind chill factors.
Questions people ask
Does Bighorn Canyon charge an entrance fee?
No. Bighorn Canyon is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Bighorn Canyon open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Bighorn Canyon?
Yes. The Park Service lists 7 campgrounds in Bighorn Canyon: Horseshoe Bend, Barry's Landing & Trail Creek, Afterbay, Grapevine, and Medicine Creek, and more. 4 take reservations through Recreation.gov; 3 are first-come, first-served.
Which Bighorn Canyon campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Dump station: Horseshoe Bend, Afterbay, and Grapevine. Electric hookups: Horseshoe Bend and Afterbay.
Source: Campgrounds
Do Bighorn Canyon campgrounds book through Recreation.gov?
Not all of them. Horseshoe Bend and Barry's Landing & Trail Creek take reservations through hiddentreasurecharters.com.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Bighorn Canyon right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: No Water Available at Ok-A-Beh Marina - Flushing Restrooms Closed; Bighorn Lake Elevation is Below 3625ft.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Bighorn Canyon?
228,382 recreation visits in 2025, number 164 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Bighorn Canyon?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE and T-Mobile 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Bighorn Canyon established?
1966. It covers about 188 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Bighorn Canyon?
North District: Semi-arid, receiving 18 to 20 inches of rain annually. South District: High-desert, receiving 6 to 10 inches of rain annually.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
