Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a stunning natural wonder located in two separate districts, one in southeastern Montana and one in north-central Wyoming. Covering more than 120,000 acres of land, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area has two visitor centers: Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center near Lovell, Wyoming, and Yellowtail Dam Visitor Center near Fort Smith, Montana. Bighorn Lake, the area’s centerpiece, was created by construction of the Yellowtail Dam and hydroelectric power station in 1967 as part of the Missouri River Basin Project. A year later, on October 15, 1966, Congress established Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area for public outdoor recreation and for the preservation of the scenic, scientific, and historic features of one of the nation’s most beautiful places.