Bighorn Mountains

Many people don’t pay too much attention to the Bighorn Mountains. They might just stop for one night in Buffalo or Cody on the way to Yellowstone or Mount Rushmore. And if you are traveling in an RV, navigating through the Bighorns can be especially challenging, as the roads are not RV friendly. However, the Bighorns are amazing and are well deserving of a fine destination of their own, as we did in mid-June 2022.

The Bighorn Mountains are contained within the Bighorn National Forest and the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. There are three very scenic roads that traverse the mountains. Going from east to west, Highway 14 crosses the northern part of the mountains from Dayton, WY to Shell, WY. Highway 14A intersects Highway 14 halfway across and goes into Lovell, WY. Highway 16 crosses through the southern part of the mountains from Buffalo, WY to Ten Sleep, WY. For simplicity, I’ll break this down in three sections: Bighorn Canyon region, northern mountain region and southern mountain region.

Bighorn Canyon Region

Our first mistake (I know, great way to start) was thinking that we could get to the Bighorn Canyon from the Fort Smith, MT area. Well, as the saying goes, you just can’t get there from here. Our second mistake was not being aware of some pretty significant road construction which put us on a road more worthy for Jeeping then driving the motorhome. Despite our missteps, we found this area to be very tranquil and gave us an opportunity to see the Yellowtail Dam, which is pretty impressive. If you are ever looking to get totally away from everything or you are a fly-fishing fanatic, this is the place to be. Although we enjoyed our stay for a few days, we cut this stop short since we couldn’t get to the areas we intended to see.

Bighorn Canyon is most accessible from the Lovell, WY area, however we stayed on the other side of the mountain just outside of Dayton to avoid crossing over the mountain with the RV. When in Lovell, it’s worth a quick stop at the Visitors Center before heading up 37 to the canyon. Devil’s Canyon Overlook will blow your socks off! This 180° view of the canyon with the Bighorn river below is probably one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. We spent quite a bit of time there before we went up the road to Sullivan’s Knob Trail. This short trail gives you another opportunity to see the canyon from a slightly different viewpoint. You are able to hike right along the edge of the canyon which is pretty cool.

So now that we saw the canyon from above, we figured why not see it from below and take a river trip. Off to Horseshoe Bend Marina we went. We took a very informative boat tour of the canyon which traversed the river back to Devil’s Canyon, but this time seeing from the water level. This was a pretty special experience, seeing the canyon from both perspectives, all within an afternoon. The boat captain was amazing and made the experience really fun. We even saw some Bighorn Sheep on one of the cliff sides.

A worthy side trip while you’re in this area, just a little further up 37, is a visit to some of the historic ranches from the early 1900’s. We had a little time before our boat trip so we checked out the Ewing-Snell ranch. A lot of old ranch equipment, an old farmhouse and schoolhouse were all available to walk through at your leisure.

Northern Mountain Region

Highway 14, the Bighorn Scenic Byway, and Highway 14A, the Medicine Wheel Passage, make up the northern region. After driving on these roads, you wonder why more people don’t come to the Bighorns. Beautiful mountain passes, prairies and wide-open canyons among the forests are what awaits you. Occasionally you come across a small quaint town or lodge along the way to stop for a bit. There are numerous pullouts along the way to take in the views and snap some pictures. Wildlife is abundant in this area as well and we saw many Moose as we traversed back and forth through these beautiful roads.

Coming from the east the grades aren’t too bad, but that changes coming down on the west side, as the decent is much steeper, especially with 14A which is a 10% grade heading into Lovell. When taking 14 be sure to stop in the small town of Shell and visit the Shell Store. The store is your local source for snacks, souvenirs, lunch, adult beverages and home made bakery goods. We added a few pounds for the trip back.

There are many scenic stops and hikes along the way on 14 and 14A. A couple of spots in particular worth mentioning are:

• Tongue Canyon: This is an amazing hike traversing along the canyon wall over Tongue river. We cut this one short due to “height restrictions”.
• Bighorn Medicine Wheel: This hike goes to the famous native American monument at one of the highest points of the Bighorns. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the end, as the snow was still drifted over the trail quite deep… on June 15th!
• Porcupine Falls: We missed this hike to the famous falls as well (yes June 15th again) due to high snow on the dirt road. I probably lose some Jeep points for not trying but we were out there alone with no one to pull us out if we got stuck.
• Five Springs Falls: A little drive down a gravel road to a short hike and a picturesque waterfall.
• Shell Falls: This wonderful waterfall is located at an interpretive site where the boardwalk allows you get up very close to the waterfall and downstream over the river. There are also great views out onto the valley from here.

This is just a short list, there are numerous other hikes along the way, but even if hiking isn’t your thing, the amazing roads with many pullouts make this an awesome drive. The nearby town of Sheridan is worth visiting as well, where you can find a little bit of everything.

Southern Mountain Region

The southern region of the Bighorns encompasses Highway 16, the Cloud Peak Skyway, between Buffalo and Ten Sleep. If you think this is just more of the same you are sadly mistaken. The western part of Highway 16 was probably our favorite section of road in the entire Bighorns. The canyon opens up and it is just breathtaking as it winds along the canyon and then descents into Ten Sleep. Because the grades aren’t quite as steep on 16, this would be the preferred route if you are intent on traveling through the Bighorns in your RV. We were not and did not.

If you’re an old west fan this is the place for you as it’s the home of the famous Hole-in-the-Wall, the hideout of Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang. You can even visit the exact location, but be warned, it is still in a very remote area. As a primer, dig up the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as we did. I think it helped connect us even more.

Some notable stops along this section of the Bighorns include:

• West Tensleep Falls: You have to take a long gravel road (sometimes bumpy) to get to the Tensleep lake area, but worth it when you get there. There are several hikes in this area, but we really liked this one, which traversed along the river and eventually to a nice short, but picturesque waterfall.
• James T. Saban Lookout: A short uphill hike to a rocky peak and historic homestead site. As with many trails in the Bighorns, not crowded and well worth it.
• Meadowlark Lake: Very pretty lake that you can drive around or even go swimming in. We stopped at the Lakeview Lodge for a nice lunch.
• Crazy Woman Canyon Road: This is why we have a Jeep! Not that this road is really hairy, but it is so awesome of a drive, we did it probably 4 or 5 times. It goes through a canyon, so your not up high, rather traversing through the canyon walls on this narrow dirt and gravel road. Pretty special little drive!

Highway 16 is bookended by two historic western towns. To the west is Ten Sleep which looks like it just woke up from a 150 year nap. there are several places to grab a bite or a beverage. To the east is Buffalo, a town with even more history and a lot to offer. The famous Occidental Hotel and associated saloon and Virginian restaurant will take you back in time. Again, queue up the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie and it will all fall into place. The only thing it was missing was a shootout. Oh, the Southside Grill is also two thumbs up.

TIP: Our only complaint about the Bighorns is that many of the hiking trails are difficult to find. Do some research before you go and find out which park roads you need to venture down to reach the various hikes. You often have to drive a ways down a gravel road to reach the trail head, and if you’re on the wrong road, that can lead to an interesting drive. Ask me how I know.

Don’t let the well traveled destinations to the east and west overshadow the natural beauty of the Bighorns. If you’re looking for a great destination and want to get away from the crowds, this is the place to be. Even if you’re just passing through, making it a little longer stop, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out all of our pictures of the Bighorns.