Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon NRA

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is comprised of two districts and straddles the border of Wyoming and Montana.  The north district is located in Montana and used mostly for boating recreation while the south district is accessed in Wyoming and offers primarily land-based recreation, including the incredible Devil Canyon Overlook.

At the bottom of the canyon lies the Bighorn River, which snakes through its rugged, steep walls in its journey northeast.

Bighorn Canyon NRA

The remoteness of this area lends itself to a modest number of visitors - just over 200,000 per year.  The main attractions are sightseeing, boating and hiking.

The centerpiece of the south district is Devil Canyon Overlook, pictured here.  It is comprised of a parking lot on a bluff overlooking the canyon, with walkways along the fence near the edge.  The views are incredible.

My favorite time to visit this overlook is in the morning hours, staying until mid-morning to get full light in the canyon.

Bighorn Canyon NRA

But afternoon and evening are also very nice times to visit, especially with incoming storms approaching.  I was fortunate enough to experience such as the black ominous clouds filled the sky from the south and east while filtered light from the west highlighted the canyon walls.  The sound of rolling thunder added to the splendor.

The storms were short-lived during my visit, soon passing and relinquishing the sky back to sunshine and evening sunsets.

While I photographed during sunrise, mid-afternoon storms and sunset, I only shared this spectacular view with a handful of people.  I did not see another photographer during my entire visit.  It could be a lonely place.

Bighorn Canyon NRA

Mornings in particular were void of visitors.  I camped nearby at Trail Creek Campground (shared with only one other party) and arrived approximately half an hour before sunrise, only to find the parking lot bare.  Visitors didn't typically begin arriving until well after sunrise.

Evenings tended to receive more interest, though still in limited numbers.

In between canyon photography times there are other things to do, such as hiking, boat tours at Horseshoe Bend (not yet running during my visit due to low water level) and wildlife viewing.

Wild mustang in Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range

Wildlife include bighorn sheep, deer, elk, black bear and wild horses.  Yes, you read that correctly - wild horses!

The Pryor Mountain Horse Range is the only federally protected wild horse range in the U.S., and shares land within Bighorn Canyon NRA.  Approximately 90-120 wild mustangs roam the area and can be viewed from the road within the park.

Technically, these mustangs are considered feral, having escaped captivity and thrived in the wild.  They have unique physical traits which include a triangular face and short pointed ears.  They are also very muscular.  DNA tests have linked them to horses brought to the area by the Spaniards.  In fact, they most closely resemble the Spanish Colonial horse, a very rare breed today.

Bighorn Canyon NRA

Photography Gear and Advise:  My most used lens by far for landscapes was my wide-angle, 17-40mm.  I found this lens to best include as much of the canyon as possible and convey its depth and size.  This lens was also excellent for including afternoon storm clouds above the canyon.

My 24-70mm also saw some action of course.  Primarily isolating the canyon and its reaches downstream.

Of course, my 200mm lens coupled with my 2.0 teleconverter saw plenty of wildlife action.  The main subjects were bighorn sheep and the wild mustangs.

Bighorn Canyon NRA

The best opportunities for photographing the canyon are right from the overlook proper, especially if trying to capture the river bend.  There are views to be had on all three sides, though the best is looking to the southwest.

For a different view, one can backtrack to the parking lot entrance and find some game trails heading to the west to some excellent perches.  Be careful as footing can be loose.  This offers some unique views and compositions, though the bend of the river will be cut off.  Still, they are interesting.

Finally, I can't encourage you enough to drive the Bighorn Scenic Byway (Highway 14) over the Bighorn Mountains to Sheridan and I-90.  The scenery is spectacular and wildlife plentiful.  Several miles of this drive are between 8-9,000' with views as far as the eye can see.  Spectacular in all directions!

You can see these and more images from this area in my Bighorn Canyon Gallery.

I hope this information helps in the planning of future trip!  As always, thanks for looking!