Paddling in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is reservoir paddling at a grand scale — a long, still lake running through one of the deeper canyons in the American West, straddling the Montana-Wyoming border. The water here is not river water anymore.

Yellowtail Dam, a 525-foot structure in the North District near Fort Smith, Montana, impounded the Bighorn River and created Bighorn Lake, a 71-mile corridor of flatwater that locals simply call Yellowtail.

Fifty-five miles of that lake lie within the recreation area, winding between sandstone cliffs that rise close to a thousand feet off the water. Bighorn Lake is the paddling here.

Kayaks and canoes move through a canyon that has no road running its length — the two districts, North and South, sit three hours apart by car with no connecting route inside the park.

That geography means the canyon interior is accessible only by water, and the lake rewards paddlers willing to commit to it.

Boat-in campsites managed by the NPS make multi-day trips possible; day-use paddlers will find boat-in bathrooms and picnic areas along the route. Cell service is limited to none once you're in the canyon.

The North District launches from the Ok-A-Beh Marina near Fort Smith. The South District's primary put-in is Barry's Landing, reached from Lovell, Wyoming. The Crooked Creek Ranger Station near Horseshoe Bend on Highway 37 is another access point in the south.

Canoe and kayak rentals are available through concessionaires if you're not bringing your own boat.

Conditions on the lake are flatwater, but canyon winds and motorboat traffic — water skiing is common — mean paddlers in small craft should read the surface before committing to exposed stretches.

NPS law enforcement rangers patrol the lake and enforce right-of-way rules that favor the least maneuverable vessel.

A permit was required for kayak launch at Crooked Creek Ranger Station at the time of at least one recent visitor account; check with the park before you go, as requirements can change.

The canyon the Bighorn River carved before the dam went in was notorious for whirlpools and spring torrents. None of that remains.

What's left is silence, reflected walls, and the kind of distance that asks something of you — not technical skill, but time on the water.