Big Horn Mountains

Big Horn Mountains

The Big Horn Mountain range in northern Wyoming form a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles (320 km) northward on the Great Plains.

The Big Horn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. Conveniently located halfway between Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Big Horns are a great vacation destination in themselves. No region in Wyoming is provided with a more diverse landscape — from lush grasslands to alpine meadows, from crystal-clear lakes to glacial carved valleys, from rolling hills to sheer mountain walls.

The Bighorn Mountains were uplifted during the Laramide orogeny beginning approximately 70 million years ago. The Bighorn Mountains consist of over 9,000 feet of sedimentary rock strata laid down before mountain-building began: the predominantly marine and near-shore sedimentary layers range from the Cambrian through the Lower Cretaceous, and are often rich in fossils. There is an unconformity where Silurian strata were exposed to erosion and are missing. Following the uplift, large volumes of sediments were deposited in the adjoining basins. Though many cirques, U-shaped valleys and glacial lakes can be found in the mountain range, the only remaining active glacier is the Cloud Peak Glacier, which is on the east slope of Cloud Peak.

Rock Climbing in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. The highest peaks within the Big Horns are located in Wyoming in the 1.1 million acre (4,500 km²) Bighorn National Forest. Two peaks rise to over 13,000 feet (3,960 m) Cloud Peak (13,167 ft, 4013 m) and Black Tooth Mountain (13,005 ft, 3964 m). There are a dozen more that rise to over 12,000 feet (3,650 m). From the east the mountains present a vertical relief of over 8,000 feet (2,450 m), rising abrubtly from the plains. Overall, the Big Horns are more rounded than their sister mountain ranges to the west.

The Big Horns are a popular destination for hiking, backpacking, fly fishing, hunting, rock climbing and horse back riding. Trails wind through most of the national forest. The Cloud Peak Wilderness has a network of hiking trails to remote areas and alpine lakes. Higher trails are often covered with snow except from July through August. After Labor Day, there is a good chance of high country snow storms at any time.

The three highways traversing the Big Horn Mountains are so scenic and unique that they are designated Scenic Byways by the US Forest Service and the State of Wyoming.[1] These include U.S. Route 14, 14A, and 16.

The Sweet 16

U.S Highway 16 from Buffalo to Worland takes its time climbing the Big Horns, following water courses and ridges until it reaches the mountain summit at 9,666 foot Powder River Pass. Throughout this journey, the traveler is aware of the towering country of the Cloud Peak Wilderness to the north and west. Here, in a land that motorized vehicles are not allowed to penetrate lay a huge chunk of sky-high Wyoming untouched by human improvement. Hiking and horse trails give quick access from roadside trailheads for those wishing to explore this wonderland Beyond the Pass, US. 16 winds past the all-season recreation area at Meadowlark Lake and descends into the head of Ten Sleep Canyon which gradually encloses it within rock walls of increasing height. Near the mouth of the Canyon, the traveler passes a trout hatchery and fish rearing station operated by Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Traveling on from Ten Sleep to Worland where US 16 converges with US 20, your travels take you across the “Bad Lands” or “Painted Desert” with vivid colors and barren landscapes. Wind and water has created many interesting shapes and scenes and hides the vegetation ranchers depend upon every spring and fall.

Visit the Bighorn National Forest and enjoy the multiple reservoirs, 32 campgrounds, 3 scenic byways, 14 picnic areas, 7 lodges, miles and miles of streams, 189,000 acres of Wilderness, 1,500 miles of trails, and much more that provide a forest experience unique to the Big Horns.