Bighorn Canyon Road and Lake Conditions Update

Date:
August 27, 2024
Contact:Christy Fleming, (307) 548-5406

Fort Smith, MT: Road crews continue to work on both the North District and South District of Bighorn Canyon NRA, but the work is targeted to be completed by mid-September.

Road Conditions

The week of August 26, crews will be repairing asphalt, chip sealing, and pavement marking.

At the North District, near Fort Smith, MT, visitors should expect a partial closure of the Upper Ok-A-Beh parking lot on the August 27- 29 so crews can perform profiling and grinding. HWY 313 will have single lane closures with traffic control for profiling and grinding. Chip sealing will continue along HWY 313, Ok-A-Beh Road, Afterbay Road and the road to Afterbay Campground. Visitors should expect single lane closures with traffic control in those areas.

In the South District, near Lovell, WY, visitors will encounter single lane closures with traffic control as crews complete pavement marking at Barry's Landing, along the Bad Pass road, out to Devil Canyon Overlook, and at Horseshoe Bend.

During the week of September 3, crews will be finishing up asphalt repair and continuing chip seal work on the North District. Visitors should expect single lane closures and traffic control on HWY 313, the Ok-A-Beh Road, Afterbay Road and the road to the Afterbay campground. The Upper Ok-A-Beh parking lot will have partial closures from September 3- 6 for asphalt repairs.

The week of September 9 is scheduled to be the last week of road work. Crews will complete pavement marking on the North District roads. Visitors should expect single lane closures and traffic control.

Schedules and locations of work are subject to change based on weather conditions. Visitors are encouraged to check park social media accounts for the latest updates.

Lake Conditions

The lake level as of August 28, 2024, is 3632.5 feet. For Labor Day weekend, all facilities remain in the water and campgrounds are open for overnight stays, except for Black Canyon. The Black Canyon floating restrooms are operational, and the campground is open for day use only.

It is almost fall and time for crews to start removing lake facilities. The Ok-A-Beh Marina and Horseshoe Bend Marina will close for the season on September 2 (end of the day). All boats must be removed from the concession dock at Ok-A-Beh by September 8 and from Horseshoe Bend by September 14. The water systems at the Horseshoe Bend and Afterbay campgrounds will remain on through September unless weather dictates otherwise. Campgrounds will be Fee Free starting on October 1 for the remainer of winter. Floating restrooms and the docks at Black Canyon and Dayboard 9 will be removed starting September 16. Courtesy docks at Horseshoe Bend, Barry's Landing, and Ok-A-Beh will remain in the water until weather dictates removal.

Starting September 8^th, the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center in Lovell, WY, will go to winter hours, Tuesday - Saturday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The visitor center will be closed on Sunday and Monday. The Yellowtail Dam Visitor Center near Fort Smith, MT is closed for the winter.

If you have questions, please call the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center at 307-548-5406.

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