USFS · National forest · Wyoming

Bighorn National Forest

The Bighorn National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northern Wyoming, United States and consists of over 1.1 million acres (4,500 km2). Created as a US Forest Reserve in 1897, it is one of the oldest government-protected forest lands in the U.S. The forest is well east of the continental divide and extends from the Montana border for a distance of 80 miles (130 km) along the spine of the Bighorn Mountains, an outlying mountain range separated from the rest of the Rocky Mountains by Bighorn Basin. Elevations range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) along the sagebrush and grass-covered lowlands at the foot of the mountains, to 13,189 feet (4,020 m) on top of Cloud Peak, the highest point in the Bighorn Mountains. Around 99% of the land is above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). The forest is named after the Bighorn River, which is partially fed by streams found in the forest. Streams in the range are fed primarily by snowmelt and snowmelt mixed with driving rainfall.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.1 million acresUSFSWY31 campgrounds within 10 mi106 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Tongue · 49 mi from the center · 286 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWyoming
Size1.1 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0202, region 02
Center point44.5455, -107.3632
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

30 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 1 more is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Bald Mountain Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · Inside
Boulder Park Campground
Reservable32 sites
FS · Inside
Burgess Junction Visitor Center
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Circle Park Campground
Reservable10 sites
FS · Inside
Dead Swede
Reservable21 sites
FS · Inside
Doyle Creek Campground
Reservable19 sites
FS · Inside
Hettinger Group Area
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Hunter Campground
Reservable9 sites
Show 4 more

19 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 106

The Forest Service lists 106 recreation sites in this forest, among them 27 campgrounds, 26 interpretive sites, 18 trailheads, 9 picnic areas. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 46 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Tongue

    49 mi from the center point · 286 acres

  • Wildfire
    Cow Camp

    50 mi from the center point · 244 acres · 95% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Recreation Area · 13 mi
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
National Register listings within 15 miles · 41 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Bighorn National Forest?

1.1 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Bighorn National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Bighorn National Forest in?

Wyoming.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Bighorn National Forest?

30 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Bald Mountain Campground, Boulder Park Campground and Burgess Junction Visitor Center. 31 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Bighorn National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 106 recreation sites here, including 27 campground campgrounds, 26 interpretive areass and 18 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Bighorn National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.545, -107.363. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is 13 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Bighorn National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Tongue at 49 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Bighorn National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 17 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Bighorn National Forest?

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (13 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Bighorn National Forest?

41 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Sheridan Inn and Saban, James T., Lookout.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Bighorn National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.