Finding Bighorn Canyon National Park

We found a recreation area called Bighorn Canyon on the map so we decided to go check it out. We took the Crow Agency Road to State Route 313. The road meanders through the Crow Indian Reservation. It's mostly farm land and fields until you get to Fort Smith which is the gateway to Bighorn Canyon National Park. Fort Smith is the north end of the park which stretches south through Montana and down to Sheridan, Wyoming.

We pulled into the Fort Smith visitor center and quickly learned we were in "fisherman heaven". Off we went to check out the fishing access sites on the map provided by the ranger. We were hoping to put the boat in. As we pulled in there were a number of people fishing from the shoreline and several float boats. Ken excitedly said "I thing we can float this!" We learned this was a first class fishery and was some of the best trout fishing in the country. We could see the fish rise! (There is hope...)

We got back in the car to explore the rest of the area. Following the signs we found the road to Bighorn Lake after getting sandwiches at Patty's Place for a picnic. The road climbed and switched back and forth up the steep canyon to Yellowtail Dam. We went through the visitor center and walked around the dam. The focus of the area is the 71-mile-long Bighorn Lake which was created by the Yellowtail Dam. Created in 1968, the dam provides electric power, water for irrigation, flood control, and recreation. The 525 foot high dam creates one of the largest reservoirs on the Missouri River tributary system. Continuing up the road we enjoyed the play of light and shadow on the rock walls of the canyon as well as unbelievable views. We arrived at the Marina overlooking the lake. We thought about renting a boat.. but not for $275/day. Sitting in chairs overlooking the lake we had a nice lunch on the porch of the marina and then headed back down the road. We decided to check out a campground we noticed on our way up to the dam. It's a "primitive" site but they have a camphost and it looks OK. We really like the area and we may come down and fish for a day or so.

On the way home we decided to make reservations (which we don't like to do) for Yellowstone. We're afraid we won't be able to get a site. Back at camp we reviewed the route plans and looked at Yellowstone Campgrounds. A couple we met while we were in Ohio told us about Fishing Bridge Campground so we will try that one for a week.

Over dinner we decided to go to Bighorn for 1-2 days. We'll leave tommorrow. We were so impressed with the beautiful scenery in the canyon area!

Little Bighorn Battle Monument

It was a lazy start this morning and we followed the Yellowstone River along Rte 12W. Along the road we saw a small group of Pronghorn in a field and passed the "Howdy Hotel (whoo-who!). The corn in the fields is finally getting high, but none for sale yet. Our destination is the area around Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. We found a campground called the Lucky 7 Ranch in Garryowen, Montana. The Lucky 7 is a working ranch situated within the Crow Indian Reservation. They have nice gravel sites with beautiful views and nice facilities.

Even though we drove a lot today we decided to take the battlefield auto tour. The battle was just the latest encounter in a centuries-long conflict which started with the influx of the first European settlers in North America. It was truly due to a clash of cultures. All the Northern Plains Indians wanted was to preserve their nomadic way of life.

The Lakota and Cheyenne left the reservation in 1875 after gold seekers swarmed the Black Hills which was the heart of the new Indian reservation given to the Indians in the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868. The army tried to stop the influx but was unsuccessful. The government ordered the tribes to return to the reservation before January 31, 1876. Sitting Bull, the Lakota leader, and others refused to comply and the army was called to enforce the order.

As you pull into the parking lot your attention is drawn to the large sprawling hillside filled with rows of white headstones. This is where it hit me that this isn't just about the clash between the US Army and Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, but we were truly in a national cemetery. We walked through two sections one with fallen Civil War and World War I soldiers. We found our way to the visitor center and watched a video on the history of the park and General Custer.

The history is so powerful here. We drove over the battlefied stopping at areas where small battles and skirmishes took place visiting markers of both warriors and soldiers. At the end of our drive we stopped at "Last Stand Hill" where Custer and about 41 men tried to fight off the thousands of Lakota and Cheyenne. We then walked across the knoll to the new Indian Memorial. I had a really strange unsettled feeling as we viewed the headstones of the soldiers and Indians. The true history of this place is not what we are lead to believe. The monument to the Indians is beautiful and some of their statements are very telling. Our government was not very nice and I felt a little guilty about how the Indians were treated. Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Lame White Man (cool name) were very intelligent and probably could have been friends if the government kept promises and negotiated better.

With lots of mixed feelings about history, we returned to camp. Had dinner outside overlooking the rolling hills and mountains in the distance, talked about what we wanted to do tomorrow and called it a night.