| Bighorn National Forest | |
|---|---|
 The Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark in the National Forest | |
   | |
| Location | Sheridan,Big Horn,Johnson, andWashakie counties,Wyoming, United States |
| Nearest city | Sheridan, WY |
| Coordinates | 44°32′N107°21′W / 44.533°N 107.350°W /44.533; -107.350 |
| Area | 1,107,571 acres (4,482.18 km2)[1] |
| Established | February 22, 1897[2] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Bighorn National Forest |
TheBighorn National Forest is aU.S. National Forest located in northernWyoming,United States and consists of over 1.1 million acres (4,500 km2). Created as a USForest Reserve in 1897, it is one of the oldest government-protected forest lands in the U.S. The forest is well east of thecontinental divide and extends from theMontana border for a distance of 80 miles (130 km) along the spine of theBighorn Mountains, an outlying mountain range separated from the rest of theRocky Mountains byBighorn Basin. Elevations range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) along thesagebrush and grass-covered lowlands at the foot of the mountains, to 13,189 feet (4,020 m) on top ofCloud Peak, the highest point in the Bighorn Mountains. Around 99% of the land is above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).[3] The forest is named after theBighorn River, which is partially fed by streams found in the forest. Streams in the range are fed primarily bysnowmelt and snowmelt mixed with drivingrainfall.[3]
Within the forest is theCloud Peak Wilderness area in which no motorized or mechanical equipment is allowed. The only access into the 189,000 acres (760 km2) wilderness[4] is on foot orhorseback. There are 1,500 miles (2,400 km) oftrails in the forest, along with 32 improvedcampgrounds, lodges, and three scenic vehicular byways.U.S. Route 14 in Wyoming, also known as the Bighorn Scenic Byway, crosses the middle of the 30-mile (48 km) wide forest. The Medicine Wheel Passage (U.S. Highway 14A) crosses in the north passing theMedicine Wheel National Historic Landmark, while the Cloud Peak Skyway (U.S. Route 16) crosses the highest pass in the forest (Powder River Pass 9,677 ft/2,950 m) and is located in the southern section of the forest.
The forest headquarters is located inSheridan, Wyoming. There are localranger district offices inBuffalo,Greybull, andSheridan.[5] Visitor centers are located at Burgess Junction and nearShell Falls. Burgess Junction, at the intersection ofRoute 14 andRoute 14A about 25 miles fromDayton,[6] also has a ranger station, visitor accommodation, and campgrounds.
The Bighorn National Forest was established as the Big Horn National Forest on 22 February 1897, and encompasses 1,198,080 acres. On 1 July 1908 the name was changed to the Bighorn National Forest through anexecutive order. In September 1981 the national forest had 1,115,171 acres, with 1,107,670 of those acres being National Forest land.[7]
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, the Bighorn National Forest has a mostlysubarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Burgess Junction, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1960–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) | 56 (13) | 57 (14) | 70 (21) | 75 (24) | 87 (31) | 88 (31) | 88 (31) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 65 (18) | 55 (13) | 88 (31) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.7 (8.2) | 45.7 (7.6) | 50.0 (10.0) | 57.8 (14.3) | 67.2 (19.6) | 74.8 (23.8) | 81.1 (27.3) | 79.8 (26.6) | 75.8 (24.3) | 65.5 (18.6) | 53.2 (11.8) | 46.1 (7.8) | 82.0 (27.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 35.2 (1.8) | 40.5 (4.7) | 49.8 (9.9) | 61.4 (16.3) | 70.8 (21.6) | 69.7 (20.9) | 60.6 (15.9) | 46.3 (7.9) | 35.6 (2.0) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 46.5 (8.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) | 18.1 (−7.7) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 38.9 (3.8) | 48.4 (9.1) | 56.4 (13.6) | 55.4 (13.0) | 46.9 (8.3) | 34.6 (1.4) | 25.2 (−3.8) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 34.5 (1.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.1 (−13.3) | 6.7 (−14.1) | 12.5 (−10.8) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 35.4 (1.9) | 41.9 (5.5) | 41.0 (5.0) | 33.2 (0.7) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 14.7 (−9.6) | 8.1 (−13.3) | 22.6 (−5.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15.2 (−26.2) | −16.5 (−26.9) | −8.2 (−22.3) | 0.3 (−17.6) | 12.7 (−10.7) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 32.3 (0.2) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 1.3 (−17.1) | −9.4 (−23.0) | −16.3 (−26.8) | −25.5 (−31.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −44 (−42) | −45 (−43) | −24 (−31) | −18 (−28) | 0 (−18) | 5 (−15) | 21 (−6) | 20 (−7) | −5 (−21) | −22 (−30) | −28 (−33) | −48 (−44) | −48 (−44) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.42 (36) | 1.67 (42) | 2.08 (53) | 2.79 (71) | 3.50 (89) | 2.41 (61) | 1.57 (40) | 1.20 (30) | 2.02 (51) | 2.30 (58) | 1.62 (41) | 1.54 (39) | 24.12 (611) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 31.7 (81) | 32.6 (83) | 35.3 (90) | 36.8 (93) | 19.3 (49) | 3.3 (8.4) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 6.3 (16) | 24.3 (62) | 27.7 (70) | 31.9 (81) | 249.3 (633.65) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 31.3 (80) | 34.9 (89) | 40.5 (103) | 38.7 (98) | 17.5 (44) | 2.0 (5.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 4.3 (11) | 11.9 (30) | 17.6 (45) | 25.6 (65) | 49.0 (124) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.1 | 9.3 | 10.4 | 12.0 | 9.3 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.9 | 101.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 10.1 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 5.5 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 9.7 | 72.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[9] | |||||||||||||
Bald Mountain is a small peak on the northern plateau of the Bighorn Mountains.
| Climate data for Bald Mountain, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals: 9380ft (2859m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 22.8 (−5.1) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 33.4 (0.8) | 40.2 (4.6) | 49.0 (9.4) | 56.9 (13.8) | 66.0 (18.9) | 64.6 (18.1) | 54.3 (12.4) | 39.8 (4.3) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 21.6 (−5.8) | 41.8 (5.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.4 (−8.7) | 16.7 (−8.5) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 39.1 (3.9) | 47.0 (8.3) | 55.4 (13.0) | 54.2 (12.3) | 45.2 (7.3) | 32.4 (0.2) | 22.2 (−5.4) | 15.5 (−9.2) | 33.2 (0.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.9 (−12.3) | 9.1 (−12.7) | 14.8 (−9.6) | 19.8 (−6.8) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 37.1 (2.8) | 44.8 (7.1) | 43.8 (6.6) | 36.2 (2.3) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 9.4 (−12.6) | 24.5 (−4.1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.64 (67) | 2.51 (64) | 2.81 (71) | 3.50 (89) | 3.81 (97) | 3.44 (87) | 1.34 (34) | 1.13 (29) | 2.20 (56) | 2.82 (72) | 2.37 (60) | 2.34 (59) | 30.91 (785) |
| Source 1: XMACIS2[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[11] | |||||||||||||
TheSNOTEL weather station, Bone Springs, is slightly north of Cedar Mountain.
| Climate data for Bone Springs Div, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals: 9350ft (2850m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 25.8 (−3.4) | 33.6 (0.9) | 39.3 (4.1) | 48.1 (8.9) | 56.7 (13.7) | 65.5 (18.6) | 63.9 (17.7) | 54.0 (12.2) | 40.8 (4.9) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 42.1 (5.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.7 (−8.5) | 17.0 (−8.3) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 38.3 (3.5) | 46.6 (8.1) | 54.7 (12.6) | 53.4 (11.9) | 44.7 (7.1) | 32.5 (0.3) | 22.5 (−5.3) | 15.8 (−9.0) | 32.9 (0.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.1 (−12.7) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 14.0 (−10.0) | 19.2 (−7.1) | 28.5 (−1.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 43.8 (6.6) | 42.9 (6.1) | 35.3 (1.8) | 24.2 (−4.3) | 14.9 (−9.5) | 8.6 (−13.0) | 23.8 (−4.5) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.24 (57) | 2.25 (57) | 2.79 (71) | 3.47 (88) | 3.92 (100) | 2.84 (72) | 1.59 (40) | 1.32 (34) | 2.50 (64) | 2.81 (71) | 2.07 (53) | 2.12 (54) | 29.92 (761) |
| Source 1: XMACIS2[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[13] | |||||||||||||
The Bighorn National Forest contains primarily forest along with alpine meadows and lakes at higher elevations. The forest is primarilylodgepole pine, along with severalspecies ofspruce,fir, andaspen. Whilegrizzly bears have not inhabited the forest since the early 20th century,black bears are widespread. Grizzly bears have made a comeback in the decades. Other largemammals includecougars,elk,mule deer,pronghorn, andmoose.Coyotes are also present in this forest. Numerous lakes are found within the forest and most are naturally stocked withtrout and at least 100 other fish species.Meadow Lark Lake is a popular recreation area created by the construction of a dam built by Company 841 of theCivilian Conservation Corps in 1936. Water quality sampling from the lakes shows the highestacid rain deposition of any mountain chain in the Rockies.
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