Boating Big Horn Canyon (Jackson, Lovell: rent, camping, shop)

[tycodmom]

We take an annual camping trip each year to Flaming Gorge for a week long summer boating trip to wakeboard and soak up the sun. For the most part, we get warm weather camping near the Dam in Utah. We were thinking about checking out camping and boarding at Big Horn Canyon. First, I see that we can either go to Fort Smith in MT. or Lovell in Wyoming. Our experience has been at Flaming Gorge that the Wyoming side is always overcast and windy. My questions are is this a good place to spend a week camping, boating, wakeboarding and sunning? Is the water ice cold in July? Which is more desirable to launch and camp in Mt or Wy or are our odds of warm weather and clear skies better with the Gorge?

[TNT25]

Generally speaking, your temperatures in the summertime will correlate with the respective elevation of the area. Flaming Gorge is at an elevation of 6050' while Big Horn/Yellowtail is at an elevation of 3650'. The Lovell area, and the northern part of the Big Horn basin, is known for being one of the hottest parts of Wyoming in the summertime. The water shouldn't be "ice-cold" and for general recreation and sunning purposes you should be fine with this area.

[tycodmom]

Thank you for the reply. Can you tell me how the windy it is? Are there frequent white caps and is one location better than the other as far as launching, views, camping etc?

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by tycodmom

We take an annual camping trip each year to Flaming Gorge for a week long summer boating trip to wakeboard and soak up the sun. For the most part, we get warm weather camping near the Dam in Utah. We were thinking about checking out camping and boarding at Big Horn Canyon. First, I see that we can either go to Fort Smith in MT. or Lovell in Wyoming. Our experience has been at Flaming Gorge that the Wyoming side is always overcast and windy. My questions are is this a good place to spend a week camping, boating, wakeboarding and sunning? Is the water ice cold in July? Which is more desirable to launch and camp in Mt or Wy or are our odds of warm weather and clear skies better with the Gorge?

I grew up in Lovell, but would not consider the Big Horn Canyon a desirable vacation destination for camping and boarding for more than a day or two. There are some beautiful camping spots up in the Big Horns above Lovell, but what is available at the canyon is dry barren dirt and sage brush. The canyon is very scenic and worth seeing but most of Big Horn Lake is very shallow and muddy until you get into the canyon. The canyon walls are very steep and offer very few places where you can go ashore from the water. I am not familiar with what is available on the Montana end of the canyon, never having gone to Ft. Smith. Looking at the are in google maps it looks like it is probably more hospitable than the Wyoming end.

[WyoNewk]

I've been to Ft Smith many times, but we always flew in and fly fished the river below the dam. That's some of the best trout fishing you'll find anywhere [fly fishing only within 13(?) miles of the dam], but I'm not familiar with what's available for camping or what's above the dam. From Googling I see there are cabins and a campgrounds for RVs and tents, but I don't know anything about them other than what I Googled.

I believe we always used Ft Smith Fly Shop when we went. They'd pick us up at the airstrip, drive us to their shop where we'd rent a McKenzie boat (and sometimes a guide), get licenses and maybe some flies; then they'd take us to the river, put us in and then pick us up hours later at the take-out point and drive us back to the plane. Great service!

[tycodmom]

I appreciate the information. Maybe we will choose another location.

[jody_wy]

6 Ways to Enjoy the Waters in Jackson Hole - AllTrips