[3] The lake provides recreational boating, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, and birding opportunities to visitors.

[4] Nearly one-quarter of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range lies within the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

[5] Archaeologists have found evidence of people living in the vicinity of Bighorn Canyon for as far back as 12,000 years ago.

The Bad Pass trail, along the west side of the canyon, provided passage for Indigenous peoples from Bighorn basin to the Grapevine Creek area.

[6] The Grapevine Creek area in present day Montana opened up to the plains, where buffalo could be found.

[10] Through the 19th century, as more and more land was ceded to the U.S. Government, Bighorn Canyon remained in the heart of Crow country.

[11] Members of the Crow Tribe were against the building of the dam because Bighorn Canyon is considered a sacred place.

In the South District the Cal S. Taggart Visitor Center is located and Lovell, Wyoming and is open year round.

[18] Backcountry camping is permitted along the reservoir below the high water of 3,640 feet or in undeveloped areas near Bighorn Lake.

Visitors may use motorboats, kayaks, canoes, stand up paddle boards, or most personal watercraft, provided they have the required state inspections and Aquatic Invasive Species decals.

The National Park Service offers free guided kayaking tours on Bighorn Lake during the summer.

Following construction, the waters below the dam transformed into a cold tailwater fishery where rainbow and brown trout spawn.

[26] Largemouth bass, sauger, shovelnose sturgeon, crappie, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, stonecat, and carp are among the fish that may be caught in the reservoir.

For anglers interested in fishing the Bighorn River, there is a boat ramp immediately below Afterbay Dam.

Management of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area requires cavers to obtain a permit at the Cal S. Taggart visitor center in Lovell, Wyoming.

[30] Bighorn sheep, black bear, mule deer, mountain lions, pronghorn, coyotes, beavers, and marmots are among the species that live in the varied climates in the recreation area.

The black-tailed prairie dog and the swift fox are both listed as Species of Concern by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, & Parks and inhabit the North District of Bighorn Canyon.

[31] The gray wolf has been observed in the same region of Wyoming where the South District of Bighorn Canyon is located.

[32] The North District of Bighorn Canyon is classified as semi-arid and receives an average of 18 inches of rain per year.

[33] Afterbay Lake, located below Yellowtail Dam, is a popular spot for trout fishing as well as for viewing ducks, geese and other animals.

[36] Visitor centers and other developed facilities are located in Fort Smith, Montana, and near Lovell, Wyoming.