Bighorn Mountains facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Bighorn Mountains
Big Horn range in Northern Wyoming
Highest point
Peak	Cloud Peak
Elevation	13,175 ft (4,016 m)
Geography
The Bighorns are shown highlighted in red in the western United States
Country	United States
Parent range	Rocky Mountains
Geology
Orogeny	Laramide orogeny

The Bighorn Mountains are a large mountain range in the northern parts of Wyoming and southern Montana, in the United States. They stretch for about 200 miles (320 km) from the main Rocky Mountains onto the Great Plains. These mountains are known by different names in Native American languages, like "our mountains" or "bighorn sheep's mountains." A big part of the Bighorns is protected within the Bighorn National Forest.

How the Bighorn Mountains Formed
Exploring the Bighorn Mountains
Native American History in the Bighorns
How the Mountains Got Their Name
Activities and Fun in the Bighorns
Images for kids
See also

How the Bighorn Mountains Formed

The Bighorn Mountains started forming about 70 million years ago. This happened during a time called the Laramide orogeny, which was a period of intense mountain building.

Before the mountains rose, many layers of sedimentary rock were laid down. These layers are over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) thick. They contain many fossils from ancient sea life.

The very old granite rock beneath these layers is now visible. Some of these rocks are among the oldest on Earth, at 3.25 billion years old. After the mountains were pushed up, lots of new sediments filled the nearby basins. These sediments also hold fossils of early mammals.

During the Ice Ages, huge glaciers shaped the mountains. You can still see many bowl-shaped valleys and U-shaped valleys. There are also many glacial lakes. Today, the only active glacier left is the Cloud Peak Glacier. It is found on the east side of Cloud Peak.

Scientists have studied the geology of the Bighorns for a long time. One of the first studies was done by N.H. Darton in the early 1900s.

Even though people looked for valuable metals, no big deposits were ever found. This helped keep the mountains wild and undeveloped.

The mountains also have many cave systems. These include Tongue River Cave and the caves near Medicine Mountain. The Natural Trap Cave holds many bones of ancient animals.

Exploring the Bighorn Mountains

The highest parts of the Bighorns are in Wyoming. They are mostly within the Bighorn National Forest. Two peaks are over 13,000 feet (3,960 m) tall. These are Cloud Peak (13,175 ft or 4,013 m) and Black Tooth Mountain (13,005 ft or 3,964 m). Many other peaks are over 12,000 feet (3,650 m).

From the east, the mountains rise sharply from the plains. They can be over 8,000 feet (2,450 m) taller than the land around them. The Bighorns have a more rounded shape compared to other nearby mountain ranges.

The Cloud Peak Wilderness is a special area with no roads. It covers about 189,000 acres (765 km²). This wilderness is surrounded by National Forest land. Most of the Cloud Peak Wilderness is above the tree line. The lower areas are covered in coniferous forests.

Many animals live here, including mule deer, elk, moose, black bears, and mountain lions.

There are three main highways that cross the Bighorns. These are U.S. Routes 14, 14A, and 16. The US Forest Service calls them Scenic Byways. This means they offer beautiful views.

The Bighorns get a lot of snow each year. This is because they are so high up. The melting snow feeds many rivers through the summer. These rivers include the Little Bighorn, Tongue, and Powder rivers.

The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is also in these mountains. It covers about 120,000 acres (485 km²). This area includes Bighorn Lake, which is a reservoir.

In 2015, a large crack was found in the Bighorn Mountains. Scientists believe it might be from an active landslide.

Native American History in the Bighorns

The Bighorn Mountains were very important to Native American tribes for thousands of years. They provided plants, animals for hunting, and shelter. Old trails crossed the mountains, and canyons offered protection in winter.

Hunters used stone blinds in the high areas. They hunted large animals like bison and deer. The northern Bighorns were a key summer home for bison.

The Medicine Wheel is a very important sacred site. It is located in the northern Bighorns. Ancestral tribes built it, and it is still used today for ceremonies.

The Shoshone Tribe likely lived in the Bighorns for over 1,000 years. Stone tools found in other mountains show that they traveled between ranges.

The Apsalooke, or Crow tribe, came to this region about 300-400 years ago. They found the sacred tobacco plant growing near Cloud Peak. A Crow chief named Arapooish spoke in the 1830s about how his people understood the animals' movements. They knew that bighorn sheep and deer spent summers in the high mountains.

Other tribes like the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota also used the Bighorns. They came to the area more often after 1800. The Arapaho had a long history on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.

How the Mountains Got Their Name

The Bighorn Mountains are named after the Bighorn River. The Crow tribe gave the river its name.

According to Crow stories, a boy was saved by seven sacred bighorn rams. The largest ram, called "Big Metal," told the boy that the river's name was the Bighorn River. He said if the name ever changed, the Crow tribe would disappear. So, the river's name became the basis for the mountains' name.

Many peaks in the area were named by the Crow people. For example, Sheep Mountain means "where the bighorn ram sits." Medicine Mountain means "Holy Mountain." Cloud Peak means "extended mountain."

Other tribes also used names related to bighorn sheep. The Arapaho and Cheyenne called the Bighorn River "Mountain Sheep River." The Lakota word for the Bighorns means "Rugged mountain ridge."

Sadly, too much hunting and diseases from livestock caused the bighorn sheep population to almost disappear by the early 1900s. Today, there is only one herd of bighorn sheep in the mountains. They were brought back to the area near Devils Canyon.

Activities and Fun in the Bighorns

The Bighorns are a popular place for outdoor activities. People enjoy hiking, backpacking, and fishing. Hunting, horseback riding, and riding ATVs or snowmobiles are also popular.

There are many places to fish, especially for brook trout. You can camp at many campgrounds or in most of the national forest. If you go into the wilderness, you need to register.

Motorized trails wind through most of the national forest. However, the Cloud Peak Wilderness has hiking trails for quiet exploration. Higher trails often have snow except in July and August. Snowstorms can happen at any time after Labor Day.

The Bighorns also host a challenging 100-mile ultramarathon called the Bighorn Trail Run every June.

There are two small ski areas in the Bighorns: Meadowlark Resort and Antelope Butte Ski Area. Antelope Butte reopened in 2019 and also hosts a summer festival.

Many people have summer cabins in the Bighorn National Forest. These cabins must blend in with nature. Owners also need to reduce wildfire risks around their homes. The National Forest also allows cattle and sheep to graze in the summer.

Famous writer Ernest Hemingway stayed at the Spear O Wigwam guest ranch in 1928. He wrote part of his book "A Farewell to Arms" there.

The Sioux, Crow, and Cheyenne Indians have always seen the Bighorns as sacred mountains.