Road Trips And Pontoon Boats: How To Make Memories In Montana Bighorn Country

Road Trips And Pontoon Boats: How To Make Memories In Montana Bighorn Country

 

If you’re into uncrowded, stunning natural beauty, floating toilets, and bears with bad habits, this breathtaking overlooked area in Southeast Montana is for you.

Plus, if Montana is on your road trip radar, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a place that shouldn’t be missed. Whether going to or from Yellowstone National Park, you’ll find many rewarding experiences in Montana Bighorn country. Even though our time here lasted less than a day, the memory will last forever as one of our favorite places.

A little after 7 a.m., our group of about twelve people sat on a white chartered bus waiting to begin our two-hour drive from Billings to Bighorn Canyon. Naturally, most of us needed some form of caffeine. Still, we chatted with anticipation in our voices about what we thought we would see and experience on the boat in the canyon. Although we have crisscrossed Montana’s backroads many times over the years on family road trips, we never visited Bighorn Canyon for some reason. So we missed the boat because if we knew what we do now, this would have been one of our most epic road trips.

Road Trip To Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Soon after our journey started, the group leader opened the lid of a huge white bakery box from Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery. The box was full of muffins and scones, then she moved down the aisle, tempting each person. Luckily, I was in the front row and first. Still, my decision didn’t come easy with the heavy burden of an entire box of scrumptious bakery items. A large raspberry muffin with an oversized top caught my eye, mainly from its many red berry pieces and giant crystals of crunchy sugar sprinkles on top. In reality, the kid in me probably picked that one because its sugar crystals on top exceeded the others. Nevertheless, I made a good choice. This irresistible Raspberry flavor-packed muffin stuck to my fingers, making it the moistest muffin I have ever eaten.

We drove on Interstate 90 for about forty-five minutes before exiting Highway 313 at the small town of Hardin. As we passed through downtown Hardin, I looked at its old buildings, searching for any out-of-the-ordinary shops or things to do. Because you never know what unique things you can find in small towns. Little did we know that a more significant story would crash later that night in the same town. You can read about it here: A Pizza, Propeller, And Hanging With Ranchers: Collecting Montana Memories.

 

Farms And Fly Fishing From Hardin To Fort Smith

 

After Hardin, we drove south through the countryside on Highway 313. Even though the landscape looked arid, ranches, large round haybales, and farmland filled the terrain. Feathery barley and tall grass danced with the wind, along with ample fields of sugar beets and corn irrigated by long white pipes. Undoubtedly, Montana’s ranchland with barbed wire and pasture often held cattle and groups of horses in between rows of crops with a deep blue sky holding it all together.

Green hills with boulders and sparse evergreens started jutting up shortly after, signaling a change in view. We began to see the renowned Bighorn River with meandering fly fishing drift boats and people casting float down the river. Instead of agriculture, fly fishing camps and log cabin lodges dotted the roadside one after another. In due time, the soft curvy highway brings us through Fort Smith, a small town lining the highway with fly fishing services before we turn onto Ok-A-Beh road.  

 

A Scenic Drive On Ok-A-Beh Road Surprised Us

 

Various sights and pleasing scenes await while driving the nine-mile Ok-A-Beh road. But, first, a brown calf lay next to the road in wildflowers and green grass stalks as tall as his head. Next, we looked for the Crow Tribe’s roaming herd of bison, well over 1,000 head, but did not see any. 

Our scenic drive became curvy as we entered into switchbacks on our way to the top of a small pass with tremendous views. We noticed a helicopter landing pad on the side of the road near the top, but suddenly an incredible panorama view appeared. At 4,700 feet, I didn’t expect an astonishing view like this in southeast Montana. The deep, smoky hills layered in thick haze somewhat resembled smaller sections of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  

In no time, the bus started slowly accelerating as we began driving down the other side. Shortly afterward, we spotted the colossal Yellowtail Dam holding back the serene Bighorn River in the distance. Green and grey-colored cliffs rose on both sides from the water, with a thick layer of deep red sandstone topping them off. Our first view of Bighorn Canyon magnified our curiosity much more than before. Plus, I enjoyed looking at the red sandstone’s natural caves the entire time, whether by road or boat.

Tip: Ok-A-Beh road does not get plowed during winter, so check to see if it’s open ahead of time.

Get To Know Lewis and Clark’s Enormous Dog, Seaman

Ok-A Beh Marina And National Park Ranger Guides

 

Our road continued downhill to Ok-A-Beh Marina. We all made our way to the restroom since the pontoon boat ride lasted several hours, and there was nowhere for a bathroom on the water. So, we thought. Before we went to the dock, I climbed the stairs to a deck above the restrooms for a fantastic view of the marina and canyon walls.

Our two guides, Ranger Tanya Plainfeather Gardner, Plainfeather is her maiden name and interpreted as the primary feather of an eagle’s tail, and Ranger David Moore, are halfway down the concrete steps. So we chatted a few minutes while waiting for the group and our two boats to arrive at the dock. Each boat carried a ranger to get two different perspectives, Ranger Moore with history and geology and Ranger Gardner with Native American. I appreciated hearing both, especially Native Americans since that side is seldom shared.

When we started walking on the dock, Ranger Moore said to watch for huge carp. Immediately after that, I spotted a large round carp effortlessly swimming up and down to the surface at the boat ramp. The grey carp slowly disappeared in and out of deeper water each time it rose and eventually swam away. He often hears stories from kayakers about how carp will nip at their paddles. That’s a new experience that we didn’t expect.

While watching the carp, I remember thinking about how I didn’t expect to see clear water in this canyon. Most Instagram photos of canyon rivers and lakes seem muddy and murky. Still, I could see through many feet of crystal clear water with a slight yellow-green tint.

A Pontoon Boat Tour Of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Our two pontoon boats pulled up to the dock, and we boarded with a guide on each boat. Then, one by one, the boats pushed off as we began our journey into one of the most beautiful canyons in America. The boat’s motor pushed us over water smooth as glass with towering canyon walls on both sides. 

Colorful layers of rock rose from the water on each side, starting with shades of gray and then moving into a strip of bright red at the top of the tallest cliffs. Throughout the canyon, different sizes of caves emerged in their red layers. Rock cliffs sporadically changed to green lush sloping segments with pine trees and scattered sagebrush. Nonetheless, members of the group leisurely talked even when all of our eyes constantly looked around at the canyon’s natural beauty.  

The ride was smooth, making it peaceful and relaxing. Plus, I considered being alone on the water one of the main attractions, a bonus because there wasn’t anything unnatural around us. Kristi and I always seek out places like this when we travel. 

I sat in a captain’s chair at the back of the boat. Mostly out from under the bimini tops shade, but in front of the motor. I felt the sun become warmer each minute, all the way to 103 degrees. I’m not a big fan of hot days like this, but I admit it wasn’t too bad. The motor’s hum relaxed me, and a constant breeze kept the direct sun from becoming overbearing. I could have sat underneath the shade and did a few times, but I enjoyed my seat too much.

Bighorn Lake’s Boat-In Campgrounds And Misbehaving Black Bears

A few times, our boat skipper slowed to a tranquil crawl to navigate through pockets of driftwood. And occasionally, we passed people fishing from their boats, creating a relaxing scene. One boat, in particular, had a dad with kids. 

Specifically, watch for the square green and white day-board 9 sign marking a campground about eight miles south of Ok-A-Beh Marina. It has six campsites with bear boxes, fire rings, picnic tables, and a dock with restrooms, although the dock with floating restrooms wasn’t installed this year. Most likely because of unusually high black bear activity at the campsite and the area.

Ranger David Moore gave us the scoop about the bear activity. It seems like bears and humans share some of the same personality flaws. A mother black bear taught her cubs some bad habits, and many occurred at this campground. She did not teach them manners and left them alone when she ran off with another man bear. Abandoned and without a mother, the orphaned cubs, one male, and one female, continue to make themselves at home in this campground with and without campers. Most wildlife stays away from people, but these cubs have developed an appetite for easy-to-get prepared meals. 

 

So, for public safety, Park Rangers recommend camping at other campgrounds. Moore usually sees them hanging around this picturesque campground, and everyone on our boat tried spotting them. Still, they didn’t feel like being social today.

Fun Times In The Beautiful Leadville National Fish Hatchery 

A Dilemma And Floating Toilets In Black Canyon

 

My favorite experience on our boat tour was Black Canyon because it seemed more personal. Calmer water and the canyon’s beauty combined for an even more tranquil experience. More trees filled the canyon’s walls, framing our entrance to Black Canyon Creek with more green than the rest of our canyon tour. 

A small structure on a dock slowly appeared at the mouth of the creek. One long dock connected several smaller ones on the left for boat parking and a swimming and fishing area for day-use and boat-in campsites on the right side. 

 

Floating restrooms welcomed us at the end of the dock. Like a theater, the deep blue cloudless sky served as a backdrop, creating a stage of nature’s grace. As we glided closer, the vaulted toilet’s red roof covered its cocoa brown sides with an attached bear warning sign and bear-proof trash cans on each side. This might be the most compelling outhouse I’ve ever seen. 

 

Behind the enchanting floating restrooms, an aluminum railed walkway connects the dock to a 17-site campground that stretches along the shore. On the other side, tall green grass surrounds large rocks scattered throughout the campground. At that moment, we were the only people at the campground except for one set of picnickers packing their boat to leave.

 

I walked over the bridge while gazing left up smooth sloping hills that rose then turned into jagged rock cliffs. I walked through the empty campground to the very last campsite. Black Canyon Creek had caught my attention, and I badly wanted to hike a short way up a trail to see where the rapids disappeared into the forest. I knew I could make it there and back quickly, but my gut feeling kept its arm stretched out in front of me, preventing those first steps. I was alone and away from the group so they wouldn’t know if something dire happened and I needed help. Rattlesnakes and bears were my two biggest concerns.

 

Family Memories And A Stellar Lunch From Stella’s

 

I enjoyed a few moments of solitude beside calm water, then turned and walked back along the shore to the bridge.

By then, I realized most of the group had started eating lunch under the boat’s bimini shade. At this point, I’m sure the temperature reached over one hundred degrees, and the wind calmed to a slight breeze.

 

Two kids and their dad docked in their fishing boat without me realizing, and I remembered passing them on the lake earlier. On the dock, the teenage brother played with scores of baby trout and panfish by teasing them with a worm on his hook. Even though I was late for lunch, I had to stop and ask them about the fishing. He caught several nice size bass, but he didn’t say what kind. His younger sister uncontrollably exclaimed that she didn’t catch anything. Although, I think she probably had more fun playing with the smaller fish than fishing. I didn’t want to keep the group waiting, so I kept my conversation short, although I would have liked to chat longer about fishing in the lake.

Everyone else started lunch, so I needed to dig in quickly. Before the tour, we could choose from several wraps or salads from Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery. I chose a grilled chicken salad because I love fresh cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. But despite that, I didn’t expect the salad to come in a clever chilled stainless steel container with cloth napkins and a metal fork. Equally important, the salad’s square container with a tightly sealed lid reminded me of a Japanese Bento. The fresh, crisp salad with homemade dressing was perfect for a scorching hot day on Bighorn Lake. Once again, Stella’s hit it out of the park.

 

One Last Peek At Black Canyon Provides More Than Words

 

After everyone finished lunch, we pushed away from the dock. With the motor’s hum behind us and colorful cliffs ahead, we began making our way back to Ok-A-Beh Marina. I turned around to take one last peek. The pristine wilderness smiled back at me, offering an invitation to come back, even in my mind, whenever I needed peace and tranquility again. The long wooden dock delightfully promised to serve as a red carpet to welcome me back.

Where are some of your favorite memories from?