Bighorn River Trail

The Bighorn River Trail follows the cottonwood-lined banks of the Bighorn River through and beyond Hot Springs State Park, offering a peaceful and easy riverside walk that provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the Thermopolis area. The Bighorn River is renowned for its exceptional trout fishing, and fly fishers working the river's clear pools are a common sight along the trail throughout the warmer months.

The park maintains a dedicated bighorn sheep viewing area along this trail, where a resident herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep can be observed at remarkably close range. These magnificent animals, once nearly extirpated from Wyoming, have recovered significantly and now roam the rocky bluffs above the river with casual confidence. Dawn and dusk offer the best viewing opportunities when the sheep descend to drink from the river.

The cottonwood forest along the river corridor attracts a remarkable diversity of bird life, including great horned owls, Cooper's hawks, various woodpecker species, and numerous neotropical migrants during spring and fall. Mink and muskrat can occasionally be spotted along the water's edge. The flat, easy terrain makes this trail suitable for all ages and fitness levels, and the combination of riverside scenery, wildlife, and the therapeutic proximity to the hot spring complex makes it a deeply satisfying outing at any time of year.