document.all.clock.innerHTML=cdate When looking up through a Ponderosa, the sparkling effect is from the light reflecting off the two flat sides of the needles and not off the rounded, outer part of the needles. 2023 National Forest Foundation. There are some decent fishing spots in and around the dam, where plenty of trout fishing is available. Amenities include picnic tables and fire rings, and vault toilets and potable water are also available. The Bighorn Mountains are located north of the Morongo Valley, northwest of Yucca Valley, directly south of the Johnson Valley, and southeast of the Lucerne Valley. Located in north-central Wyoming, the Big Horn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. And the goal ofour little bookis to give you the tools to read the big rock book of the Bighorn Basin. Shallow channels drain the area, and little life is evident. The Chugwaters red color is very common for rocks of this age all over the world. can trace their ancestry back to fossils found in the Willwood. Douglas-fir - The Second Tallest Tree are an outdoor paradise filled with recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, The Bighorn National Forest welcomes volunteers, partnerships, advisory councils, and research to accomplish work. Highways 14 and 14A. Camping with Bears. year+=1900 Ponderosa Pine The Sparkling Effect Lovell, Offices hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.,M-F To get to the mountains from somewhere like Bozeman youd need to head south then east on the I-90 for close to 300 miles. In fact, these red rocks can be seen clearly as you fly over the basin in an airplane and even in satellite imagery from space. Mountain pine beetle is a widespread and important insect in various pine forests throughout the Rocky Mountains. Recreation Opportunities Located in north-central Wyoming, the Bighorn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. Evidence of ancient massive eruptions clearly has relevance for people who live within range of these volcanoes. To share them with you, we studied the rocks; tracked down the fossils; reconstructed the plants, animals, and landscapes; and then employed an artist to paint them, choosing ancient worlds ranging in age from 520 million years to 18,000 years old. Anyone fishing these waters can expect various trout species along with yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and of course walleye. The Beartooth Butte Formation contains a mix of marine (brachiopods and snails) and land (scorpions and plants) organisms, providing a perfect window into the very environment where this remarkable water-to-land evolutionary transition was taking place. Bear sightings occur from spring through fall, in the Black Canyon campground and in the Trail Creek campground at Barry's Landing. District Office. minutes="0"+minutes On granitic substrates forests cover over 80% of the surface and are composed chiefly of Pinus contorta with Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa at higher elevations. 2013 Eastside 2nd Street Bighorn Scenic Byway. 307.674.2600 var daym=mydate.getDate() More than 3 million people visit every year to vacation in its scenery, observe wildlife, and visit the geysers, boiling mud pots, and other thermal features that make this place so unusual Yellowstone is home to more than half of the worlds geysers. sightseeing, photography, snowmobiling, skiing, and sledding. portions of the Rocky Mountains (Hayward 1945, Daubenmire 1946, 1952, Billings 1951, Oosting and Reed 1952, Marr 1961, Langenheim 1962, Patten 1963, Whittaker and Niering 1965). Mountain Time. Sediment slowly filled these channels, entombing the pieces and parts of the organisms that were living in this thriving ecosystem. In this world of rapid scientific advancement and never-ending environmental change, there needs to be room for the thoughtful integration of scientific ideas, data, and concepts that feeds the mind and guides the development of the maturing science of ecology. The Triassic Chugwater Formation is the most recognizable geological unit in the basin. It will continue to the east for several hundred miles, burning a path of death and destruction as it travels. (307) 548-5406 is the South District in Lovell, WY. There are a dozen more that rise to over 12,000 feet (3,700 m). connected to the .gov website. ) or https:// means you've safely For thousands of years, human cultures This came in conjunction with the Yellowtail Dam construction by the Bureau of Reclamation. This creature is like a vertebrate mash-up: a wide head with a short snout that resembles a hammerhead sharks, a stout parrot-like beak, and plates of bumpy fish-like teeth lining its mouth so it can grind the plants that make up its diet. Because of its high clay content, the formation does not make prominent outcrops, and it is often covered by geological debris or vegetation. True land scorpions are scurrying among the plants, hunting for other critters that have evolved into this new, wide-open ecosystem outside of the water. 1 0 obj The opportunities in the Bighorn Mountains for enjoyable day hikes are endlesswhether you are one to stick with the established trails or would rather carve out your own. On February 22, 1897, Conveniently located halfway between Mt. [2] They support an ecotone or ecological transition zone, that including Yuccas and Joshua trees on the desert floor and stands of Jeffrey Pine at higher elevations. <> The Big Horn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. They extend out of south-central Montana near Big Sky before rising high up into the plains and stretching beyond them. Watch for moose munching on a tasty bite of willow streamside or a family of mule deer bounding away, then stopping to look back with large ears raised and listening. The Willwood Formation is one of the thickest geological units in the Bighorn Basin as thick as 5,000 feet and it preserves one of the most abundant and diverse suites of fossil land animals and plants known anywhere in the world. 20 North Tisdale Avenue of the value these mountains hold for the American people and their livelihood. There is plenty to see and do around the area, like taking in the rugged and natural scenery, the wildlife, and recreational opportunities like boating, fishing, ice fishing, camping, and over 12 hiking trails. This native insect has always been present in the Bighorns, but has only periodically reached population levels that kill large areas of forest. miles of scenic mountain driving. The elevations vary from 3,640 to over 8,000 feet. Horn Mountain Festival, State Afterbay Campground is right next to the dam of the same name, and the other two you can only get to by boat. Sheridan, WY 82801 Rock or geologic substrate type has a strong influence on forest vegetation. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Bighorns are a great vacation destination in themselves. Are the Big Horn Mountains and the Bighorn National 1973 Wiley So in all the Big Horn Mountainstaking into consideration the Bighorn National Forestare a massively accommodating area when it comes to outdoor recreational opportunities. The Eocene Willwood Formation is exposed as red-and-beige-striped badlands throughout the middle of the basin. Visitors experience a diverse landscape - from grasslands to alpine meadows, clear lakes to glacial carved valleys and rolling hills to sheer mountain cliffs. have inhabited the Big Horn region, using mountain resources to improve their What makes this place so amazing is that it has layers of rock from almost every single geologic time period. In the Sheridan Post, July of 1905 . The east face of the Pryor Mountains has a dense Douglas-fir Forest. Some hikers will head back from this spot although you can continue. This whole region is reportedly among the most fished in Montana, and not only trout but also walleye and bass are to be found in the waters. Privacy Statement USDA Forest Service Copyright 2016, Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Today, the largest monsoons occur on the largest continents, which means a supercontinent like Pangaea likely had a mega-monsoon. These extreme wet and dry seasons during the Triassic caused massive rusting of the sediments, leaving behind a geological red ribbon that can be seen on all of the continents. Black bears make their home in Bighorn Canyon and in the surrounding mountains. camping, hiking and backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking, The mountains contain over a hundred named peaks, the highest being over the 13,000-feet mark by way of Cloud Peak in Wyoming. Plant species include both prairie grasses and wildflowers, such as big bluestem grass, purple prairie clover and blazing star. There is no menace, only the muffled footfalls of massive herbivores. The layered rocks of the Bighorn Basin were once ancient landscapes, and the fossils in the rocks are clues to what these landscapes looked like, what the ancient vegetation was, and what kinds of animals lived here. The Big xZn8}7@dNEi]l^(:J!ZHYq Ns3sCJm\,+2r~qZ/f9yq2tRwrtB(2E.%Q4gL'Rz=|NxNQ)`H-sv_DP[#,p+rg[N' r/kJ,9N(XQDR7,)^`n_f39&:zv}%M'@B:N6)O'WB2$cUF"|w=LiF2]mN(JGafZpOb=$ddC %/30I`Hz5E& S0\j EZd With a growing open access offering, Wiley is committed to the widest possible dissemination of and access to the content we publish and supports all sustainable models of access. Contributions are tax deductible. Why so much rust in the Triassic? The result is a world where we know the animals but are only now beginning to understand the nature of the vegetation. There are two visitor centers on the forestwith maps and books, interpretive displays, and helpful information specialists. Live Date Script- The channels are filling with sediment that has eroded from the surrounding hills. breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks along its 45 mile length. function goforit(){ Red sediments are common today in places that have strong seasonal changes in rainfall, like the tropical and continental interior areas that experience monsoons. There are so many layers of rock in the basin that we could have painted hundreds of them. These scorpions of the water are some of the largest predators of the Paleozoic and close evolutionary cousins to spiders and horseshoe crabs. The three camels at the mouth of the Clarks Fork Canyon probably dont notice the strange cloud rising from the area of Yellowstone Lake some 100 miles to the west, although they certainly would have heard the loud explosion that preceded it. Aside from the Bighorn Canyon National recreation center, there is no shortage of all kinds of campgrounds within the vicinity of the Bighorn Mountains. The females build a network of pathways in the phloem, called galleries, where they lay their eggs. Visit the Bighorn National Forest and enjoy the multiple reservoirs, 32 campgrounds, 3 scenic byways, 14 picnic areas, 7 lodges, miles and miles of streams, 189,000 acres of Wilderness, 1,500 miles of trails, and much more that provide a forest experience unique to the Big Horns. Along with the dominant Douglas-fir and Ponderosa, there will be some Rocky Mountain juniper, Engelman spruce, common juniper, carrion flower, wax current, smooth sumac, Oregon grape, poison ivy, little bluestem, pasque flower, sticky geranium, golden pea, harebells, scrambled eggs and showy larkspur. Snowshoe past Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades, which will be frozen into crystalline ice flows and sparkling like jewels among the spruce trees and drifts of snow. water, livestock forage, and minerals. Each year, these parks see more than 3 million visitors who arrive from all directions, and those who come to Yellowstone from the east by way of Cody must pass through a vast, dry depression known as the Bighorn Basin. They have legs for walking and paddles for swimming, so they can easily move in and out of the water. The conical crown leads down to drooping side branches. In 1991, a 95 percent completeAllosaurusskeleton, now at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, was collected at the Howe Quarry. Do you want to decorate your home? big horn mountains, cowgirl sitting on horse with her dog - bighorn mountains stock pictures, royalty-free photos . Dominant Habitat This trail is located around 3 miles to the north of the Montana and Wyoming border off HWY 37. Terms of Use The camels will have less than an hour to live. The Ponderosa pine forest in the Sand Turn area is becoming a "taste treat" for the beetles, as the forests are the proper age, size and density for their spread. vacation? The eggs quickly hatch, and the larvae overwinter in the trees, then mature and fly from their home tree the following summer to commence another cycle. Find information about forest planning, current projects, forest resource management and programs. Conveniently located halfway between Mt. 20 US Hwy 14A var montharray=new Array("January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December") This stately conifer is widely distributed throughout the west, and grows in nearly pure stands along the eastern flanks of the Bighorn Mountains. During the 1800's the Big Horns provided History buffs come to this region to explore the land that once felt the footsteps of legendary giants like Jim Bridger, Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, Plenty Coups and Buffalo Bill. United States. on official, secure websites. Welcome home. The Bighorn Basin is a curious bit of topography, and it has one of the best geological stories on the planet. var month=mydate.getMonth() Found in the forested areas are coyotes, snow- shoe hares, red squirrels, marmots, chipmunks and blue grouse. Because the Bighorn Basin is a dry place, not many plants grow here today, so it is easy to see the rocks. /* During the mid-1970s, the bighorns migrated across the ice of Bighorn Lake and remained on the west side of the Bighorn Canyon where Thus soil-water relationships are important in determining vegetation pattern. . Visit the National Forest Store to see what maps are available for this Forest and others you may want to visit. Small Business Tree Planting Partnerships, Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences, Financial Accountability and Transparency, U.S. National Forest Campground Directory. Most of the forest is open to hunting. website belongs to an official government organization in the Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Big Horns are a great vacation destination in themselves. Many non-motorized trails are open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrian users. 1. Studies in the vicinity of the Big Horn Mountains include the description of spruce-fir forests of the Medicine Bow Mountains in south-central Wyoming by Oosting This stately conifer is widely distributed throughout the west, and grows in nearly pure stands along the eastern flanks of the Bighorn Mountains. 3 Beds, 3 Baths, 2,800 Square Feet for sale for $1,490,000 - The River. The rusting process in the sediments often destroys the remains of plants and animals that would otherwise become fossilized, so very few fossils have been discovered in the Chugwater over the years. Airborne ash will go farther still, covering most of the eastern half of the continent and smothering any life in its way. (Sources include: Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area by Paul Gordon), Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center var year=mydate.getYear() The 70,000-acre Recreation Area straddles both northern Wyoming and the southern Montana borders, and there is a visitor center in each state. setInterval("getthedate()",1000) Interspersed with mountain meadows are large patches of cool evergreen forests extending from just above the foothills to the timber line. 2 0 obj MLS # 22304833 The Douglas-fir/Ponderosa Pine Forest is the dominant habitat in the higher, wider section of Bighorn Canyon. Ice fishing is also something of a tradition at Bighorn Lake for families from both ends in Montana and Wyoming. Within minutes the cloud will collapse under its own weight and roll eastward at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour. (406) 666-9961 is the North District in Fort Smith, MT. Driving west on Highway 14, the climb up the mountain begins as the short and mid-grasses of the Great Plains fade in the rearview mirror and are quickly replaced by ponderosa pine forest. Some of the oldest specimens in the park can be found here, clinging to life, in some cases, for hundreds of years. Sign up for our FREE weekly email.Delivered to your inbox every Friday. The Bighorn Basin to the west of the mountains separates them from a few other areas key to the geography of the land like the Absaroka Range, the Shoshone National Forest, and Yellowstone National Park. Merging paleontology, geology, and artistry, Ancient Wyoming illustrates scenes from the distant past and provides fascinating details on the flora and fauna of the past 300 million years. The horse is startled by the rustling leaves and starts to run over to the fast-flowing stream cutting across the forest floor. 307 548-5406 The Morrison Formation is perhaps the best window into the world of giant Jurassic dinosaurs, but the picture is cloudy because bones are much more frequently preserved than are plants. Request Permissions. The town is right next to the Afterbay Dam with its highly-fished waters. Browse 191 bighorn mountains wyoming stock photos and images available, or search for big horn mountains wyoming to find more great stock photos and pictures. Characteristics Lodgepole is found in "..merchantable quantity and dimensions in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming." Pines and Aspen trees in the Bighorn National Forest. The Bighorns tend to be recognizable from the fact that their ranges and peaks are less jagged than some of the others, making them seem longer and flatter for the most part. Lovell, if (year < 1000) A lone rhynchosaur ambles across the plain, leaving a track in the soft mud underneath. Wyoming northward into south central Montana. Hickory tussock moth caterpillars grow around 1.77 inches long, with fuzzy white hairs covering their bodies. It formed as the large Rocky Mountain ranges that encircle the basin the Bighorns, Beartooths, Owl Creeks, and Pryors continued to rise. Sharp claws on its back feet could be used to dig up roots to eat or to protect it from the vast array of crocodile-like predators that roam the landscape. include mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, and the elusive mountain lion. The Mountains. Official websites use .gov A .gov NPS (Henthorne) One of the most fascinating aspects of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area are the diverse species of trees and shrubs found in a relatively small area. 20 US Hwy 14A One of the first species of tree a visitor is likely to encounter upon entering the Bighorn National Forest is ponderosa pine. The winding, colorful walls of the canyon are more than 1,000 feet higher than the level of the lake, and if you take a wander around the surrounding vicinity you might likely encounter a few bighorn sheep or mountain goats. (406) 666-9961 is the North District in Fort Smith, MT. Pine stands like those west of Dayton were kept open and park-like by the occurrence of frequent, low-intensity surface fires (and occasional crown fires) that ran up the mountain from the plains every few decades. ( On sedimentary areas forests cover less that 50% of the area and are composed of Pseudotsuga menziesii or Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa. Discovering Montana is a resource for those living and visiting the Treasure State. This campground charges $15.00 per night and also has a seasonal amphitheater. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center Forest the place for you to experience an exciting, relaxing, and stress-free Black Canyon Campground and Day Board 9 are the two with boat access, and they are both free to use. The Bighorn National Forest is 80 miles long and 30 miles wide. ", Click on image to view Conveniently located half-way between Mt. Sign-up for our email newsletter and stay connected. North America. of Wyoming, Wyoming The site also has a boat ramp and there is a small beach area popular with swimmers in the warmer months. +"" The first fur trappers would have been the first white men to come into the Bighorn Mountains, yet before that, Native American Tribes used the range in their search for food and hunting. It looks and feels like a subtropical ecosystem, yet Wyoming sits at just about the same latitude as it does today. In the Bighorn Basin, the formation is very colorful with hues of blue, red, orange, and brown, but it is famous for its immense and diverse dinosaurs. The shallow and still waters here make it easy for Kayakers to glide off for a spot of recreation. Expect to find black bear, mule deer, elk, and porcupine along with such birds as Clarks nutcracker and the Red-breasted nuthatch. Advertising Notice Fires are allowed below the high watermark, and backcountry camping is free so no permit is necessary. The Bighorn Mountains are a collection of peaks belonging to the Rocky Mountains. The trees look vaguely familiar but on second glance are clearly not. Much of the range is included within the Bighorn National Forest, which covers close to 1,800 square miles of land to the east of the Continental Divide in Montana and Wyoming. It contains 15 trails in all and covers 17 miles. var day=mydate.getDay() getthedate() In the distance, barely visible is a group of huge dinosaurs with long necks and tiny heads. Buffalo, Wyoming 82834. Clad in a thick, scaly armor, the bark of mature ponderosa pines is ideally suited to withstand the recurrent ground fires that swept through the area and cleared the understory to create an open, widely scattered, pine forest. Wiley has partnerships with many of the worlds leading societies and publishes over 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols in STMS subjects. Within the National Forest area, you can encounter grass prairies, evergreen forests, :X_!Pz@>[@zU\ @=-,=NWk,KvQa&S'. 3 0 obj It took more than 1,000. The Central Montana Plains lie to the north of the mountains along with the city of Billings and the Crow Reservation, and the Bighorns continue on past them to the Great Basin area of Wyoming, covering 200 miles in all. Grover Cleveland signed legislation creating the Bighorn National Reserve, in recognition The five acres with 450 feet of Bull River footage has views of both Cabinet Mountains and Scotchman Peaks as its backdrop. Display our nation's flag proudly! Your Privacy Rights The high points of the surrounding mountains reach more than 11,000 feet, while the low point of the basin is only 3,500 feet. LockA locked padlock Wyoming's Bighorn Basin is an oval scooped out of the northwest quadrant of the state and encircled by neatly aligned mountain ranges. In fact, the Bighorn Basin may be the best place on Earth to tell the story of our planet. Goshawks and gray jays live in the timbered areas year-round. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions From outer space or on the Wyoming Highway Map, the basin appears as a giant oval hole about 150 miles long by 80 miles wide. Like all of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations in the basin, the Morrison crops outaround the basins rim. Streams are entering a coastal area and have cut into the surrounding bedrock of Bighorn Dolomite. your best information source for northern Two peaks rise to over 13,000 feet (4,000 m): Cloud Peak (13,175 ft, 4,016 m) and Black Tooth Mountain (13,005 ft, 3,964 m). Adult beetles attack trees in July and August, when they bore through the bark into the phloem region, or inner bark. Select from premium Big Horn Mountains Wyoming of the highest quality. if (document.all||document.getElementById) For full source code, installation instructions, 100's more DHTML scripts, and Terms Of Use, Help keep America strong and united. Most of the rainfall comes during March, April, and May; precipitation is less than 30 mm per month during summer. If you can see the rocks, you can find the fossils in the rocks. Douglas-fir The Second Tallest Tree % In this place, the history of the Earth lies on the ground as if it were an open book. The Lower Layout Creek trail takes you to the vicinity of Cowley in Wyoming. The combined action of the beetle galleries and the bluestain fungi inhibits the flow of water in the tree. The oval cones are 3 to 6 inches and the scales are tipped with a stiff prickle point. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center. Bighorn Basin Research Institute, Greybull. of 4. Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 12053 Gorgeous canyons are a hallmark of the Forest. The bundles form tufts near the ends of the branches giving a distinctive appearance to Ponderosas. The needles have two whitish lines on the lower surface and are narrowed at the base into a short slender stem (the petiole) which leave a small raised scar when the needle is shed. %PDF-1.5 United States government. if (hours>12){ The Rocky Mountain plant group dominates the central and northern areas in the park. They both have ranger-led programs throughout the summer, and the Montana center is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. On the other hand, beetle outbreaks may be allowed to run their course in areas allocated to biological and species diversity emphasis. Most of the best dinosaur fossilshave come from the eastern edge, and activedinosaur quarries occur from Thermopolis to Shell. Typically, management actions are not taken in remote or wild areas of national forests, as dead trees provide nesting sites for birds and small mammals, and the natural openings add habitat diversity with the increased grass, forb, and shrub growth. Look here to explore maps that will help you plan your visit and locate facilities such as roads, trails, recreation sites, and other attractions. Shrubland in this climatic zone gives way to limber and ponderosa pines. The Central Montana Plains lie to the north of the mountains along with the city of Billings and the Crow Reservation, and the Bighorns continue on past them to the Great Basin area of Wyoming . endobj var dn="AM" Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Share sensitive information only A Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep looks at his surroundings while snacking on the . This famous stop-off point in the mountains came into being through an act of Congress in 1966. Conveniently located half-way between Mt. With the advent of fire suppression around the turn of the century, the patchy ground fires that created openings and variety in the forest composition were snuffed out, and forests have become more densely stocked. Along with the dominant Douglas-fir and Ponderosa, there will be some Rocky Mountain juniper, Engelman spruce, common juniper, carrion flower, wax current, smooth sumac, Oregon grape, poison ivy, little bluestem, pasque flower, sticky geranium, golden pea, harebells, scrambled eggs and showy larkspur. The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area has some decent trails leading to the Bighorns along the border to Wyoming. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine lK[GL:zxw\'[+Z`91M~wZ)gB'`ksGv#R!WWA_ )w+{?,G&VQE]EsGyh,> tF- J I?QxjB 0(g{nUX.777HN0oT.U*\J~K?H9lMO5*j8C {fRaj{&eq(zle View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. This is a typical spread pattern of the beetles. The mosaic of beetle-killed trees interspersed with live trees in the pine forests of the Bighorns is a reminder that forests change, with or without human interventions. WY Shell, Tensleep and Crazy Woman Canyons are among those that can be enjoyed from your car window. 10126 N Bighorn Butte Dr , Oro Valley, AZ 85737-9299 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $600,000. 4 0 obj When the three needles are held together they form a cylinder. Located in north-central Wyoming, the Bighorn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. The NFF is a 501(c)3 charitable, nonprofit organization. Share sensitive information only The butte preserves horizontal layers of Cambrian, Ordovician, and Devonian shale and limestone, with sediments of the Beartooth Butte Formation filling channels cut down into the Bighorn Dolomite. Today, much remains the same. Wyoming's beautiful Big Horns have to offer you. In 2020, the citizen-led Dispersed Camping Task Force provided Bighorn National Forest leadership several recommendations to improve dispersed camping management. This picture shows mountain pine beetle at work in the ponderosa forest near Sand Turn. The vegetation of the Big Horn Mountains is typical of the Central Rocky Mountain region; a lower Juniperus osteosperma zone is followed by Pinus ponderosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus contorta, and Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa zones.