About this city
Also known as: The Fly Fishing Trout Capital
Fort Smith is a quiet, historically significant and culturally distinct community located along the grand Bighorn River in southern Big Horn County, Montana, situated entirely within the Crow Indian Reservation. Established in 1866 as a strategic frontier military outpost along the bloody Bozeman Trail to protect travelers from tribal warriors, the area transitioned beautifully into a world-class Mecca for fly fishing and river eco-tourism. Fort Smith serves as the definitive primary municipal gateway to the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the colossal Yellowtail Dam. Surrounded by stark high-desert limestone canyons, it expertly pairs intense military pioneer lore with unmatched river wilderness sportfishing.
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Suggested stay: 1–3 days
Savor world-class blue-ribbon trout fly fishing along the rushing, crystalline tailwaters of the Bighorn River. Peer down into 1,000-foot-deep vertical limestone precipices at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area overlooks. Board a motorized boat or kayak to cruise the vast blue waters of Bighorn Lake. Explore early frontier cavalry military cabin foundations at the historic old fort ruins.
