If your interests lean toward the outdoors, recreation opportunities abound. Test your fly-fishing skills on the famous Bighorn River, where both rainbow and brown trout are abundant. Catfish, walleye, small mouth bass, and a half dozen other species can be caught depending upon how and where you fish.

For wildlife photographers, floating the Bighorn River (boat rentals available nearby) is a dream come true! Eagles, pheasants, whitetail and mule deer, and waterfowl may be spotted at each bend in the river. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular.

Want to take a wonderful day trip? Take your own boat or rent a pontoon boat and enjoy the grandeur of the Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area, arguably one of Montana’s best kept secrets. The massive Yellowtail Dam creates a lake almost 70 miles long with canyon walls reaching hundreds of feet high. Not only is the area a great place to water ski, fish, or just relax in the sun, it’s also home to big horn sheep, black bears, eagles, and other birds. It’s a miniature Grand Canyon that will create many lifetime memories.

In the fall, Hardin serves as a central gathering point for those interested in waterfowl, upland birds, and big game hunting. Many ranches within a short drive offer free hunting through the Block Management program. And, of course, many other opportunities are available on the river, public lands, or with landowner permission.