Non Angling Activities


Southeastern Montana is a wonderful part of our state with incredibly rich cultural and natural resources. While fishing is certainly the primary reason to visit Montana, but there is a wide array of non-fishing activities available at the Royal Bighorn Club which are really worth an extra look.
 

 

Crow Fair – Hardin, Montana

Since 1904, the Crow Tribe has gathered for its annual Crow Fair outside of Hardin, MT. Over the years, Crow Fair has grown to be one of the largest celebrations of Native American cultures in the United States. Crow Fair welcomes all Native American tribes of the Great Plains to its festivities, functioning as a "giant family reunion under the Big Sky." Each year, nearly 45,000 spectators and participants attend Crow Fair. With Teepees spread throughout the Cottonwood Trees along the banks of the Little Bighorn, it is a gathering that provides an authentic glimpse into Native American culture and one of the great cultural events of the world. 

Little Bighorn Battlefield – Crow Agency, Montana 

As white settlers moved forcefully into Montana in the 1800’s, Native American tribes defended their traditional hunting grounds through a series of armed conflicts throughout the state. Undoubtedly, the most famous of these battles was The Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer’s last stand).  Fought along the ridges, steep bluffs, and ravines of the Little Bighorn River on June 25-26, 1876, the battle was one of the Native American victories during this very sad time.  The combatants were warriors of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, and the 7th Regiment of the US Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer. Today, it is a national battlefield and, much like any battlefield, it tells a very sad, but important story. The battlefield is a short drive from the Royal Bighorn Club. 

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Ft. Smith, Montana  The vast, wild landscape of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural world and experience the wonders of this extraordinary place. With over 120,000 acres, one can find an astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.

Bighorn lake is best explored by power boat.  The Royal Bighorn Club is happy to take guests of boat tours of the lake. As you pass through the Yellowtail Canyon’s red cliffs, you will feel like you are in the desert Southwest and not Montana.  For those of you interested in fly-fishing for Carp, the reservoir provides some really fun fly-fishing for Montana’s bonefish. 

The Pryor Mountains

The Pryor Mountains are unlike any other landscape in Montana, and utterly different from the Beartooth Mountains only 40 miles to the west. They are geologically, ecologically, meteorologically, and culturally unique. The Pryors are an island range rising from the prairie, formed by erosion of uplifted limestone instead of glacier carved granite. The numerous, rugged and spectacular limestone canyons provide viewpoints from which to share the solitude with the intermittent, quiet and haunting call of the hermit thrush. The diverse habitats of the Pryors are home to a diversity of birds, butterflies and other wildlife ranging from bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bear, and mountain lion.  They are also home to Montana’s only herd of “Wild” horses.  The Pryors are 30 minute drive to the west of the Royal Bighorn Club and are a great way to spend a day during your visit to MT.