~ Yellowtail Dam ~ Montana ~ 983 mi from PDX - 806 mi Sea-Tac.
"This is a beauty!' .... says dam-scout Jim Carroll. Yellowtail Dam is located just outside of Fort Smith, Montana. Although by air, the dam is only 45 miles southeast of Billings Montana; it is 90 miles by road. The reservoir created by the dam on the Bighorn River extends 72 miles into northern Wyoming where it is called Bighorn Lake. This dam is located in the middle of the Crow Indian Reservation and gets it's name from the famous Crow chairman Robert Yellowtail. The main access to this remote dam is from the northeast VIA highway 313.
The visitor center is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is the only place to get a view of the dam. It is up the hill from the second sign ( photos in side bar) and there is a gate that may well be closed except for that time. If the gate is open and you are able to go higher you can take photos from the visitor center parking lot, however, I'm told if the visitor center is closed, the gate will likely be closed and locked as well. All is good between those two holidays however. The sign locations are at the base of the hill and you may take your photos from there if needed, but the visitor center and the dam are worth the extra distance and the time. And...
...the nice lady in dam photo thumbnail at right, name is Louise Narvick. She is the resident expert on this dam and has been here for many years educating visitors to Yellowtail Dam. She knows all about DamTour and even has Jim Carroll's 2011 placard to prove it. Louise is excited about Yellowtail Dam being on this years list and has asked to have each to visitor identify themselves to her as being a part of DamTour, as Louise wants to personally welcome them. So be sure to drop in and say hi.
Jim has a great ride/route suggestion for any of those that might be heading to Yellowtail Dam from Boysen Dam or the other way around. He says the ride over Hwy 14 from Greybull to Dayton, is a real treat. "Moto bliss on this road for sure." Check it out.
**Thank you Jim Carroll ...for scouting and photos.
GPS: 45.30843°N - 107.95569°W or 45° 18' 24" N - 107° 57' 27" W
(Click or drag Map for interactive view.) Back to Dam Maps Back to Dam List
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**Hint... check out the BMR page for double the fun with the DamTour/BMR tag-along partnership. Enhance your adventures by signing up for both. This special adventure begins for BMR riders with Bonus round 2
on April 1, 2012.
Elevation : 3661 feet
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AREA LINKS
Fort Smith History - Lodging-Food
History & Culture - National Park Service
Custer Country - Things to see
Little Bighorn battlefield national monument
Rider Photos
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