Tongue River Canyon Trail to Close for Repairs

A popular recreation trail in Sheridan County will soon be closing for repairs. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Bighorn National Forest will close a section of Tongue River Canyon Trail and the associated trailhead at the Tongue River Canyon Public Access Area, beginning at 8 am on Thursday, September 10. The closure will allow U.S. Forest Service contractors to complete repair work on the trail, which was damaged by a rock slide in April 2026.  The closure includes the Tongue River Cave Trail and an area along the Tongue River.

According to information from the Game and Fish, the closure is expected to last until early October, or until work is completed. The work will include tread repair and blasting to widen the trail and rubble removal. Equipment will be shuttled between the trailhead and the work site. Although the trail is on the Bighorn National Forest, access to the trail from the trailhead is on Game and Fish Commission property and is part of the Tongue River Canyon Public Access Area.

Game and Fish Sheridan Region Habitat and Access Coordinator Nathan Lindsey said for public safety, and to expedite repair work, the decision was made to close the trailhead for the entirety of the project. Lindsey added that the public will still be able to access the designated camping sites in the canyon and fishing access along the Tongue River, downstream from the trailhead, will remain open. Upstream fishing access from the trailhead will be closed. Closure signs will be placed at the trailhead and at the forest boundary on September 10 and removed as soon as trail access reopens.