Bighorn National Forest Closes Crazy Woman Road for Two Months of Improvements
Written by Andrew-Rossi on July 14, 2022
Bighorn National Forest has closed a popular scenic drive in the Bighorn Canyon for two months of construction that will improve visitor safety permanently.
Effective July 18, Forest System Road 33 – the Crazy Woman Road – will be closed to all vehicle and visitor traffic. Bighorn National Forest employees intend to improve the road for the safety of future drivers. However, this means a road closure is necessary to complete the work.
A temporary bridge will be constructed over “a historic, weight limited bridge approximately 1.7 miles from the head of the canyon” off Wyoming Highway 16. The bridge will allow heavy equipment and trucks to pass over the bridge.
The closure will ensure the public and employees stay safe throughout the two-month construction. Due to the narrow canyon and Crazy Woman Creek that runs alongside the road, it is not possible to build detours around the construction.
Courtesy Bighorn National Forest
Repairs to the Crazy Woman Road will begin Monday, July 18. The closure will stay in effect until September 9, 2022.
The 13-mile Crazy Woman Road is entirely unpaved. It takes roughly an hour and a half to drive the entire route (and a high clearance vehicle is recommended.)
Bighorn National Forest suggested in a Facebook post that the road may be open some evenings during the week. However, there is no confirmation these open times will be possible.
There will be an exception to the closure from July 25 to July 29. At that point, the construction will not require a road closure.
Courtesy Bighorn National Forest
This project is one of many local improvements on the Bighorn National Forest funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund.
Funds from the Great American Outdoors Act are being used to improve several visitor amenities throughout the Rocky Mountain Region’s national parks and forests. For example, Yellowstone National Park is currently working on a restoration of historic Fort Yellowstone buildings located at Mammoth Hot Springs.
Meanwhile, Shoshone National Forest used Great American Outdoors Act funding to replace a 15-year-old bridge on the Yellowstone Trail.
