Sheep Mesa Arch

We hiked the Blackwater Natural Bridge trail (My Blackwater Natural Bridge post is at this link), which was 8.5 miles one way and 17 miles round-trip, and we saw this mysterious arch up in the cliffs on Sheep Mesa as we were hiking.  It appeared at exactly mile 7.05 of the hike.  I asked the Wapiti Forest Service office what the name of the arch was, but they didn't even know there was another arch out there.  I decided to call it Sheep Mesa Arch until I can find out the real name of it.

We could see the arch for about a mile of our hike.  Sometimes you could clearly see the opening and other times you couldn't.

I wonder if we could have hiked and climbed under the arch.  At the time it seemed pretty inaccessible, but looking at the photos now I am wondering...

I also wonder what the view would look like through the arch.  I wonder if we could have seen Blackwater Natural Bridge through this arch, although I'm guessing it's probably too far down the trail from the arch, since the viewpoint for it is 8.5 miles and this arch appeared at mile 7.

 

Arches of Bighorn Lake

Imagine leaning back on the seats of your motorboat and looking up at the clear blue sky, with beautiful red cliffs framing your view on either side.  This is the Bighorn Canyon near Lovell, Wyoming.  It is second only to Lake Powell in my favorite places to go boating.  We have been going there annually for years and we consider it one of Wyoming's best kept secrets.  

We drive our boat from Wyoming up into Montana all the way to the dam, about 72 miles each way.  Our trip in 2023 was especially exciting because the water level was up so high that I noticed a lot of arches that I haven't noticed in years past.  When we went in 2025 I counted at least 15 arches that could be viewed from the water, and we also went to see the Devil's Canyon Overlook Arch at mile marker 44 from above, with a beautiful view of the lake through the arch.  I have not been able to discover the names of any of the other arches, nor do I know yet how to access any of the others from above the canyon.  For now I have given them my own names -- until I discover what they are really called.  Interestingly, all of the arches are on the Montana side of the lake.  I have not seen any that are in Wyoming other than just tiny windows.

Here is a map of the lake with stars where we found arches:

#18 - Arch 18

This is the most obvious arch, that we've noticed every year right by mile marker 18.  That's my son Teancum water skiing around what I'll temporarily call "Arch 18" until I'm able to find out its real name.

It's hard to see it because of the canyon wall behind it, and it is not very big.  The funnest thing about this arch is how close it is to water level.

the arch from the other side

18 Arch in 2025

2025

2025

2025

The corner at 18 and our last view of the arch from this side as we take the turn through the canyon

#47 - I call these two arches Double Arches

These two arches were noticeable from the water because of the moving rock behind them and the light through them depending on my viewpoint in the boat.  These two arches are located right at number 47 on the water.  These photos were taken in 2023.

this photo you can see the opening a little better of the lower arch.

and this one you can barely see the sky through the upper arch

this one also you can see the sky through the higher arch

this photo the lower arch looks like just a cave with the lack of light shining through.  You can see the sky through the upper arch though.

and this one is a better view of the lower arch

you can see the lower arch quite well in this photo, which was taken earlier in the day on our way up the canyon.

as we drove through the canyon the view behind the lower arch changed.

the upper one you can't even tell is an arch in this photo, but the lower one the light behind it is much more noticeable in this photo.

the two arches labeled, in 2023

In 2025 I used my zoom lens to get a very close-up view of the top arch.  From this angle you cannot see the opening.  The water was too low for us to see the light through the upper arch in 2025

The bottom arch opening was apparent as we moved

view through the bottom arch

2025 view of the double arches

Afternoon view of Double Arches when driving south on the lake in 2025

Zoomed-in view of the bottom of the double arches

You can begin to see the rock wall in the cave behind the arch

#44 - Devil's Canyon Overlook Arch

You can visit this arch on top of the canyon walls by visiting Devil's Canyon Overlook.  Directions to the arch are here:  Devil's Canyon Arch

This arch is located right at #44 on the water.  You are not likely to ever notice it unless you know right where it is and are searching for it.  There are 2 places on the water that you can see it, but you cannot see it when  you are closest to it on the water because of the slope in the canyon wall.

This is the over viewing area for the Devil's Canyon Overlook Arch.  The arch is on the far left of this photo, in the center.  On the far right is the Pinnacle, which is on the water and is your sign to start looking for the arch.  If you look along the ridgeline on the right you can see the fencing for the Devil's Canyon Overlook to keep people from falling.

From this vantage point you can't see light through the arch, only bushes.  It is no wonder that you would never notice this arch from the water if you didn't know exactly where it was.

This photo was taken in 2025 from the adjacent Devil's Canyon, across from #44

#14 - Winking Arch

This arch that is right at #14 appears to be winking, because of the cave beside the arch, making it look like one eye is open and the other is winking

Above the canyon wall there are no roads that lead to this point in the canyon.    

later in the day the rock appeared darker

Number 14 on the water down below the arch

I took this photo in 2025

This is why I call this arch Winking Arch - the cave next to the arch makes it appear as if one eye is closed and the other is open, someone winking

Winking Arch in 2025

#29/30 - Tunnel Arches (The Bat)

Between #29 and #30 you can find two tunnel arches close together on the east side of the lake.  The second one you can only see on the return trip down the canyon.  The first one you can spot as you drive closer to the canyon wall.  I call this first one the Bat Tunnel, because it is in the shape of an upside-down bat in flight.

You can't tell it's an arch until you get close to the canyon wall.  Then you can begin to see light through it.

Bat's Tunnel Arch, taken in the afternoon, in 2025

These are photos taken of the other tunnel arch, in 2023:  I named this tunnel Triangle Tunnel because of its triangular shape, which you can see better from my photos taken in 2025.

Like the other Tunnel Arch, this is on the east side of the canyon

Triangle Tunnel, taken in 2025

Triangle Tunnel

#32 - The Ogre - 2 arches next to each other

Between #32 and #33 (closest to 32) are two arches beside each other that I like to call The Ogre because they look like 2 eyes on an ogre's face.  It's easy to drive by without noticing them.

This photo is of the right eye of "the ogre"

the right eye

The left eye of the ogre - you wouldn't even know it's an arch if you didn't get close enough to see light through it

The left eye can be seen near the center of this photo along the ridge

The left eye

The Ogre - both eyes are visible, although light is now seen through the left eye in this photo

The Ogre

#31 - Lizzie Arch

This arch is my daughter Lizzie's favorite Yellowtail arch because of the tiny baby arch right above it.  This arch is near mile marker 31 on the water

#41 - Heart Arch

I named this one Heart Arch because from the front it looks like it's shaped like a heart.  These photos were taken in 2023

This close-up photo was taken with a zoom lens in 2025

2025

Tree viewed through the arch.  I would really like to see if this arch can be access from above.

on the way back down the canyon, with the sun in a much different spot, in 2023

#30 Teddy Bear Arch - Across from Gyp Creek

I call this one Teddy Bear Arch because of the rock and trees on top that appear to be 2 ears on top of the teddy bear's head.  This arch is viewed right across from Gyp Creek

#37 - Cottage Arch

Directly across from #37, on the west side of the lake, I named this one Cottage Arch because the arch looks like a window in a cottage.

I used my zoom lens to capture a photo of Cottage Arch.  

Cottage Arch is just a tiny little arch

A photo of Cottage Arch taken in 2023

#38 - Long Arch

Directly across from #38, on the east side of the road, you can view what I call Long Arch, because it is such a long arch.  Not much of it has light shining through it, but if you get close to it, or zoom in on it, you can see how very long it is.

Long Arch is very long, but the small amount of sky showing through it is deceptive.  When you get close to it you can see how long it is.

Long Arch is shaped like an eagle

Not all of the arch is viewed from this vantage point, but you can get an idea of what is on the land above it.

#43 - The Lookout

Because of its position on the west side high up along the ridge line I thought this arch looked like a lookout, hence its name.  

This arch is near #43 and is best viewed when driving south in the lake.  It's on the west side.

A photo of Lookout Arch from 2023

Miscellaneous Small Arches

There are a lot of small arches or windows - small openings like this one all along the route.  Probably a couple dozen of them!

another small window -- although I bet up close it wouldn't seem so small

another one of many tiny windows

and another

this one is a long arch

and another very long arch

This one I wondered if was possible to hike to from the water, although we didn't get out of the boat

another small arch opening

Dry Head Creek & Hoodoo Creek between 16 & 17 on the west

This arch is out Dry Head Creek