On Thursday, April 23, 2026, a large band of rock broke into slabs above the Tongue River Canyon Trail and fell onto the tread, blocking access and causing significant damage. The trail stayed closed on Game and Fish land for about five months. Trail 002 and its trailhead at the Tongue River Canyon Public Access Area reopened effective Sept. 23, earlier than the early-October finish crews had projected.
The reopening is good news, but it came late in the year. The canyon sits next to land run by three other calendars: a Forest Service closure order, the Amsden Creek Wildlife Habitat Management Area schedule, and the Connor Battlefield seasonal rules down the road in Ranchester. All three change status between Oct. 31 and Nov. 16. If you want the full version of this canyon in 2026, with the side trails, the open ground next door, and the easy stops on the drive home, you have about four weekends left.
What the Repair Crews Actually Did
The April slide closed the trail, but not the whole area. Right after the slide, the trailhead and the access points downstream of it stayed open. People could still reach the river. They just couldn't hike up the canyon.
The full repair closure began at 8 a.m. on Sept. 10. U.S. Forest Service contractors repaired the tread, blasted to widen the trail, and removed rubble, with equipment shuttled in from the trailhead to the work site. The work took 13 days. "We appreciate the public's cooperation in respecting the closure, which allowed the work to be quickly and safely completed," said Nathan Lindsey, Game and Fish Sheridan Region Habitat and Access Coordinator.
The handoff between agencies explains why so many offices are involved. Trail 002 is on the Bighorn National Forest, but you reach it from a trailhead on Game and Fish Commission property, inside the Tongue River Canyon Public Access Area. Game and Fish handles the approach, the Forest Service handles the trail, and the land on either side follows its own schedule.
The Four Calendars, in Order
Here's how the next six weeks shake out, using the dates each agency has published:
- Now through Saturday, Oct. 31. The Forest Service closure order for the cave trail and the forest-boundary section of Trail 002 is still in effect "unless rescinded." More on that in the next section.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. Camping and vehicle access end at Connor Battlefield Historic Site on County Road 67 in Ranchester. From November through March you can still reach it on foot by the walking bridge.
- Sunday, Nov. 1. Amsden Creek WHMA closes to vehicles. Foot and horse traffic is allowed through Nov. 15. The live banner on the Amsden Creek page says "Opens 10/31 to foot and horse traffic only," which is one day earlier than the April notice. Plan around the stricter date.
- Monday, Nov. 16. Amsden Creek closes to all human presence through May 14.
Trail 002 itself isn't on that list. The Forest Service describes it as an 11.2-mile non-motorized route from the state trailhead at the end of County Road 92 to Forest System Road 166, open year-round but weather-dependent. Game and Fish lists the public access area as open year-round too. So the canyon trail doesn't close after Halloween. What closes is most of what surrounds it.
The Cave Trail Is Still an Open Question
The public reopening notices name Trail 002 and its trailhead. The Forest Service order behind the September closure covers more than that. Acting Forest Supervisor Amy Ormseth signed it on Sept. 8, and it applies to:
All Forest Service lands in T56N, R87W, Section 10 including Forest System Trail 093 (Tongue River Cave Trail) in its entirety and Forest System Trail 002 (Tongue River Canyon Trail) at the forest boundary.
The order runs from Sept. 10 through midnight on Oct. 31, "unless rescinded." We haven't found a rescission. Violating a Forest Service order is a Class B misdemeanor, with fines up to $5,000 for individuals. Before you head for the cave side trail this month, call the Bighorn National Forest Supervisor's and Tongue Ranger District office in Sheridan at (307) 674-2600. The order names that office as the contact.
According to a Wyoming geology guide, a bridge about 0.2 mile from the start of the trail leads to the steep side trip up to Tongue River Cave. Under the current Forest Service cave order, the cave's own seasonal closure runs April 15 through Aug. 31, so the summer bat-season closure is already over. Going into the cave still requires an approved registration form and the order's decontamination steps. Once the trail order expires or is lifted, the cave is a fall and winter destination, but only with the paperwork done first.
Getting to the Trailhead
The last few miles go slower than the map suggests. On County Road 92, you reach the camping area after about 3.3 miles. The final gravel lot, the toilets, and the Trail 002 trailhead are another 1.5 miles past that, and trailers and large vehicles are restricted beyond the camping area. Access is limited to the signed easement, camping is allowed only at designated sites with a five-day limit, and the Game and Fish page currently shows a fire-ban indicator.
Once you're on the trail, the first 2.4 miles follow the Tongue River before the route climbs out of the canyon. That river stretch is the out-and-back most day hikers mean when they say they "did the canyon," and it's the section the spring closure kept people off.
Fall here overlaps with hunting season. Amsden Creek lists hunting among its allowed activities, which is part of why its closure dates matter to hikers as well as hunters. We walked through how Sheridan's fall hunting calendar stacks up in our hunting season breakdown.
The Drive Home Runs on Weekend Hours
Weekends are your best bet for food stops in Dayton and Ranchester this time of year.
- Dayton Mercantile, 408 Main Street on Highway 14, serves sandwiches and ice cream and sells gifts and antiques. Its posted winter hours after Labor Day are Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Mountain Inn Bar, 810 Main St. in Dayton, changed hands in June 2025, when Kimberly and Brad Bell bought the longtime bar. The Chamber held its ribbon cutting on Sept. 11, 2025. We didn't find posted fall hours.
- Crazy Woman Saloon at 307 Main St. is listed in the 2026 Sheridan County visitor guide. Call before you count on it.
- Innominate Coffeehouse & Bakery, 652 US Highway 14 in Ranchester, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed Monday and Tuesday. If you start early, it can be your first stop on the way out.
- Tongue River Brewing Co., 530 W US Hwy 14 in Ranchester, lists 307-655-1901 on its own website. The visitor guide prints a different number, so use the one on the brewery's site.
One Dayton stop is off the list until next year. The Hans Kleiber Cabin & Studio Museum is a free summer-only stop, so it won't be open in October or November.
Since today is Sunday, Oct. 4, there are four weekends left before Halloween: Oct. 10–11, 17–18, and 24–25, plus Saturday, Oct. 31. On those days, Dayton Mercantile's weekend hours, the Forest Service order's end date, and Connor Battlefield's last day of vehicle access all fall within the same stretch. If you want to finish a canyon hike with lunch on Main Street in Dayton and a walk around the Ranchester battlefield, you have four Saturdays left this year to do it.
After Halloween, a Smaller Trip
The canyon trail stays open in November, weather permitting, but the trip around it gets smaller. Amsden Creek becomes walk-in or ride-in only for its last two weeks and then closes completely on Nov. 16. Connor Battlefield is foot traffic only by way of the walking bridge. In Dayton, the Mercantile keeps its weekend schedule. If the Forest Service order lapses as written, the cave trail falls under the cave registration rules rather than the reconstruction closure.
For residents who want more Bighorn color before the snow, our Big Horn fall color guide covers a different drainage and a different drive. Trail 002 is the trail Sheridan was missing for most of 2026, and the cleanest time to hike it this year is before Nov. 1.
If you're hosting guests this fall and want a canyon day planned around these dates, or you'd like to talk about life six miles from Sheridan's trailheads, the team at Powder Horn Realty is glad to help. Request a Tour, and we'll share what we know about the Bighorns along the way.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
