Numbers down

Tourism update presented at chamber luncheon

Summer tourism was the main topic at the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon on September 21, as the 2026 season proved to be a mixed bag for the local tourism economy.

High fuel prices combined with low lake water provided a challenging set of circumstances for local operators, presenters said.

After an update on weekend events including the fall festival and the grand opening of the Little Acres Meat Plant, chamber manager Linda Morrison launched into the main topic.

“This has really been an interesting year,” Morrison said. “Of course, the gas prices. I think we’re going to be able to talk about some of that, how it has affected us, because it definitely has. But, you know, we have up and down years for the water level, and that was a big pain in the neck, but we can’t control that.

“It’s just like the farmers. The farmers (sometimes) don’t get rain. You know, everybody has ups and downs. But it’s been fun to meet these folks. Just this last month we’ve had folks from Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, United Kingdom, Australia, Georgia, Washington, Ireland, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Missouri, Delaware, South Dakota and, of course, Utah and Montana.”

Morrison told stories of a couple from England who were passing through and saw a sign for the Pryor Mountain wild mustangs and four people who changed their itinerary after stopping by the chamber office.

“We capture people that are just passing through and don’t have a plan,” she said.

Another group found the Lovell area on Pinterest, but Morrison’s favorite story is about people who decided to take a road trip from Washington state, and the wife wanted to see horses. They Googled horses and discovered the Pryor Mountain herd.

“And so they came, and they stayed in the motel, and they ate here. And for four days, they went out on the range,” Morrison said. “They went to the canyon, they probably came to the visitor center, and they did it all. I mean, they did the whole thing and loved every minute of it. In fact, they loved it so much that they came to see me three times to report on how much fun it was in the area.”

The Pryor horses are a huge draw, Morrison said.

“I have told so many people this last month about the horses, because I ask them why did you come, and that’s why so many of them are coming,” she said. “So let us never underestimate the importance of those horses, and we need to help folks in our community know how important this canyon is.

“There have been so many sightings of bighorn sheep this year, and that was one thing that was interesting at the governor’s conference that we attended in January. A speaker said 43 percent of the folks that come want to have interactions with wildlife, and so here’s another story, a good one. People saw a coyote, and guess where the coyote was? Hanging around the bathroom out at the overlook.”

Morrison noted the attractions being developed like the Big Horn River Blueway Trail and the Cottonwood Canyon mountain bike trail, plus continuing development on Main Street, all of which enhance tourism and recreation in the area. She said Lovell is working with Greybull and Big Horn County to promote tourism through the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Noting the focus on business and the outstanding hospital, Morrison said the chamber also encourages people to move to the area, adding, “There’s just a lot to be excited about. … We’re pulling all of that together to make us a destination. Plus, we want new people here. We want them to come, and we want them to visit.”

Wild Mustangs

Nancy Cerroni, director of the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, said that, as of September 21, 2,560 people had visited the mustang center, which is a bit down from last year. She also said the PryorWild tours of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range she and husband Steve conduct have been steady throughout the summer, averaging three to four trips per week.

“These horses are so phenomenal and beautiful and active and visible,” she said. “I’ve had so many people say this is like being in a National Geographic special every day up there. It truly is. Every day is different, and every day is exciting. … But it’s not us. It’s the horses. It’s the land. People come up here. They come up here to see the horses, and they discover this beautiful land that we are so fortunate to live in.”

One couple was told recently that the tour couldn’t take place due to rain and resulting slick roads, so they cancelled their day in Yellowstone a day earlier because seeing the wild horses was so high on their bucket list, Cerroni said.

Center employee Angie Minchow followed Cerroni and said that among the 2,560 people who visited the center this summer were 182 international visitors from Italy, Germany, France, England, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Poland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and others.

People visit the mustang center for various reasons, Minchow said, but she noted, “Every single person that comes in leaves with knowledge about the horses and some knowledge about Lovell, and I think that’s really cool and a cool thing to have in the area. It was a good season, and actually this morning Nancy and I got kind of busy at the center. We had, I think, close to 20 people that stopped in, and just from 9 to about 11:30 before we got over here.”

Park Service

Bighorn Canyon Interpretation and Education Manager Christy Fleming reported that the season started strong, with great numbers at the Taggart Visitor Center in March, April and May, but then visitation fell off.

“We thought we were going to have a big year, but then in June the (numbers) started to turn, and now we’re about 20 percent lower visitation wise than we were this time last year,” Fleming said. “We also just finished with our aquatic invasive species station, so it’s closed now for the winter. We had half the number of boats (check in), so I do think that high gas prices (are a factor). My unofficial thought about this year is that people were still coming in the March, April, May into June timeframe because they already had their reservations. They already had their plan. But as the summer went on, they kind of backed that off a little bit. So I think between low water that Mark (Garrison) can talk about and the gas prices, I think our numbers were lower.”

Boat tours

Mark Garrison of Hidden Treasure Charters agreed that the tourism season looked strong early but then tapered off with low water in the lake and not as many visitors coming to the area.

“We started out thinking there was going to be quite a bit of water, and it didn’t work out that way,” he said. “The ground didn’t freeze and it all soaked in, essentially. So we were battling low water the whole time. It’s not as dire as I thought it was going to be. You know, we were busy. We were open on Memorial Day, and June kind of took off a little bit.

“We had a lot of issues off and on throughout the season, but nothing that hasn’t been (seen) over the last few years out there. Just common things. We start booking now for the following season, and we’re getting a lot of inquiries and things like that. But you know after this last year, I’m a little goosey about it, because honestly, if we have another winter like we had last winter, it’s going to be a Groundhog Day.

“You know, the park allowed us to use a portion of the dock, which has made it somewhat decent, to keep a couple pontoons on. We were able to take quite a few people out. But I’d say our numbers are -- I don’t even think they’re half of what we normally do.”

Garrison said he’s still optimistic.

“Overall, we came through it, and I’ve still got a good attitude about it,” he said. “We’re kind of thinking that maybe we’re not going to be promoting it like we have. We spent a lot of time promoting this place and going to travel trade shows and things. Revenue’s not there from this year, so we’ll just have to play it by ear. That’s the way it is. … Travel was way down, and I think that is probably fuel prices. I think the other thing is just the climate. I mean, I just think it’s all around just been a different year. I haven’t experienced it in 22 years, but I did this year.”