Shell Falls closes for construction

Expected to last through end of 2026

The Shell Falls Interpretive Site will be closed for the rest of this year and likely all of 2026, according to a special order issued May 15 by the U.S. Forest Service.

Citing the need to protect human safety, the Forest Service included all trails, pathways, grounds, viewing platform, buildings, parking areas and roads in the closure order.

“There’s a lot of work to be done to the facility,” said Sara Evans Kirol, a public affairs specialist for the Bighorn National Forest.

The goal of that work, she said, is to fix the power that went down several years ago and to get the restroom facilities back in working order.  

Since the waste system failed, the site has relied on porta-potties. 

But for the next two years, they won’t be open to the public either.

“The whole entrance is shut off, so even if you were to park outside and walk in, it would be a violation of the closure,” said Evans Kirol. “It’s a health and safety closure. That’s the reason for it.  They’ll be bringing in a lot of equipment and don’t want to accidentally hurt someone.”

While Shell Falls is no longer an option, Evans Kirol said the Burgess Junction Visitor center is now open and being jointly managed by the Forest Service and Sheridan Travel and Tourism.

“That building is fully operational,” she said. “It has a really nice restroom facility for people to stop in, the visitor center folks are there to answer questions and there’s even a little trail to hike.”

The visitor center’s summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.